2023 Mahindra Scorpio

Mahindra has been in Australia since 2007 with its Pik-Up ute, but brand recognition and consideration is basically non-existent when it comes to passenger vehicles such as the Scorpio SUV.

Mahindra has been making cars since 1954 when it was the official producer of Jeeps in India. The brand has had partnerships with the likes of Peugeot, Renault, Kia, Ford and others – It even makes military gear for Airbus. So while you may not have heard of the brand, that doesn't discount from the fact that it has great credentials.

In 2024, with every OEM continuously raising their prices across the board, blaming everything from inflation to cost of materials and production, it’s rather unique to see that India’s Mahindra has come up with a family-friendly and reliable SUV for an almost inconceivable price. But there must be a catch? Some will tell you that its lack of active safety features is it. Still, the reality is that the Scorpio got a five-star safety rating by global NCAP, is equipped with a pretty decent powertrain, is pretty damn capable off-road and has one of the best setups for families with two or three kids, thanks to its unique 2+2+2 seat configuration.

You would be doing yourself a disservice but not at least taking the Scorpio for a test drive if you are after a brand new, affordable, reliable and off-road capable family-friendly SUV.