KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Issues identified in full-width frontal and side-impact tests
- Concerns about the safety of rear passengers, including excessive seatbelt loading
- Lack of top tether anchorages in the third row and absence of a centre airbag
- Outdated lap-only seatbelt in the centre seating position of the second row
- Absence of active collision avoidance features results in a 0% Safety Assist score
In a surprising turn of events for Mahindra, a key player in the automotive industry, their popular SUV, the Mahindra Scorpio, has garnered a safety rating of zero stars. This disappointing result stems from a variety of shortcomings, encompassing both physical crash protection and the SUV's performance in avoiding collisions actively. The major contributing factor appears to be the absence of standard safety features that have long been a norm in modern vehicles.
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Mahindra Scorpio N: Bad Safety Rating!
The Mahindra Scorpio N and Scorpio Classic enjoy strong fan support, but their crash safety ratings vary significantly. While the Global NCAP awarded Scorpio N an impressive 5-star rating, the Australian NCAP gave it a concerning 0 stars. The Australian New Car Assessment Program, known as ANCAP SAFETY, serves as an independent authority on vehicle safety in Australia and New Zealand.
It's important to note that the difference in ratings is due to the fact that each NCAP agency follows its own set of crash testing protocols. In the ANCAP test, Scorpio N scored poorly across various categories: Adult Occupant Protection (44%), Child Occupant Protection (80%), Vulnerable Road User Protection (23%), and Safety Assist (0%).
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In simple terms, the 0-star rating is the lowest possible score, while 5 stars represent the highest in crash test evaluations worldwide. This difference highlights the importance of understanding that different testing protocols can lead to varying safety assessments for the same vehicle.
Based on the test findings and official statement, the Mahindra Scorpio has been flagged as unsafe. The report highlights a mix of protection levels for adult occupants in various crash scenarios, such as frontal-offset, full-width frontal, side impact, and oblique pole tests. Unfortunately, there were concerns about the Scorpio's performance, ranging from good to poor in different aspects.
In a specific full-width frontal test, the rear female passenger faced a high risk of serious injury to the head, neck, and chest, with a noted issue of excessive seatbelt loading. Additionally, during the side impact test, the driver's seatbelt was unlatched just before impact, although this did not affect the overall test score. This issue has been reported to the manufacturer for further investigation. The Mahindra Scorpio, being a three-row vehicle, is equipped with side curtain airbags for the first and second rows only. Notably, the absence of top tether child restraint anchorages in the third row makes it unsuitable for transporting young children in those seats. Furthermore, the vehicle lacks a centre airbag between the two front seat occupants.
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In Australia, the Scorpio is available as a six-seat model, while in New Zealand, a seven-seat variant is sold. The seven-seat New Zealand version raises concerns as it features a lap-only seatbelt in the centre seating position of the second row, which is considered outdated and not in line with modern safety standards. Another critical point is the absence of any active collision avoidance features in the Mahindra Scorpio, resulting in a 0% score for the Safety Assist category in the assessment. This means the vehicle lacks advanced safety technologies designed to help prevent accidents.
The detailed examination revealed that the Mahindra Scorpio comes with standard airbags for the front, side chest, and side head protection in the first and second rows. However, the side head-protecting airbags don't extend to safeguard occupants in the third row. Unfortunately, there's no centre airbag to prevent interactions between occupants.
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It's important to note that the safety assessment by ANCAP is based on the six-seat variants in Australia. New Zealand offers a seven-seat variant with a centre seat in the second row, but it's equipped with a lap-only seatbelt, which is not as protective as a lap-sash seatbelt. ANCAP strongly advises against using lap-only seatbelts for occupants of any size. Regrettably, the Mahindra Scorpio lacks essential safety features such as autonomous emergency braking (AEB) and lane support systems (LSS) across all its variants. There's also no seatbelt reminder system for the second or third-row seating positions.
Moreover, the vehicle lacks a driver monitoring system (DMS), speed limit information function (SLIF), and child presence detection (CPD) system. In terms of child safety, top tether anchorages are absent in the centre seat of the second row for seven-seat variants in New Zealand and the third-row positions in all variants. ANCAP strongly discourages the use of child restraints in these seating positions.
Verdict
The safety shortcomings identified in the Mahindra Scorpio N, especially the absence of crucial features and outdated safety standards, raise serious concerns. Potential buyers should prioritize safety considerations and explore alternative vehicles with more comprehensive safety features. You can join our Whatsapp Group Community of petrolheads to find out more exciting stuff about the Auto world.
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