Units produced for the Indian Army usually have special equipment and features, details about which may not be available in public domain
With the constant threat of a two-front war, India is busy ramping up its defence preparedness. It includes infrastructure development along the borders as well as acquisition of new weapon systems.
Another key requirement is reliable vehicles that can carry personnel and supplies in a timely manner. Towards that end, Mahindra recently received an order for 1,470 units of Mahindra Scorpio Classic to be used by the Indian Army. Ahead of their dispatch, some units of army-spec Scorpio Classic have been spotted at an open warehouse. Hat tip to automotive enthusiast Ganesh Pagar for sharing the exclusive spy shots.
Scorpio Classic 4WD for Indian Army
Scorpio Classic for Indian Army has a green shade, which is commonly used on army vehicles and uniforms. In comparison, standard colour options for Scorpio Classic are Galaxy Grey, Red Rage, Dsat Silver, Pearl White and Napoli Black. As there doesn’t appear to be any form of camouflage, these units could be used for activities like patrolling and movement of personnel.
However, as there are hundreds of units of Scorpio Classic 4WD to be delivered to the army, it is possible that there could be different colour options. From the outside, there doesn’t appear to be any major changes to army-spec Scorpio Classic. It has the standard slatted grille, projector headlamps and LED DRLs, thick body cladding and functional roof rails.
As Army vehicles need to be more robust, Scorpio Classic 4WD for Indian Army too has been improvised. At rear, the upper section of the vertically stacked tail lights has been removed and replaced with black panels. It could have been done to minimize the risk of damage to external components.
A key upgrade at rear is the addition of a trailer hook. This could be used to attach a variety of moveable storage trolleys as well as moveable small calibre artillery guns and other similar weapon systems. 4WD badging can be seen at rear.
Army-spec Scorpio Classic interiors
Much of the equipment on the inside appears to be the same as standard version of Scorpio Classic. Some key highlights include 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system, fully automatic temperature control, 2nd row AC vents, faux leather steering wheel, tilt steering, 12V power outlet and fabric seat upholstery.
Safety kit available with Scorpio Classic includes dual airbags, collapsible steering, engine immobilizer, anti-theft warning, speed alert and auto door lock while driving. It is possible that some changes could have been introduced in the equipment list for army-spec Scorpio Classic. However, these details are likely to be kept confidential.
Scorpio Classic utilizes a 2.2-litre diesel motor that generates 130 HP of max power and 300 Nm of peak torque. It is mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox. It is possible that power and torque have been tuned for Army-spec Scorpio Classic. It also gets 4WD, which is not on offer with the regular variant for civilian use.