Spied - New Mahindra Scorpio AT spotted for the first time

Could get a Ssangyong-developed transmission. 

The new Mahindra Scorpio was launched last month with a new chassis and an upgraded 5-speed manual transmission, but an automatic transmission (available on the earlier model) was not offered. The Scorpio and Verna were among very few budget cars (before the Tata Zest was launched) to offer an automatic transmission with a diesel engine.

However, based on this spyshot, it seems that the Indian UV maker will soon offer an automatic variant on the SUV. The test mule is identified as an automatic variant thanks to the badging seen on the front door cladding, which was an identification mark on the previous Scorpio AT as well.

The Scorpio AT will be powered by the 2.2-liter mHawk diesel engine which produces 120 bhp and 280 Nm of torque. However, it is unlikely to get the previous model's 6-speed automatic transmission. Nor will Mahindra decide to go the AMT route, as Mr. Pravin Shah, Chief Executive, Automotive Division, Mahindra and Mahindra, confirmed to Indian Autos Blog that an automated manual transmission will not be seen on the car.

The automatic transmission in question for the Scorpio AT could be a new 6-speed unit developed by group company Ssangyong for their new X100 compact SUV. Ssangyong's president, Mr. Y I Lee, stated to a publication that Mahindra was considering this gearbox, albeit for the more expensive XUV500. Given the fact that the XUV500 and Scorpio share engines, the Ssangyong-developed transmission could be an ideal fit for the Scorpio as well.

Also read: Mahindra XUV500 Hybrid launching next year

At the moment, the Scorpio's competitors like the Tata Safari Storme, Renault Duster and Nissan Terrano do not offer an automatic transmission. And when Mahindra does launch the Scorpio AT (expected in 2015), it would be priced at least INR 1 lakh more than the variant its based on.

[Spyshot from MotorBash]