Australians who want a Mahindra Scorpio with advanced safety technology will need to wait up to two years.
The Mahindra Scorpio six-seat SUV will receive an advanced safety systems upgrade before the March 2025 deadline for such technology, a top executive for the Indian car maker has pledged.
The Mahindra Scorpio – the first new model from the brand in almost a decade, and which has just arrived in Australia this week – has gone on sale missing advanced safety systems that are now mandatory locally.
The Australian approval documents for the Mahindra Scorpio scraped in before the March 2023 deadline, even though the vehicle is only just now arriving in showrooms.
Exploiting this loophole means the Mahindra Scorpio meets Australian regulations today, however it will need to have some of its safety systems upgraded to continue to be sold after March 2025.
“We have a cycle plan on this, so will happen in time.” Mr Moitra told local media.
When asked whether there was risk that the Scorpio would be removed from sale in Australia while it waited for the technology to develop, Mr Moitra said that was not the case.
It’s unclear whether the Scorpio will get additional technologies such as lane-keeping assistance, lane-departure warning, blind spot monitoring and rear-cross traffic alert as part of the safety upgrades.
However, the delayed rollout of technology that is now mandatory means 2023 Mahindra Scorpio will remain on sale in Australia for the up to two years without advanced safety systems that are standard on most rivals.
In the meantime, the Mahindra Scorpio’s standard safety list will remain the bare minimum: six airbags, anti-lock brakes, stability control, and tyre pressure monitoring.
Mr Moitra conceded the Indian brand still has “more work to do” when it comes to safety technology.
“On safety, the (Indian) government has mandated a lot safety regulations, which was almost non-existent a few years back. This includes a minimum of six airbags.
“So, while the safety standards are not as high as what we have in Australia, India is jumping higher in this regard.”
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