Mahindra Scorpio Classic : The Red Sea in its evening traffic on the Ring Road in Delhi parted for the Menacing Monstrocity that rolled up behind me in my rear-view mirror – the Mahindra Scorpio Classic “Black Shadow!”
Totally murdered out, riding low with midnight black paint and tinted windows and aggressive body kit, it looked like it had come straight off a set of a gangster movie. This wasn’t just any SUV – it was an opinion on wheels.
Last week I was lucky enough to grab this limited edition for a (bit over) a three-day trip through Delhi-NCR and I must say it was nothing short than a cinematic one.
One look at their latest Black Shadow edition of the Scorpio Classic, and you know that Mahindra has always known what makes the Scorpio appeal to the masculine heart – it’s the feeling of being the absolute boss on the road, of being the ugly bully that everybody is scared of and doesn’t want to mess with!
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Mahindra Scorpio Classic The Dhakad Black Makeover Will Make One Respect You
Let’s start with the most obvious thing – a full blackout treatment, which infuses this limited edition with a sinister, mafia-chic motif.
This is not your ordinary black paint, not standard black by any means, this is a total dark build of every exterior part.
The body is painted in a rich Midnight Black color, accented with a hint of sparkle that shows in sunlight.
This treatment is unique and the Scorpio comes with an all-black theme where the grille, bumpers, side cladding, roof rails and even the legendary Scorpio tailgate lettering are black. No chrome parts are left, all are either painted black or otherwise darkened.
“Hum ise ‘Shadow Warrior’ bulate hain internally,” or “We call it ‘Shadow Warrior’ internally,” said Rajiv Kumar, a Mahindra official I met at the hand over.
“The design brief was straightforward – the scariest Scorpio you can imagine; something that says ‘power and authority’.”
The 17-inch alloy wheels get a gloss black treatment with small red detailing in the lip – the only color in the exterior package for that matter.
They’re wrapped in 265/65 R17 all-terrain tires that have a taller sidewall providing a more aggressive stout look for the vehicle.
Window tint is taken to the limit, further contributing to the mysterious aura. The smoked lenses more than apply to the projector units found within, while the taillights receive a similar darkened treatment that is still visible when they’re illuminated.
As I negotiated through South Delhi’s richie-rich district, the car did turn enough necks.
“Yeh wali Scorpio alag level ki hai,” (This Scorpio is different level) observed a valet at a luxury hotel who ran over to have a closer look. “It is giving me the full feel of a don.” (Gives the full don-like effect.)
I got this reaction whole time while testing. A one-off at a highway dhaba outside the city of Gurugram, the SUV attracted a particularly lively area of fans, many of whom walked around the vehicle more than once, photographing and asking questions about the car.
So strong is the Black Shadow’s presence that its appeal reaches beyond the usual car nut constituency – it feels as though everyone acknowledges its statement of authority.
Mahindra Scorpio Classic Inside: Dark with Red Touches
The mob-inspired design theme carries over into the interior with an all-black cabin which has been vastly improved over the regular Scorpio Classic.
The dashboard, door panels, and seats are dolphin-wrapped in black leatherette, and the contrast of red stitching infuses a hint of aggression without looking garish.
“The interior had to appreciate the attitude of the exterior,” Kumar said. “But we wanted to bring something a little more premium – something that suggests power and a sense of sophistication.”
This equilibrium is maintained by neat touches such as perforated leather on the steering wheel and gear lever, aluminum-finish pedals and dark wood door inserts with a matte sheen.
Also introduced are a red-illuminated instrument cluster and a unique “Black Shadow” welcome upon start-up.
The notable insert however are the front seats that get “Black Shadow” embroidery on the head rest along with more side bolstering for better support.
Over my long stint on Delhi-Jaipur highway, these were incredibly comfortable yet they offer that coveted, commanding seating position which Scorpio owners love.
Tech upgrades are pretty good too, a new 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system that gets wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto which is a far cry over the basic unit in the standard Scorpio Classic.
The sound system has also been updated with extra speakers and a subwoofer to improve overall sound quality, and Mahindra says this makes it a “theater-like experience” in the cabin.
“We know a lot of our customers spend a lot of time in traffic,” Kumar said. “This interior is a comfortable, dominant space where humans disappear to the outside world, which is the same great Scorpio character,” it went.
Mahindra Scorpio Classic Performance: The Muscle Behind the Look
To complement the aggressive design, Mahindra has increased the performance of the Scorpio Classic for the Black Shadow edition.
Powering the familiar 2.2-liter mHawk diesel engine on the new Mahindra TUV300 Plus is 140 bhp of power (instead of 130 bhp) and 320 Nm of torque – transmitted to the reworked 6-speed manual gearbox.
Where my butt-dyno did feel the additional power, however, was right in the old meat locker, especially in the midrange, where the engine pulls so much harder now than it did before.
Overtakes were thought-through just a downshift to the appropriate gear and a generous amount of throttle and the car would shoot past slower vehicles on the highway stretch to Sohna.
An X-pipe has been fitted to the exhaust system and mated to a performance muffler, which produces a deeper and more aggressive note that’s perfectly suited to the car.
“We wanted a soundtrack to match the visual drama,” said a Mahindra engineer who worked on the project. “Something a little bit that just kind of announces the car without it being obnoxious or not legal.
Suspension tweaks include stiffer springs and re-tuned dampers that make the Scorpio roll less through a corner but preserve the flat ride which makes the Scorpio ride-decent over our varied surfaces.
The Black Shadow held its own over broken pavement while testing on a section of especially bad stretch outside Manesar and felt significantly more planted in corners than the regular model does.
Upgrading of the brakes to larger front discs and High Performance Pads is another update which takes care of one of the niggles that is used against the stock Scorpio Classic every now and then.
This results in more consistent confidence-inspiring feedback at the pedal during hard braking and reduced fade over a series of repeated heavy stops.
Mahindra Scorpio Classic “Business” of Mafia: Operative Upgrade
Apart from the visual drama and performance improvements gained with the Black Shadow model, there are a number of practical upgrades that any “businessman” would appreciate when working his way across the globe’s playing field.
The available 4WD features an electronic-locking rear differential to help provide added traction in rougher terrain.
This feature was invaluable on a short off-road detour to the Aravalli hills, where a particularly sloppy incline would otherwise have brought the standard Scorpio to a stop.
Further underbody protection protects important parts during away-from-the-tarmac use, while the approach and departure angles are slightly better than they used to be thanks to updated bumper designs.
The ground clearance is 210mm, which is still pretty impressive for a car to be able to handle the rocky mountains.
The convenient: A 360-degree camera system which is a boon when you are guiding this behemoth through narrow city roads.
For after dark “operations,” the lighting package has been kicked up a notch with stronger projector headlamps and even more LED auxiliary lights added to the front bumper.
“The Black Shadow customer rides in multi-conditions,” Kumar added. “We also wanted to make sure it has the performance to match the looks — whether that’s an entrance to a high-end hotel, or off the beaten path on a countryside gravel road heading to a farm party.”
Mahindra Scorpio Classic The Price of Exclusivity
With all these improvements, it is no wonder that the Scorpio Classic Black Shadow comes at a mighty price when compared to the stock Scorpio.
It is on offer as a limited edition offering, priced at ₹19.99 lakh (ex-showroom) for the range-topping version, though it is a limited-run model, for those who want to make a bold statement.
Availability is finite, at only 1,000 units, and there’s a numbered plaque on the dashboard that will remind owners of that fact.
Judging by the reaction I got while visiting dealerships, most of this allocation will likely be quickly accounted for even with the premium cost of ownership.
More than 30 people have already expressed interest since the display model arrived a week ago at a Mahindra dealership in Gurugram, shared a sales executive at the dealership.
“Most aren’t even asking about price now — they’re worried about getting in with only a certain amount available before they sell out.”
Such strategy of exclusivity seems well suited for a vehicle which sells with an image of power and status. As Kumar says, “The Black Shadow is not for everyone — this is the point.
“It’s for people who don’t fit in, are daring and bold, who want to make a statement and who are not scared to show off the strong personality and fearless character the Scorpio has always shown.
Mahindra Scorpio Classic Conclusion: The Bold and Beautiful Image That’s it
What’s specifically appealing about the Scorpio Classic Black Shadow edition is the fact it’s embracing an identity that, in the past, Mahindra might have shied away from.
A favored ride of power players, the Scorpio has been driven innumerable times in Bollywood sequences by characters that exude a certain degree of clout.
Instead of backing away from this perception, Mahindra has embraced it and produced a special edition to acknowledge and commemorate the car’s cult status in Indian car culture.
The end product is a car with a genuinely unique personality amongst a sea of ever more identical vehicles.
As I spent my last evening with the Black Shadow stopped at a traffic light in Gurugram, a businessman who was driving a plush sedan in an adjoining lane wound down his window.
Powerful gaadi hai,” (It’s a powerful vehicle) he said with an admiring nod. That little exchange probably best sums up the appeal of the Black Shadow – it has respect and presence in a way few vehicles at any price have.
For the customer who wants a vehicle that does not mince words about its owner’s status and attitude, the Scorpio Classic Black Shadow is purpose-built to do so, with an air of confidence and authenticity that’s difficult to find in the market today.
