What's the difference?
The Mahindra Scorpio is back – but now it has upgraded safety tech (including AEB) and it’s only available in one variant: the Z8L+.
This is a 4WD wagon with a fair bit of appeal: seven seats, a stack of standard features, a low-range transfer case, an automatic rear diff lock and its price-tag – at just under $50 grand – won’t kick you in the space near the pocket where you keep your wallet.
It hasn’t undergone any mechanical changes so is the Scorpio any good off-road?
Read on.
Zeekr is making waves in Australia at the moment but it's not because of the car you see before you.
Nope, it’s the 7X mid-size SUV that’s captured a heap of attention and a whole lot of sales. In fact, of the 1832 sales the brand has managed over the first three months of 2026, just 54 were for the X.
But that was the old X and this is the new one. With more power, more performance, faster charging and a whole heap of pretty special equipment, especially for the small SUV segment.
So, is that enough to finally put the X on the map?
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.
It's a good thing in a small package, this Zeekr X, and there are a lot of things I like about it. In fact, the only sticking point for me is the price. But that's all about perspective. If you see this as a newcomer Chinese brand, then yes, there are a lot of more affordable options out there. But if you see it as a premium player, it's really a more affordable version of a Volvo.
Note: The author, Andrew Chesterton, is a co-owner of Smart As Media, a content agency and media distribution service with a number of automotive brands among its clients. When producing content for CarsGuide, he does so in accordance with the CarsGuide Editorial Guidelines and Code of Ethics, and the views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.