Kgm Rexton vs Mahindra Scorpio-N

What's the difference?

The KGM Rexton Advance is a large 4WD wagon packing an adequate amount of appeal.

It’s nice to drive on the open road, it’s comfortable and it signals continued incremental progress for KGM in terms of quality and functionality.

It’s fine for light off-roading but its 4WD efficacy is lacking. While it's not in the same class as something like the Ford Everest in terms of refinement, comfort, and general quality, ultimately, a lot of its rivals represent greater value for money and all-round driveability as family vehicles.

And even though it does offer owners a chance to take their urban-focussed SUV into the bush, its price is climbing, and other rival vehicles offer a more refined overall driving experience.

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 Rexton remains essentially unchanged from the previous generation and so it stays pleasant enough but generically inoffensive as are most other SUVs on the market.

Even for a city-focussed SUV, the body-on-frame Rexton looks low and while its 203mm of ground clearance is okay for daily driving it’s less than ideal for off-roading.

The only change to this Rexton over the previous generation? Pull-up sun blinds on the rear doors. Not a design change per se, but worth mentioning.

Does it set itself apart enough from other similar SUVs? Not really, but does that even matter to you?

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.

This Korean SUV has a nice but unspectacular interior, although it does have a low-key premium look and feel about it and the cabin is comfortable.

It has a familiar ease of functionality and there’s a family-friendly mix of durable plastic and soft-touch surfaces throughout the cabin.

The 2026 KGM Rexton range is a seven-seat 4WD wagon in a two-, three- (second row) and two-seat (third row) 50/50 configuration.

The leather-look seats are comfortable enough and the front seats are heated, ventilated and power-adjustable; the second-row outer seats are also heated.

The multimedia system with its 12.3-inch screen is okay to use, but I had no luck getting Apple CarPlay paired to my not-so-smart phone. And, believe it or not, that hasn’t happened to me for a long time. Note: other people were able to pair their phones to this Rexton with no problems during my week of testing.

Otherwise, functionality, storage and charge points around the cabin are satisfactory, including two USB-C ports up front (centre console) and a 12V power outlet.

The second-row seats – a 60/40 configuration, which folds, reclines and tumbles – are supportive without being overly so.

In the second row, as mentioned earlier, the only changes evident to this Rexton over the previous generation are the pull-up sun blinds on the rear doors.

There’s actually a decent amount of space for passengers in the third row here, but an adult still wouldn’t love to spend too much time back there.

The rear cargo area space of the 2026 KGM Rexton range is listed as 236 litres (with all three rows of seats in use), 641 litres (with third row stowed away), and 1806 litres (with second and third row stowed away).

There’s a 12V power outlet in the cargo area.

This new Rexton offers reasonable practicality but rivals such as the Mahindra Scorpio and LDV D90 offer just as much, sometimes more, all-round family suitability but for $5000-$10,000 less, depending on the variant.

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 entire KGM Rexton line-up has a 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine producing 148kW of power and 441Nm of torque.

It has an eight-speed automatic transmission, part-time 4x4 with high and low range, and an auto-locking rear differential.

This is a sluggish combination and not a particularly efficient powertrain, but it does the job, albeit in a lacklustre fashion.

Drive modes include Normal, Sport and Winter modes.

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).

Official fuel consumption for the Rexton is listed as 8.7L/100km.

On this test, I recorded 10.6L/100km, but I have done a chunk of high and low-range, four-wheel driving.

The Rexton has a 70-litre fuel tank. So going by that on-test fuel figure from a full tank, you could reasonably expect a driving range of about 660km.

But remember, I'm travelling with just me and some vehicle recovery gear. You'll be traveling with your kids, your mates, your pets, your camping gear, your sporting gear, all that sort of stuff. And that extra weight will have an impact on the vehicle's fuel consumption, so just keep that in mind.

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.

The Rexton is 4850mm long (with a 2865mm wheelbase), 1960mm wide and 1825mm high with a listed kerb weight of 2136kg.

With a turning circle of 11m, the Rexton is quite nimble around town.

On road, it’s okay. It's reasonably quiet and comfortable, and though it’s not particularly dynamic – the engine and auto make for a sluggish pairing – the Rexton is sufficiently driveable all round.

Its suspension – double wishbones and coil springs at the front, independent multi-link and coil springs at the rear – is firm, mostly controlled, but ride becomes jittery on irregular sealed surfaces and that characteristic is only amplified on even mildly corrugated dirt tracks.

And it’s in the dirt where the Rexton’s limitations are quickly exposed.

The Rexton is best considered a light-duty four-wheel drive: it is quite low; its stock tyres – Nexen NPriz RH7 (255/60R18 108H) – though marketed as “all season” aren't well suited for four-wheel driving. And the Rexton’s 4WD mechanicals and off-road traction control feel dated in operation, they just don't feel as effective as they should in a very competitive SUV market.

It doesn't have a lot of ground clearance or wheel travel and its shallow off-road angles – approach (20.5 degrees), departure (20.5) and ramp over (20) – are best suited to light-duty off-roading (i.e. well-maintained tracks in national parks in dry weather).

There's a decent spread of revs here, but there's not a lot to work with in terms of how effective the Rexton is as an off-road package so if you are here for a hardcore 4WD review with tyres-ripping-the-dirt action you're in the wrong place, because the Rexton just isn't up to that. And that's perfectly fine because people won't be using it for that purpose.

Having said that, the Rexton does reasonably well with what it has on board: there’s a decent amount of torque across a spread of revs; steering has a direct feel and nice liveliness to it; throttle response is quite sharp; and there is plenty of visibility forward over the bonnet.

Its auto rear diff lock is clunky in operation, disengaging abruptly, sometimes when you’re not even up, over or through the particular off-road challenge you’re tackling. I’ve noted similar issues with the Mahindra Scorpio in the past.

But driven with careful consideration the Rexton may do – at a stretch – the type of terrain you might not think it would be capable of.

And a decent set of all-terrain tyres would also help the Rexton, but it is what it is: a light-duty, four-wheel drive.

If you're thinking of using your family go-mobile as a touring vehicle, it’s worth noting the payload is 824kg, gross vehicle mass is 2960kg and gross combined mass is 6460kg.

Towing capacity is 750kg (unbraked) and 3500kg (braked).

The GWM Tank 300, Mahindra Scorpio and LDV D90 have similarly old-school type powertrains and 4WD set-ups, but the Tank is more comfortably capable off-road and yields a better general driveability than the Rexton and those others.

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 MY26 Rexton range is covered by a seven-year/unlimited kilometre new-vehicle warranty, and five years of roadside assistance.

A service is required every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever occurs soonest with cost per service either $418 or $522.

KGM Australia has more than 50 dealerships across the country with a decent spread across metro and regional areas. Rextons can be serviced at those dealers or at approved workshops.

The Rexton offers a competitive warranty when pitched against the likes of the GWM Tank 300 (seven-year/unlimited kilometre), Mahindra Scorpio (seven-year/150,000 km) and LDV D90 (seven-year/200,000km warranty).

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.