Mahindra Scorpio-N vs Subaru Forester

What's the difference?

It may seem like I've been harsh on this Mahindra but I reckon the Scorpio Z8L+ is a positive product for the company.

It’s nice enough to drive on-road – reasonably refined and comfortable – and it’s also a capable 4WD, with some trade-offs.

But this seven-seat wagon remains a good value-for-money prospect with the addition of more driver-assist tech onboard boosting its safety and adding to its overall appeal.

The MY26 Subaru Forester packs plenty of punch in terms of standard features, a roomy and functional interior and overall driveability. Sure, it’s not the most exciting vehicle to drive on- or off-road but to get stuck on that is to miss the point entirely. This is a decent all-rounder with a solid background and an AWD system that long ago set the gold standard for vehicles of this type.

In a tough mid-size SUV market segment aimed more at those intent on driving through car parks rather than adventuring through national parks, the Forester offers greater versatility than most and should not be ignored.

Nothing has changed on the Scorpio’s exterior. It still reminds me of the early-generation Hyundai Terracan – long bonnet, generic cabin (i.e. inoffensive, soft lines, nothing to set it apart from most other mid-sized SUVs) and, though its off-road angles check out (more about those later) it looks quite low to the ground.

So it’s all standard for a 4WD wagon.

The Scorpio also has 18-inch alloy wheels, side steps, roof rails and a sunroof.

Potential main rival GWM Tank 300 holds sway in the looks department.

This Forester is 4655mm long (with a 2670mm wheelbase), 1830mm wide and 1730mm high.

The new generation retains more than enough of the previous Forester – blocky profile included – to remain clearly recognisable.

Traditionalists may chafe at the slicker, more citified appearance of this Forester over previous generations but the overall package is inoffensive enough to not elicit any howls of outrage from passers-by on the street.

The Forester’s interior maintains a similar cabin look and feel as before but with a 11.6-inch portrait-oriented multimedia touchscreen dominating up front, a mix of physical and on-screen buttons, as well as soft-touch surfaces and durable plastics.

Nothing much has changed inside the Scorpio, either, except for the addition of an electronic park brake.

The cabin has a neat layout with a 8.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system that is easy to operate but it needs to be bigger.

The synthetic leather trim looks and feels only adequately premium and if you more closely scrutinise the Scorpio’s interior it lacks the build quality, storage spaces and USB charge points of rival wagons.

Driver and front passenger get adequate room, while the second row is actually satisfactorily spacious without being capacious; behind my driving position I had more than enough leg, head and shoulder room – but, take note, I'm the size of a garden gnome. The third row is the stuff of nightmares – only joking, but it should quite rightly be limited to use by small children or your mate the jockey.

There’s one cupholder (between the driver and front passenger), door pockets are narrow and there are few other storage spaces. In this respect, the Scorpio cabin lacks general functionality.

The Scorpio also cops a mark down because of its third row. With the third-row seats in use, there’s a small rear cargo area, and those seats don’t fold flat so when they’re not in use they occupy a lot of what could be useable storage space.

As a result, the Scorpio is one of the few modern 4WDs I’d consider removing 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 adequately practical, rather than overly impressive.

Suffice to say, in terms of practicality, the Scorpio’s rivals have it beaten.

The Forester is quite roomy for a mid-size SUV and this is the top-spec variant so there’s leather everywhere.

The interior layout is neat and tidy and lands firmly on the correct side of being practical and familiar, with all controls easy to locate and operate.

The touchscreen offers mostly simple intuitive functionality with infrequent need to cycle through numerous menus and sub-menus to access what you want.

The aforementioned mix of physical and on-screen buttons, as well as soft-touch surfaces and durable plastic are welcome here because, you know... real life.

The front seats offer ample support and the driver is able to dial-in their preferred position via power controls on the eight-way power-adjustable seat (with dual memory). The front passenger has an eight-way power-adjustable seat. Both seats are heated and ventilated.

The 60/40 split folding second-row seats aren’t too shabby either, in terms of comfort and amenities, with a fold-down arm-rest with cupholders and directional air vents etc.

Cargo volume is 496 litres (with rear seat in use) and 1174 litres (with the rear seat down, 1667 litres to ceiling.

The tailgate is powered and hands-free with a kick sensor (apparently). But I never tried that, instead opting for the tailgate-mounted button to open and close it.

The Forester AWD Touring (petrol) is priced at $50,990 MLP while its hybrid sibling is $55,990.

Standard features include an 11.6-inch multimedia touchscreen (with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay), 18-inch alloy wheels, auto LED headlights, dual-zone climate, heated front seats and electric folding rear seats as well as a wireless phone charger.

Top-grade additions include a sunroof, low-profile roof rails, a digital driver display, leather-accented seats, a leather auto-shifter, ventilated front seats and a 10-speaker Harman Kardon audio system.

It also has power-adjustable front seats, sat-nav, auto-dipping and folding door mirrors and a hands-free tailgate.

Exterior paint choices include 'Crystal White Pearl', 'Ice Silver Metallic', 'Magnetite Grey Metallic', 'Crystal Black Silica', 'Crimson Red Pearl', 'Brilliant Bronze Metallic', 'Daybreak Blue Pearl', 'Sapphire Blue Pearl', 'Cashmere Gold Opal', 'Autumn Green Metallic' and 'River Rock Pearl'.

The Mahindra Scorpio Z8L+ has a 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, producing 129kW and 400Nm and it’s matched to a six-speed automatic transmission.

This engine-and-auto combination is sluggish at times but it’s generally okay.

The Scorpio has a part-time 4WD system (with high- and low-range) and an automatic rear diff lock.

Worth noting 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.

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

The Scorpio lags behind its rivals here.

The Forester has the line-up’s 2.5-litre four-cylinder naturally aspirated boxer engine (producing 136kW at 5800rpm and 247Nm at 3700rpm) matched to a constantly variable transmission (CVT), which some people detest, and some people couldn’t give a rat’s whether it’s there or not.

Also onboard is Subaru’s all-wheel drive system, driving modes (including 'Normal', 'Deep snow/Mud', and 'Snow/Dirt') and 'X-Mode' “that constantly monitors the traction available to each wheel and centralises the control of key components including the engine, transmission, drivetrain and brakes to help manage slippery conditions”, according to Subaru.

Official fuel consumption is 7.2L/100km on a combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle on regular unleaded fuel.

Actual fuel consumption on this test was 9.0L/100km, which is better than the 9.6L/100km I recorded on my last Scorpio review a couple of years ago.

The Mahindra Scorpio Z8L+ has a 57-litre fuel tank so, going by those fuel figures, you could reasonably expect a driving range of about 633km from a full tank. It also has a 16-litre Adblue tank, so keep that mind.

Remember, that 633km is a best-case scenario figure and has not had a 30-50km safe-distance buffer subtracted from it. And it doesn't take into account the fact that, when being used for touring, the Scorpio may be loaded with people, pets, camping gear and more.

Rivals such as the GWM Tank 300 easily outclass the Scorpio when it comes to off-roading and all-round touring suitability.

Official fuel consumption on the combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle for the Forester is 7.9L/100km and it uses 91RON 'standard' unleaded petrol at a minimum.

On this test, I recorded 8.1L/100km. But fuel consumption was as low as a dash-indicated 1.7L/100km while driving the Forester with adaptive cruise control engaged.

The Forester has a 63-litre fuel tank, so, going by our on-test fuel-use figures you could reasonably expect a driving range of almost 780km from a full tank. However, as with any vehicle, once you’ve loaded the Forester with any real-world burdens (e.g kids, dogs, camping gear, etc) you’ll soon see the fuel consumption increase.

On road the Scorpio is reasonable. It’s comfortable and refined but can be a bit firm on the suspension it has – double wishbone and coil springs at the front, live axle with multi links, Watts link and coil springs at the rear. But for a four-wheel drive wagon it's quite nice on sealed surfaces.

The powertrain is generally a reasonable set-up, although there is lag between foot-down and acceleration and it holds onto gears for too long before upshifting.

There have been no mechanical changes to this Scorpio over the previous generation and that's fine because this Mahindra’s tractable engine offers reasonable power and torque across enough of a rev range to make it an effective 4WD.

The Scorpio feels comfortable and reasonable off road. And when it’s time to tackle ‘4WD-only’ territory, it is generally capable. High- and low-range gearing is decent, and as mentioned earlier, its off-road drive modes adjust traction control, among other aspects, to best suit the terrain you’re tackling.

Its no rock-crawling beast but as a result of these mechanical and technical elements this 4WD wagon is able to drive the kind of terrain you’d reasonably expect to be able to cover in a standard off-roader that's been engineered for 4WDing across light to moderately difficult terrain.

The Scorpio’s off-road angles and ground clearance are on par with mid-size SUV rivals. Ground clearance is a listed 227mm. It feels quite low, but if you drive it with care and consideration, you should be fine.

The rear diff lock doesn't feel as clunky in its application as it has in the past. Maybe I'm more forgiving in my old age because, as I mentioned earlier, there haven't been any upgrades mechanically or in terms of off-road-specific driver-assist tech or in diff lock operation.

Hill descent control works reasonably well, although it's not the greatest, allowing for some free-wheeling before it bites.

The Scorpio’s road-oriented Bridgestone Ecopia (255/60 R18) tyres are fine on formed dirt tracks but are found wanting on anything rougher than that.

In terms of towing capacity, the Scorpio is able to tow 750kg unbraked and 2500kg braked. So if you're looking to haul anything larger than a small box trailer, camper trailer or tinny, you'll have to look elsewhere.

GVM and GCM are 2610kg and 5155kg, respectively.

Main potential rival GWM Tank 300 has it over the Scorpio in terms of off-roading prowess and, even though it’s not a towing beast, the GWM wagon is better suited to life as a touring platform than the Mahindra.

The Forester feels comfortable and composed on sealed surfaces and offers some degree of dynamism to the driving experience – so in line with previous generations.

It feels more refined, sharper to steer and more responsive than before. There’s ample visibility to the front but a substantial B pillar obscures the driver’s vision back over their right shoulder.

The Boxer engine and CVT work well together, power and torque outputs are more than adequate in this package, and that much-maligned transmission is not intrusive if the Forester is driven with care and common sense.

However, acceleration from a full stop is sluggish.

The suspension set-up – MacPherson struts up front and double wishbones at the rear – yields a firm but not jarring sense of ride and handling.

The 1662kg Forester proved nimble to manoeuvre around the Big Smoke, the suburbs and in the bush (more about that soon) with a neat 10.8m turning circle.

All-wheel drive vehicles are capable of tackling off-road adventures in their own right but, for safety’s sake, AWD drivers should avoid anything beyond well-maintained dirt tracks in dry weather. AWD cars are designed for use on bitumen roads with some dirt or light-duty off-road use.

And so it was with our test of this Forester. On-test off-road terrain equalled firm-packed sand and gravel/dirt bush tracks in dry weather, although we did drive through one shin-deep mudhole with no trouble.

The Forester has a listed 220mm of ground clearance, the suspension held up well over a brief stint on mild corrugations and Subaru AWD proved more than up to the task when things became a little trickier, providing improved grip and traction in slippery conditions that demanded to be driven at very low speeds.

If push comes to shove, it’s capable of more than light off-roading, but the Forester’s ground clearance and off-road angles ultimately limit its off-road capabilities.

The Forester’s 'all season' tyres – Falken Ziex Z001A A/S (225/55 R18 98V) – are fine for light to moderate off-roading but anything more difficult than that and you’ll need to get a set of more aggressive all-terrain tyres. It does have a full-sized spare onboard.

It has maximum towing capacities of 750kg (unbraked trailer), 1800kg (braked) and a maximum towball download of 180kg. GVM is 2223kg; GCM is 4023kg.

Some niggles: The driver awareness system is annoyingly over-reactive.

The Forester has the maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating from testing in 2024.

It has nine airbags (dual front, dual front side, dual curtain, driver’s knee, far side and front passenger seat cushion), adaptive cruise control, emergency lane-keep and centring (with departure warnings), pre-collision braking, auto emergency steering, a 360-degree view monitor system, and a driver monitoring system which includes a ‘safe stop’ feature that – if the vehicle detects that the driver is non-responsive – will bring the vehicle to a gradual, you guessed it, safe stop.

The Mahindra Scorpio Z8L+ has a seven-year/150,000km warranty and comes with seven years' of roadside assistance if your Scorpio is serviced by Mahindra.

The first service is scheduled at the 1500km mark, then every 12 months or 10,000km. Pricing details were not available at the time of writing.

Five years of capped price servicing is available at an average cost per visit of $471.

For reference, the GWM Tank 300 offers a seven year/unlimited km warranty, five years' of roadside assistance, and five years of capped price servicing (starting at $360 for the first service and topping out at $1035 for the sixth). Service intervals are scheduled for every 12 months or 15,000km.

At time of writing there were reportedly about 80 Mahindra dealerships spread across Australia. According to the company, "the dealer network spans all states and territories, including locations in major cities like Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth". Your Scorpio can be serviced at any authorised Mahindra dealership.

The MY26 Subaru range is covered by a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, five-year/75,000km capped price servicing, and 12 months roadside assistance.

A service is required every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever occurs soonest. After your free “1 Month Health Check and Chat”, cost per service is $347.95 (at the 15,000km/12 month mark), $520.45 (30,000km or 24 months), $393.10 (45,000km or 36 months), $679.30 (60,000km or 48 months) and $358.20 (75,000km or 60 months). Average over the five years is $459.80.

Subaru Australia has more than 140 dealerships across the country with a decent spread over metro and regional areas. Foresters may be serviced at those dealers or by approved mechanics.