Mahindra launched the Scorpio N SUV last year, and it quickly became popular among SUV buyers in India. The SUV has long waiting periods compared to its rivals. One of the main reasons why it caught SUV lovers’ attention was because it is the only SUV in the segment to come with a proper 4×4 system. It is, in fact, the most affordable 4×4 three-row SUV one can buy in India. It was marketed as the Big Daddy of SUVs, and people often compared it with the Toyota Fortuner. Here we have a video where the Mahindra Scorpio N and the Toyota Fortuner are seen against each other in an off-road video.
The video has been shared by Small Town Rider on his YouTube channel. In this video, the vlogger takes his friends in the Mahindra Scorpio N and the Toyota Fortuner to a riverbed. The riverbed is dry and is often used by the group for off-roading. The Toyota Fortuner seen here in the video is the current version, which uses a 2.8-liter turbocharged diesel engine that generates 205 Ps and 500 Nm of peak torque. This is the top-end diesel automatic 4×4 version.
The Mahindra Scorpio N seen here is around 5 months old, and it is the top-end 4×4 diesel version with a manual transmission. The car is powered by a 2.2-liter turbocharged diesel engine that generates around 175 Ps and 400 Nm of peak torque. Both SUVs are equipped with AT tires, suitable for both on-road and decent off-road purposes.
Both the SUVs are driven to the riverbed, and the drivers start looking for obstacles. They found a section with sand and rocks at the bottom. The Fortuner was the first to attempt the obstacle. The SUV was engaged in 4H, and as it was the automatic version, the driver didn’t have to worry about the clutch at all. The first obstacle was dropped as the Fortuner’s bumper was touching the ground. They turned the car to the opposite side of the bank, and the Fortuner drove up without much hassle.
The Mahindra Scorpio N also attempted the second hurdle and cleared the section. The SUV was in 4L as the driver was not very experienced in off-roading. The SUV was actually performing pretty well. In fact, the Fortuner did get beached on the first obstacle, but the Scorpio N cleared the same without any trouble. They tested the articulation and traction systems on both the SUVs and found that the Fortuner was performing better.
Towards the end, both the SUVs were taken to a spot with a steep climb. The loose soil along with rocks made the climb a lot more challenging. The Fortuner driver attempted to drive up, but he was too careful about the bumper. He was driving up fast as it would have damaged the bumper. Even after a couple of trials, the Fortuner could not climb up. The Mahindra Scorpio N was next to approach the climb. The SUV, with a little bit of momentum, managed to climb up the stretch in the first attempt itself. The Fortuner also climbed up after the Scorpio N. Both SUVs have their positives and negatives, and the vlogger mentions that both of them performed pretty well; it was not a comparison.