Mahindra and Mahindra to launch Scorpio-N; retains previous-generation Scorpio Classic

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Mahindra and Mahindra to launch Scorpio-N; retains previous-generation Scorpio Classic

With the launch of the Scorpio-N, a new-gen avatar of its iconic SUV sports utility vehicle, homegrown auto giant Mahindra and Mahindra M&M wants to target the upwardly mobile urban markets while retaining the previous-generation Scorpio Classic for rural and semi-rural markets. The company stressed that the two product portfolios are very different for different segments. The introductory price of Scorpio-N was set at Rs 11.99 lakh for the lower-end Z 2 variant, while the top-end Z 8 L is available for first 25,000 buyers at Rs 19.49 lakh.

Metro buyers are not buying it today because we haven't evolved the product enough to meet the changing competitive landscape with Scorpio-N we're aiming to do. They were not buying because they were not buying because the product was not as competitive as the Scorpio-N will be. Non-Metro towns like Allahabad, Jaipur, Asansol, etc. Today, urban mindset is very much a part of the urban mindset. They don't necessarily need a compact vehicle. Rajesh Jejurikar, ED of Auto farm Sectors at M&M told reporters on the sidelines of the launch. The real opportunity is in non-metro tier 2 cities.

The company said that both the Scorpio Classic and the Scorpio-N will co-exist in the Indian market. We are continuing with the current Scorpio as it is primarily a rural and semi urban product. When it was launched it was very popular in the urban metros but with time it has moved into being a semi urban product like Bolero is also very strong in those markets. Jejurikar said that they don't believe that that segment has an immediate need to change.

It stays as part of the family look. This allows you to create freshness and newness while retaining the strength of who you are. He said that skepticism still has a lot of affinity.

The Scorpio-N competes with Tata Safari, MG Hector Plus, Hyundai Alcazar and its own cousin XUV 700. Jejurikar maintains that it is a very different segmentation. We expect the Scorpio Classic to have the same traction in rural and semi-rural markets, but Scorpio-N is a completely different segmentation. A person who wants to buy a Thar is very different from a person who wants to buy an XUV 700, who is very different from the target group of Scorpio-N. He said that Scorpio-N is a more aggressive offering while XUV 700 is in a very family and friends kind of zone. The development and engineering of the All-New Scorpio-N is the result of an investment of 1,600 Crore, which includes the creation of a new automated manufacturing line at the firm's Chakan facility.

The company said it is simultaneously unveiling the Scorpio-N in South Africa and Nepal, along with the launch of India. Mahindra will announce the details soon, as well as the details of the All-New Scorpio-N in Australia and New Zealand. The All-New Scorpio-N becomes the first brand from the house of M&M to be unveiled globally across international markets aligned with Mahindra's strategy to strengthen its global footprint, it said.

M&M's current waiting periods for some models are running into 20 months and the situation is expected to get worse with the new launch. The waiting periods are almost 20 months with XUV 700. It wasn't the situation when we launched but we're still getting 9000 bookings a month with people aware of the waiting times. Currently, XUV 700 has a backlog of 70,000 vehicles. There is a shift in buying behaviour and a lesser reliance on shared mobility. The value in ownership is seen again, according to Jejurikar.

99 lakhs are made of it.