Ford F150 vs Mahindra Scorpio-N

What's the difference?

The Ford F-150 Lariat LWB is a big comfortable, purpose-built work and adventure machine – but it’s better suited to load-lugging, towing and touring, than it is to hard-core 4WDing.

Despite that – and its less-than-ideal payload – there’s a lot to like about the Lariat, especially its on-road performance, 4.5 tonne towing capacity and factory-backed warranty.

If you’re serious about buying a US ute the F-150 should be in your sights.

It might seem like I’ve been harsh on the Scorpio but I actually reckon this vehicle is in fact a step in the right direction for Mahindra.

It’s nice enough to drive on-road – refined and comfortable – and it’s also a capable 4WD, with a few issues though…

It’s a good value-for-money prospect but it’s lacking a lot of driver-assist tech that should be onboard every modern vehicle, especially one that will serve as a family mover.

The long-wheelbase F-150 Lariat is 6184mm long (with a 3994mm wheelbase), 2030mm wide, 1995mm high and has a kerb weight of 2555kg.

With a stretched wheelbase and chunkified body everywhere you look, this F-150 looks and feels massive but, really, this is not a whole lot bigger than a Ranger, 300 Series LandCruiser, or a new-gen Patrol. It does, however, have an undeniably in-your-face presence.

For reference, the Ranger is 5370mm long, 1920mm wide, and 1880mm high; the LC300 (Sahara ZX) is 5015mm long, 1980mm wide, and 1950mm high; and the Patrol is 5165mm long (all variants), 1995mm wide (all variants) and 1940mm/1955mm high.

The Lariat’s 20-inch chrome-like alloys, shod with Pirelli Scorpion ATR all-terrain light truck tyres (275/60R20) cap off this US pick-up’s bulky style.

A lot of its notable design features are thoroughly functional rather than noteworthy because of their looks, so rather than include them in this section you'll find them in ‘Practicality’ (below).

The Scorpion reminds me a bit of the early-generation Hyundai Terrcan – long bonnet, generic cabin, and it appears to sit quite low.

The Mahindra SUV has 18-inch alloy wheels, side steps, roof rails and sunroof.

It all looks fine and, anyway, the more interesting stuff on the Scorpion is under the skin – the fact that it is a body-on-frame 4WD.

The interior of the F-150 is cavernous, but it’s functional and comfortable with a definite premium look and feel about it all.

From the front of the cabin to the rear, this space is geared towards being practical.

For one, the multi-media system is easy to pair to your phone and operate. Just allow yourself a few minutes before you set off in the Lariat for the first time so you can get your head around how to navigate your way through the system.

There’s ample storage space – including a deep centre console*, cupholders and bottle-holders for everyone, as well as the usual glove box (times two) and seat pockets for rear-seat passengers.

*In a stroke of Ford genius, the auto shifter power-folds forward into a recess, giving you room to unfold the lid of the centre console and turn that large surface into a picnic table or work desk.

Space is further maximised in the rear 60/40-split seat as it has a fold-out storage area underneath it, or the seat itself, if not in use, can be stowed away to free up even more room in the cabin.

The stretched Lariat’s tub is 2005mm long and 1656mm wide with 1285mm between the wheel-arches – so it will fit an Aussie pallet, or a quad bike, camping gear etc. 

This load space also has a 12-volt outlet, night lights, a tub camera (which I couldn’t get to work), a durable-looking spray-in tub liner, as well as fixed tie-down points at each corner and four sidewall-mounted tie-down points (two on each inner wall).

Remember I mentioned some design features that err on the side of practical rather than pretty? I’m talking about this F-150’s chunky side-steps, which serve an obvious practical function, and its remote-controlled and power-assisted tailgate (a nifty feature), its fold-out step (a real handy addition) and the accompanying slide-out guide pole for something secure to hold onto as you climb in and out of the tub – well, that’s what we used it for anyway, whether that’s its intended purpose or not.

Bonus usage points for the raised ruler markings on the inner wall of the tailgate and the two G-clamp fitting positions at each side of the tailgate’s top edge.

The Lariat even has a keyless entry system with a keypad on the exterior of the vehicle (front passenger door). Punch in your permanent access code and bingo, you're in!

The cabin is tidy and functional. The 8.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system is easy enough to operate without strife and the screen is clear, although it’d be great if it was bigger.

The tan synthetic leather interior trim looks good and superficially the whole interior looks nice, but if you inspect a little more closely the Scorpio’s cabin is missing the storage spaces, USB charge points and build quality of rival SUVs.

There’s one cupholder (between driver and front passenger), the door pockets are narrow and there are few other storage spaces.

With the third-row seats in use, there’s a very small rear cargo area, and those seats don’t fold flat so when they’re not in use they seriously impact the storage space.

As a result, the Scorpio is one of the few modern 4WDs that I’d consider taking out the third row every time long-distance loaded-up travel was on the cards – just so it’s a more practical touring vehicle.

Some features, such as the directional air vents, feel flimsy. Otherwise, the Scorpio’s cabin is suitably practical, rather than overly impressive.

The Scorpio is available in two grades: the Z8 with a drive-away price of $41,990 (at time of writing) and the Z8L at $45,990 drive-away (at time of writing), which we tested.

Standard features in the Z8L include an 8.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system (with wireless Apple CarPlay & Android Auto), wireless phone charger, a 12-speaker Sony stereo, dual-zone climate control, front camera (intended for off-road use), front and rear parking sensors, and a six-way power-adjustable driver’s seat.

It has a leather wrapped steering wheel and gearshifter, tan- and 'rich coffee'-coloured synthetic leather interior trim, a cooled glove box, sunroof, and six-seat layout (with two captain's chairs in the second row).

It has 18-inch alloy wheels, automatic wipers and projector LED headlights, push-button start, keyless entry and a tyre pressure monitoring system.

Our test vehicle also had floor mats ($200) and side steps (approximately $1250 fitted) as the only accessories.

Exterior paint choices include 'Deep Forest', 'Everest White', 'Napoli Black' (on our test vehicle), Dazzling Silver' and 'Red Rage'.

The F-150 has a 3.5-litre twin-turbo petrol V6 producing 298kW at 6000rpm and 678Nm at 3100rpm, and that’s matched to a 10-speed automatic transmission.

This is an impressive set-up – the long wheelbase F-150 is punchy off the mark, smooth and refined at highway speeds – it just trucks along – and overall it offers a comfortable and controlled driving experience.

This top-spec F-150 – the Lariat – also has full-time 4WD and an electronic rear diff lock.

Its selectable driving modes include 'Sport', 'Eco', 'Tow/Haul', 'Normal', 'Slippery', 'Deep Snow/Sand' and 'Mud Ruts'.

The Scorpio has 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, which produces 129kW at 3500rpm and 400Nm at 1750-2750rpm.

It has a six-speed automatic transmission, an auto-locking rear diff, and a part-time 4WD system with a dual-range transfer case incorporating low range.

Note: the Scorpio must be in neutral and stationary for the driver to shift into 4WD low-range, but the driver is able to shift between 2WD and 4WD High on the move, up to 80km/h.

Its '4Explor' system’s drive modes include 'Normal' (2WD for sealed surfaces), 'Grass/Snow' (4WD), 'Mud & Ruts' (4WD), and 'Sand' (4WD).

The Ford F-150 Lariat LWB has an official fuel consumption figure of 12.5L/100km (on a combined, urban/extra-urban, cycle).

I recorded 14.8L/100km on this test which included a lot of high- and low-range 4WDing although the F-150 was never working hard.

This F-150 has a 136L fuel tank, so, going by my on-test fuel-consumption figure, you could reasonably expect a driving range of about 920km from a full tank. 

If you calculate driving range using the official fuel-consumption figure that number extends to 1088km from a full tank.

Official fuel use is listed as 7.2L/100km on a combined cycle.

Fuel consumption on this test was 9.6L/100km, which is impressive, especially in light of the fact that we spent the lion’s share of two days during the test period in 4WD low-range.

It has a 57-litre fuel tank, so, going by those fuel figures, you could reasonably expect a driving range of about 593km out of a full tank. 

Note: That 593km is a best-case scenario figure and has not had a 30-50km safe-distance buffer subtracted from it, and it also does not take into account the fact that, when being used for touring, the vehicle will be loaded with people, pets, camping gear and more.

F-150s are imported to Australia from the USA as left-hand-drive vehicles and reengineered to right-hand-drive by Melbourne-based RMA Automotive, at the company’s production facility.

The utes undergo an exhaustive transformation including changes to steering, driver displays, air con, as well as software upgrades, to mention a few, all aimed at making them capable of excelling in Aussie conditions.

And RMA Automotive has done an impressive job.

The F-150 is, by its very nature, a big vehicle with a steel ladder-frame chassis and a lengthy wheelbase, but it suits Aussie conditions, especially with Aussie-tuned steering, great on-road ride and handling and that 4500kg towing capability built into it. 

It's well-controlled with a solid, planted feel on sealed surfaces, the steering has a nice weight to it in all conditions, acceleration is smooth (and punchy when needed) and the 10-speed auto offers clever management of this big vehicle. 

It’s also very comfortable and quiet in the cabin. You can just barely register the low-level rumble of the twin-turbo V6 as you truck along stretches of highway and rural backroads.

All in all, on-road this is an almost perfect open-road touring vehicle. The bonus is, as a Lariat driver, you have access to a whole suite of driver-assist tech which specifically includes stuff geared towards making the task of towing safer, more controlled and, as a result, more enjoyable than it otherwise may be.

However, when you get this big ute off road, you quickly discover it has limitations. Those limitations don’t come close to ruining the F-150’s potential as an adventure machine, but this is a substantial vehicle so it has to be driven with real consideration, real care, and you have to know the off-road parameters in which this ute works best.

If you drive anything more severe than light-to-medium-duty off-roading you're risking damage to this ute’s side steps or underbody. 

The F-150’s size is not a factor when the tracks are nice and wide, but when the tracks become narrower, more treed-in, it becomes more difficult to navigate through those routes. 

The Lariat’s suspension – IFS (twin wishbone) with coil springs at the front and live axle on leaf springs at the rear – is well set up to soak up lumps and bumps on sealed surfaces and even on gravel tracks, but it is less capable of doing the same job during low-range 4WDing.

It becomes very bouncy, when you’d be excused for expecting that longer wheelbase would offer a bit more stability and control through shallow to moderate ruts, but it really is a wild ride. 

Beyond that, though, visibility is great, the driving position is commanding, steering at low speeds is well-weighted and precise and throttle response is impressive.

While there’s little to nit-pick in terms of the four-wheel drive system onboard this ute, the traction control system is somewhat clunky.

When the terrain becomes more challenging, that off-road traction control system just seems to whirr and click and clunk away with lacklustre application – it’s not exactly smooth or seamless. 

The F-150 has the kind of off-road angles you’d expect for a vehicle this large: approach angle is listed as 24 degrees, departure angle is 26.3 and the ramp-over is 19 degrees.

Ground clearance is listed as 225mm and wading depth is 600mm.

The tyres – Pirelli Scorpion ATR all-terrain light truck tyres (275/60R20) – aren’t that good for off-roading, either, even though they’re marketed as all-season tyres.

Bigger tyres and an aftermarket suspension lift would go some of the way to help sort out the F-150’s issues with less-than-ideal rubber as well as poor ground clearance and off-road angles.

For such a big ute, payload is an underwhelming 710kg; for reference, the Ram 1500 (878kg) and Chevrolet Silverado (757kg) offer more, and even mainstream dual-cab utes, such as the Ford Ranger (966kg (kerb weight)/1010kg (min kerb weight) offer better payloads.

Towing capacity is 750kg (unbraked) and a noteworthy 4500kg (braked). GVM is 3265kg, and GCM is 7765kg.

The Scorpio is a 4WD with a body-on-frame chassis. For those of you who don’t know (no shame in that) a body-on-frame chassis denotes a chassis onto which the vehicle’s separate body is attached, and the engine, wheels, and suspension are fitted.

The set-up is well suited to towing and/or carrying heavy loads, and 4WDing.

It’s 4662mm long (with a 2750mm wheelbase), 1917mm wide and 1857mm high. It has a listed kerb weight of 2100kg and a 12.6m turning circle.

Right, that’s enough (boring?) measurements for now.

This Mahindra 4WD is surprisingly refined on-road: quiet inside, comfortable and with a no-stress engine and a low-key workmanlike Aisin-sourced auto delivering a relaxed, almost lethargic combination on the road.

Steering has a nice weight to it, ride quality is okay, erring on the side of spongy rather than too firm, and some body roll creeps in on more energetic bends.

Overall, however, the Scorpio does satisfactorily well on sealed surfaces. But how does it perform off-road?

The Scorpio handled the undulating dirt track leading to our off-road test site with ease, riding nicely over the light to medium corrugations, and was only ever minimally unsettled by the bumpy terrain.

This Mahindra is able to be shifted between 2WD and high-range 4WD (4H on the dial) so you can keep moving even when the road/track surface changes all of sudden.

The Scorpio has plenty of old-school foundational 4WD mechanicals onboard – low-range and a rear diff-lock (albeit an automatic one) – and it also benefits from off-roading-oriented tech such as its 4Explor system with selectable terrain modes, each of which adjusts engine output, transmission settings and traction control to best suit the terrain, conditions and driving style. 

It also has hill descent control and hill hold control.

Even its forward-facing camera comes in handy. I still think of these as more a novelty – I prefer to get out and check the track ahead or get a spotter to do the work for me – but I can see the inherent value of this tech in helping the driver to maintain vision, especially if forward visibility is compromised, say for instance up and over the crest of a steep rocky hill, or edging towards a steep drop into a creek bed.

While the Scorpio’s 400Nm may seem a bit lowly, that torque is on tap across a good spread of revs, and this 4WD does well with what it has. The engine keeps everything moving along nicely.

In terms of off-road-relevant measures, the Scorpio has 227mm of ground clearance, a guesstimated wading depth of 500mm or so (it’s not listed), and approach, departure and ramp-over angles of 27.2 (good), 21.3 (not so good), and 23.5 (okay) degrees, respectively.

The Scorpio is quite an effective off-road wagon and it tackled every obstacle it faced without fail, but it has to be driven with extreme care and laser-focused concentration.

No harm in that, I hear you cry. In response, I say, sure, but it’s bloody exhausting work having to nurse a vehicle through even innocuous terrain in order to avoid nudges, bumps and scrapes to its underbody and side steps.

Not to mention how tiring it is having to anticipate if/when off-road traction control and/or the auto diff-lock will engage – or not – at crucial moments.

Not a major concern on flat ground, but think about the auto rear diff-lock cutting out on you while driving up a rocky 32-degree hill. Yep, I’m old.

Now for some more of the Scorpio’s less-than-ideal characteristics.

1. I hinted at this in the previous paragraph: off-road traction control doesn’t seem as well calibrated as it should be. It’s a bit patchy in its application, and certainly not as seamless as the tech in something like the GWM Tank 300 (yes, I know – the Tank costs about $15,000 more.)

2. The automatic rear diff lock is on the wrong side of clunky, abruptly engaging as it senses wheel-spin then disengaging just as abruptly when it deems the problem over ... even if it isn’t quite over yet.

3. The Scorpio feels low: a lot of underbody components are vulnerable to rocks, tree stumps, track debris, and the AdBlue tank sits low behind the rear left-hand wheel.

4. The side-steps seem very flimsy. The right-hand side-step took a soft knock going over an exposed tree root early on one test day, which I thought nothing of. But when I looked at it soon afterwards, the fasteners had popped out at the front and middle of the sidestep.

I didn't think the bump had been anywhere near enough to result in that.

5. The Scorpio’s standard tyres – MRF Wanderer SUV tyres (255/60R18 “All-Season”) – are not great for hard 4WDing.

They don’t offer anywhere near the degree of grip you need in difficult 4WDing and they quickly became gummed up with mud. The Scorpio does have an underslung full-size steel wheel spare.

The Mahindra Scorpio Z8L has a listed payload of 510kg, and can legally tow 750kg (unbraked), and 2500kg (braked). Gross vehicle mass (GVM) is a listed 2610kg; gross combined mass (GCM) is 5155kg.

I experienced a bit of an issue on a drive home after a few hours of tough 4WDing: 4H kept trying to engage during a 100km stretch of highway.

A dot kept flashing above 4H near the shifter, and terrain modes (other than Normal) kept flashing on the centre console and driver info display and I was being prompted to drop below 80km/h to shift into 4H.

Of course, I’d earlier switched from 4H to 2WD at the end of our filming day (at the 4WD location) and made sure I'd engaged Normal mode before I left the dirt and drove onto a sealed surface.

When the 4H-related issues kept happening on the highway I was able to fix the problem by stopping, switching the Scorpio off and back on again – but I had to do this every 5.0km or so four times before it finally sorted itself out.

To Mahindra’s credit, technical staff members are looking into the issue.

The Mahindra Scorpio Z8L does not have an ANCAP rating because it has not been tested.

As standard, it has six airbags (front, front side and curtain), electronic stability control, front and rear parking sensors, a tyre pressure monitoring system, as well as trailer sway and roll over mitigation, hill hold control and hill descent control.

It lacks a lot of driver-assist safety tech that’s onboard a lot of other vehicles at this price-point, and even cheaper.

The F-150 has a five-year/unlimited km warranty and you may pick up roadside assistance for up to seven years but it's worth noting not all Ford Dealers participate in providing the latter.

Servicing is scheduled for every 12 months or 15,000km. Capped price servicing applies to the first four scheduled services and, at time of writing, was listed as $429 a pop which isn't outrageous for a vehicle of this magnitude.

The Mahindra Scorpio Z8L has a seven-year/150,000km warranty.

Service intervals are scheduled for every 12 months or 15,000km. 

Pricing details were not available at time of writing.