Mahindra Scorpio-N Vs XUV700 petrol automatic drag race

With the XUV700 and now the Scorpio-N, Mahindra proved that cars made in India are capable enough to give other global brands a run for their money. While the Mahindra XUV700 is a modern-day monocoque SUV, the Mahindra Scorpio-N gets an old-school ladder-on-frame chassis which has been fine-tuned to make it more engaging to drive. A YouTube channel named ‘Journey On Wheels’ has put the petrol-automatic versions of both these SUVs in a drag race to find out which one is the faster among the two.

While both the SUVs have very different kinds of chassis under them, in their petrol-automatic versions, both these SUVs have also got a common heart – a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine paired to a 6-speed automatic gearbox. In the drag race video uploaded by ‘Journey On Wheels’, we can see the top-spec petrol-automatic versions of both XUV700 and Scorpio-N battling out in two rounds.

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Close finish

In both the rounds of the drag race between the Mahindra XUV700 and Mahindra Scorpio-N, we can see that the XUV700 maintains a small lead till the end of the drag race, after having similarly powerful starts. With this, the Mahindra XUV700 became the winner in the drag race over the Scorpio-N and hinted that it is the faster SUV among the two.

The 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine produces 200 PS of power and 380 Nm of torque in the Mahindra XUV700. On the other hand, the same engine produces 203 PS of power and 380 Nm of torque in the Scorpio-N. Despite having an advantage of 3 PS over the XUV700, the Scorpio-N failed to gain a lead over the former in the drag race. Also, with a kerb weight of 1825 kg, the Scorpio-N is lighter than the 1960 kg XUV700.

What makes the XUV700 quicker?

So what helped the Mahindra XUV700 win the drag race? The simple answer is aerodynamics. Compared to the boxy-looking Scorpio-N, the XUV700 has a more aerodynamic design, especially at the front, with a more rakish windscreen, a slightly sloped bonnet and slits in the front bumper and wheel arches. As the speed rises, the XUV700 cuts wind blasts better than the Scorpio-N, which has a traditional boxy and upright stance. This gives an aerodynamic advantage to the XUV700, which is why it won the drag race battle from the Scorpio-N without much fuss.

Both the XUV700 and Scorpio-N have become blockbuster products for Mahindra. The Scorpio-N is off to a flying start, with already a heavy booking log before the commencement of deliveries in September. On the other hand, the demand for the XUV700 too isn’t slowing down, with the waiting period stretching up to 24 months.

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