Scorpio

This is the Scorpio's defining number. ANCAP crash-tested it in 2023 and awarded zero stars, with adult occupant protection scored at just 44 per cent, among the lowest results on the market. Mahindra added a full Level 2 driver-assist suite for the 2026 update, which addresses the active-safety equipment missing at launch, but ANCAP has not re-tested the car, so the zero-star rating still applies. Be careful not to confuse it with the five-star Global NCAP result Mahindra promotes, which is a different crash test conducted on the Indian-market car and does not carry over to Australia.

The Scorpio is rated to tow 2,500kg braked and 750kg unbraked, with a 5,155kg gross combination mass. That 2,500kg figure is the catch for caravan buyers: most of its ladder-frame rivals, including the Isuzu MU-X and Pajero Sport, tow the class-standard 3,500kg, so the Scorpio gives up a full tonne of towing capacity. It is fine for a modest camper trailer or boat, but if you plan to tow a large van it is the wrong tool. Payload is a healthier 510 to 525kg depending on grade.

The off-road hardware is the real thing. The Scorpio runs a part-time dual-range four-wheel-drive system branded 4XPLOR, an auto-locking rear differential and selectable terrain modes, backed by 227mm of ground clearance and a 27.2-degree approach angle. Reviewers rate it as seriously capable, more so than its price suggests, with the main limitation being the road-biased tyres it wears from the factory, not any shortfall in the underlying gear. Fit a set of all-terrains and it will go a long way off the bitumen.

The Scorpio has seven seats, but treat it as a five-seater that carries two more at a pinch. The third row is tight and best left to children on short trips, and with all three rows in use the boot is very small, smaller than a Suzuki Jimny's. The third-row seats also do not fold flat into the floor, so they eat into cargo space even when stowed. For a family of up to five plus occasional extra kids it works well; as a full seven-up touring wagon it is compromised, and some reviewers would remove the third row entirely for serious trips.

Running costs are one of the Scorpio's strongest cards. Mahindra caps servicing at $2,358 across the first five years, on 12-month or 10,000km intervals, and claims 7.2 litres per 100km on the combined cycle from the 2.2-litre diesel. The warranty runs seven years with a 150,000km cap, backed by seven years of roadside assistance. Combined with the low purchase price, that makes the Scorpio one of the cheapest 4WD seven-seaters to own in Australia, which is much of its appeal for value-focused buyers.

Both grades share the same diesel engine, dual-range 4WD hardware and the 2026 driver-assist suite, so the choice is purely about comfort equipment. The Z8L+, at around $49,000 driveaway, adds ventilated front seats, a six-way powered driver's seat and front parking sensors over the roughly $44,000 Z8+. Since the extra spend buys daily-comfort features you use constantly and nothing that changes how the car drives or where it can go, the Z8L+ is the one to shortlist. The Z8+ makes sense only if the lowest possible price is the priority.