M&M’s Born Electric ignites Scorpio memories 

As Mahindra & Mahindra gears up to showcase its electric lineup in the UK on Monday, industry sources say it will be “a never seen before, high decibel media campaign”. 

The new product line is expected to include a coupe SUV, compact SUVs, and a midsize SUV.  Auto experts say the coupe version will preview the brand’s future XUV900 SUV Coupe. Of the five UVs to be introduced by 2027, one of them is the upcoming XUV400 EV slated to debut this September.

Group Chairman Anand Mahindra says the Born Electric Range will give “Freedom from old pathways. On August 15, welcome to the new world of @MahindraRise @born_electric”. Aneesh Shah, Group Managing Director & CEO, has already gone on record to say that the prices “will be disruptive” as part of the effort to boost mind and market share.

Developed and designed at the Mahindra Advanced Design Europe (MADE) studio in Oxfordshire, the Born Electric range is centered on the Freedom theme. The SUVs will have advanced connectivity features such as seat adjustment, music preference settings, climate control, and ambient lighting on a single control. The platforms have floor-mounted DC fast charging compatible battery packs, flat board architecture and fast charging systems.

Going by the latest teaser, the range gets all-new infotainment graphics. Another has shown a Bolero-like face electric pickup as its first-of-kind EV in the commercial vehicle space. It is expected to have the same 1.7-tonne payload and a range of 140-150 km on a single charge for intra/intercity transport. The market for e-pickups is at present restricted to sub one-tonne offerings like the Tata Ace and a handful of others. 

“I don’t know of Born Electric but nothing can beat the Scorpio-India’s real hero SUV,” says Rajesh Sharma who operates a fleet of Scorpio taxis in Kullu, Himachal Pradesh. The Mahindra flagship brand still strikes an emotional connect with its customer base across India. “In the Northeast, you will see Scorpios inside tea gardens,” adds Gurung Lepcha of Gangtok, Sikkim.

R. Sriram, CEO of a textile company in Tirupur is unsure if forthcoming models can get near the deep penetration this brand has achieved. “Born Electric…I am not sure. In 2006, I made great friends on Scorpio adventure trips. While a few have moved on to other vehicles, and a couple are no more, we continue to keep in touch,” he says. According to him, the roads he traverses on are “underbelly rubs” for other vehicles but Scorpio can comfortably glide over them.

Abraham Kanjirapally of Kannur says down south, the M&M brand is the macho vehicle for all politicians. “Villains in films fly in a Scorpio! My brother is a politician using his fifth one with the same white color and number for the last decade,” he adds.  

Udham Singh Chauhan of Rohtak says up north, while Scorpio reflects the first level of status and denotes some muscle power and political clout. “Our local MLA still uses a new Scorpio for rural roads,” he says.

In eastern India, Pratwik Banerjee of Kolkata says the brand has high resale value. “This was the car that made India fall in love with SUVs,” he adds. M&M will be hoping that the Scorpio sentiments spill over into the new electric range too.