Indian SUV maker, Mahindra & Mahindra launched India’s first automatic SUV with a six speed gear box. The automatic variant will cost Rs 85,000 more than the manual Scorpio.
Commenting to the press, Mr. Arun Malhotra, Senior V.P, Sales and Customer Care, Automotive Sector – Mahindra & Mahindra said that the cars will be first sold in the domestic market and then they may be exported depending on the demand and other strategies. The Scorpio AT is fitted with 2.2 litre mHawk engine with the transmission being permanently sealed, 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. 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.
The automatic version is targeted at women who want to drive a SUV but find the existing model heavier. While the NRIs, foreigners and those exposed to this technology globally will also be the target market. As 50% of the SUVs sold are automatic, 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. Scorpio sells about 3,000 units a month with growth rate of 11.2%.