MY26 Scorpio Z8L+: Seven Seats And ADAS As Standard
scorpo 6 b adas
Mahindra Australia has given the Scorpio a sensible and rather welcome shove into the modern era. The MY26 update makes the Z8L+ a proper seven seat, proper 4×4 with Level 2 driver assistance as standard. That means families, adventurers and fleet managers get a big, capable SUV that is safer, smarter and oddly more civilised than you might expect for the price.
Raising The Bar In Safety And Technology
The headline here is Level 2 ADAS across the Scorpio line. This is not window dressing. Autonomous Emergency Braking watches for cars, cyclists and pedestrians and will apply the brakes if things look nasty. Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop and Go keeps a sensible gap and handles traffic slowdowns without you having a panic attack. Lane Departure Warning and Lane Keep Assist provide visual, audio and steering nudges if you drift. Smart Pilot Assist takes steering, acceleration and braking duties to help keep the car centred in the lane. There is also Front Vehicle Start Alert, Forward Collision Warning, Traffic Sign Recognition, High Beam Assist and a system that displays speed limits in the cluster. In short, it will see more than you when you are distracted and intervene before the situation gets theatrical.
What’s New On The Z8L+
The Z8L+ brings a chunk of creature comforts that make long journeys less grumpy. Ventilated front seats, a sunroof and rich coffee black leatherette interiors make it feel more grown up. The cabin benefits from an 8 inch touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a 7 inch driver display, wireless phone charging, cooled glovebox, USB‑C ports in the second row and dual zone climate control. Practical touches include LED headlamps with projector fog lamps, LED tail lights, sequential indicators, power folding mirrors and a full size spare. The electric park brake with auto hold, auto dimming rear view mirror and power windows with anti pinch are the little things you stop noticing for very good reasons.
Under The Bonnet And Off Road Capability
Mechanically the Scorpio is no pretender. The 2.2 litre common rail turbo diesel produces 129 kilowatts and 400 Newton metres between 1750 and 2750 rpm, meets Euro6b, and is mated to a 6 speed Aisin automatic with a low range gearbox and a rear mechanical diff lock. The 4XPLOR intelligent four wheel drive system offers selectable terrain modes for Normal, Snow, Mud and Ruts, and Sand. Bosch Gen 9.3 ESP brings vehicle dynamics control, traction control, brake disc wiping and electronic brake prefill, along with trailer sway mitigation and roll over mitigation. Hill Hold and Hill Descent Control are included, as is tyre pressure monitoring, electric power steering and a 2.5 tonne braked towing capacity. Everything that needs to be beefy, is beefy.
Price, Warranty And Availability
The Scorpio Z8L+ is priced at $48,990 drive away, excluding metallic paint. The refreshed MY26 Scorpio is the flagship of Mahindra’s Australian SUV line up and is due in showrooms during summer. Mahindra has also confirmed that Level 2 ADAS is standard across its Australian SUV range, including other current models. All vehicles come with a 7 year, 150,000 kilometre warranty and seven year roadside assistance as standard, subject to terms and conditions.
This is a car that blends genuine off road ability, seven seat practicality and modern safety tech without pretending to be something it is not. It is sensible, solid and a very tidy package for the money.
Zachary Skinner is the editor of TechDrivePlay.com, where tech, cars and adventure share the fast lane.
A former snowboarding pro and programmer, he brings both creative flair and technical know-how to his reviews. From high-performance cars to clever gadgets, he explores how innovation shapes the way we move, connect and live.
