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The VLX variant comes with a new 2.2-litre mHawk engine, and this engine is the biggest change on the new Scorpio. At present, the VLX is the only variant that comes with this engine. Despite its smaller size, it puts out 120bhp, which is 5bhp more than the older version. And, the mHawk will have better fuel economy and ride and handling owing to the fact that the new Scorpio is 10 kilos lighter than its predecessor. The suspension on the new Scorpio has also been tweaked and in addition, new interiors and two new body colours are also part of the upgrade.

On the exterior, the mHawk is quite similar to the 2.6 CRDe but if you look closely, you will notice that the hood scoop is now functional (it feeds cool air to the intercooler in the engine bay). The ‘powered by mHawk’ badges on the front fender are another clue, as are the new graphics, which evoked mixed reactions from everybody. From the rear, it is almost identical, the only change being the ‘Scorpio VLX’ badges.

The new dashboard is black-and-red with a mock carbon-fibre centre console that lends the vehicle a sporty and more youthful look. Though the steering is height adjustable, the range of adjust isn’t too great. Seats are more comfortable than on the older Scorpio; the cushions are softer and back support is better too. Like in the earlier 2.6, the middle-row seats slide back and forth in the eight-seater version and the seatback angle is adjustable. The rear seats also get waterfall-type headrests that force you to use them to be comfortable.

JACKED UP The Scorpio has been given upgrades in the past but the latest, the mHawk, is definitely the best.

There are several cubby-holes and bottle holders in the central console as well as a cell phone holder in the rear door pad. Though the quality of upholstery has improved, the plastics used still look tacky and bits like the door handles, air-con control knobs and door trim really don’t belong in a car that costs as much as the mHawk. The steering-mounted controls as well, don’t offer a nice, tactile feel and, while we are at it, the air-con vents are still useless at directing air-flow precisely.

The new mHawk’s engine puts out only 5bhp more than the 2.6 CRDe. This is because M&M seems to have concentrated on making the car more responsive and easier to drive. The Scorpio has always been easy to drive in town, and the Hawk’s responsiveness makes this even better. Just a tap on the accelerator and the engine pulls forward smartly from low speeds. If you are in the wrong gear, the slightly lighter clutch makes it easier to change gears. The only complaint we have is the bit of effort required to actually shift between gears. The company claims that the gearbox has been improved, but we’re pressed to see the difference.

What has really improved is the Scorpio’s handling. The suspension tuning that M&M painstakingly carried out, in collaboration with Lotus Engineering of the UK, seems to have paid off. Bumps that would destabilise the 2.6, barely ruffle the Hawk’s feathers. Body control is better in the Hawk too, the old Scorpio’s constant up-down motion replaced by a more level ride. This newfound stability is sure to be a hit with people who get carsick easily. The suspension tweaks have improved the ride too. The low-speed ride is marginally better, and though you can still feel road irregularities, the refined suspension absorbs them without putting you in too much discomfort.

The mHawk delivers a good 10.6kpl in the city and 14.5kpl on the highway.

If you want the latest Scorpio with the mHawk engine, it will cost you Rs 9.78 lakh and only the fully-loaded VLX trim comes with this engine. Even though this is Rs. 90,000 more than the earlier top-of-the-line 2.6 CRDe SLX, you do get a lot more features. Standard equipments includes ABS, a tyre-pressure monitoring system, parking sensors, cruise control, a CD/MP3 player with a USB port, steering-mounted audio controls, alloy wheels, auto-headlamps, auto wipers and an engine immobiliser. Since the mHawk has all these features, the price hike seems justified though we feel the company should have offered the car at a cheaper price even if it meant fewer features. However, if it’s a cheaper Scorpio you want, the old 2.6 CRDe is still available in the LX, DX and SLX trims.

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