Any manufacturer that thinks its position in the hard-fought 4X4 SUV segment in South Africa is secure, today needs to resist the temptation to rest on its laurels as the Mahindra Scorpio-N beat 18 other finalists to win the title of Adventure SUV of the Year at the 2024 Old Mutual Insure South African Car Of The Year competition.
In a market that has been dominated by the Japanese and Europeans for so many years, the victory by Indian manufacturer Mahindra was an indication of a shift in global manufacturing expertise and influence; no longer can brands from India or, by extension, China be discounted as being inferior, and pose a very real threat to the dominance of Japan and Europe.
“We are truly humbled by this major award,” said Rajesh Gupta, CEO of Mahindra South Africa.
“The award signals a new era that follows two decades of investment in our South African operations, our dealer network and our vehicle range to ensure that we offer a truthful partnership of man and machine in both the SUV and LCV market.”
The Mahindra Scorpio-N was selected as one of 18 finalists from a pool of 80 qualifying vehicles across the various market segments. Every year, the SA Guild Of Mobility Journalists consider every new model released in South Africa and then go on to pick a number of finalists that best represent automotive excellence.
Once selected, the finalists are put through their paces during several days of dynamic and static testing and an in-depth analysis of each model against its competitors and its performance in the overall marketplace.
The evaluation also included detailed market share statistics and customer feedback from Lightstone Auto, the official automotive industry aggregator.
Not only that, but the Mahindra Scorpio-N won the Motor Enthusiast of the Year award, which recognises the importance of public opinion and support.
“Where the Adventure SUV of the Year recognises the capabilities, build quality and refinement of the Scorpio-N, the Motor Enthusiast of the Year Award represents our standing in the public and their love of our products and brand. For Mahindra, it is important that we deliver on our promise of honest and real value-for-money for each customer who has bought a Mahindra over the past two decades,” said Rajesh.
South Africa is now Mahindra’s official second home outside India, with a dealer network that covers all major towns, cities and outlying areas, with a vehicle assembly facility in Durban.
Mahindra South Africa will be hosting experimental activities around South Africa within the dealer network, where consumers will have the opportunity to experience the capability of the vehicles at their well-equipped Adventure 4X4 Mahindra Academies. Visit www.mahindraadventures.co.za for more information.
