Mahindra launches six-geared automatic Scorpio

Mahindra & Mahindra on Monday launched India's first automatic SUV with a six speed gear box in Pune and Bangalore simulatneously. The automatic variant will cost Rs 85,000 more than the manual Scorpio.

The vehicles will be first sold in the domestic market; later they may be exported depending on the demand and other strategies, said Arun Malhotra, senior vice president, sales and customer care, automotive sector, Mahindra & Mahindra.

Malhotra said that the new edition of the Scorpio is fitted with 2.2 litre mHawk engine. Claiming the vehicle requires low maintenance, he said the transmission is permanently sealed and does not require an oil change throughout its life. The automatic transmission system was developed by an in-house team at Nashik with components sourced from Drivetrain Systems, Australia, said Vivek Nayer, senior VP, marketing, M&M.

The cooling systems, emission, central console and some things in the engine was done out of India.

The automatic option will be available for the VLS and VLX models at Rs 10.21 lakh to Rs 10.75 lakh (ex-showroom price in Pune). The new models will be available across dealerships in the country.

"Traffic in any city is increasing at an alarming rate and driving involves constant gear changes. There is a need felt by customers for this option," Nayer said. This automatic version is also targeted at women who want to drive a SUV but find the existing model heavier.

"NRIs, foreigners and those exposed to this technology globally will also be the target market," he said. In Europe, 50% of the SUVs sold are automatic and the company is hopeful of the Indian market moving in that direction. The company said production of this model will depend on customer demand and that the company has not set any targets.

M&M sells about 3,000 units of Scorpio a month and is growing at 11.2%. There has been an impact of fuel price hike, higher interest rates and excise duty on car sales, but Nayer said the company hopes that this will be temporary and the markets will pick up again during the festive season. There were clsoe to 15 bookings for the automatic variant at the Pune dealership.