In this battle of value-laden off-road family wagons, it’s a case of India versus China. Both offer plenty of bang for your buck, but which is best?
You don’t need to spend $100,000 to get yourself into a four-wheel-drive family wagon that can cater for midweek duties and weekend fun in equal measure.
While most of our attention (as buyers and media) is often spent on the top end of four-wheel-drive town with the likes of Land Rovers and LandCruisers, the reality is such big brutes are out of the budget for many buyers.
There’s another troupe of options that range between $50,000 and $80,000 in the so-called ute-based-wagon part of the game.
But these two options undercut those options as well, especially when you consider the levels of inclusions against the price.
One hails from India, in the form of the Mahindra Scorpio Z8L. The other is from China, and is the GWM Tank 300 Ultra.
Both are new models from their respective manufacturers, and promise to drive a big value equation for Australian buyers. But which is the best choice?
How much does the Mahindra Scorpio cost in Australia?
There’s a simple two-tiered line-up of the Scorpio in Australia, with Mahindra offering a sharp drive-away price for both examples. The range kicks off with the Z8 at $41,990 drive-away, while our test vehicle is the more expensive Z8L at $45,990 drive-away.
Stepping up to the Z8L specification level adds a 12-speaker Sony-branded sound system, front camera, front parking sensors, an upgraded multifunction display in front of the driver, wireless phone charging pad and six-way power adjustment for the driver’s seat. While the same 8.0-inch infotainment display is used, Z8L does pick up wireless connectivity for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Gear that is shared between both spec levels includes a six-seat layout (with a seven-seat model due to arrive in coming years), 18-inch alloy wheels, a tan-coloured leatherette interior, dual-zone climate control, automatic windscreen wipers, projector LED headlights and push-button start.
There is also tyre pressure monitoring, rear parking sensors and a reversing camera. However, there’s a lot of safety equipment (which you often find on other vehicles) missing here.
How much does the GWM Tank 300 cost in Australia?
There’s a less expensive variant of the Tank 300 called Lux, which starts from $46,990 drive-away. The $50,990 drive-away for the Tank 300 Ultra does feel like money well spent. It picks up 18-inch alloy wheels, nappa leather seat upholstery, wireless phone charging, a heated steering wheel upgraded front seats (with heating, ventilation massaging), and interior ambient lighting.
The nine-speaker sound system gets upgraded to an Infinity-branded system as well, but it’s not clear what (if any) other hardware upgrades this brings.
There’s also a locking front differential (on top of the rear locker) and additional underbody protection for off-road driving.
This comes atop loads of otherwise standard equipment across the range, like LED headlights, sunroof, twin 12.3-inch interior displays, sunroof, and a full gamut of safety equipment.
Another option for buyers is an available hybrid powertrain, which pairs a slightly more powerful 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine with an electric motor for a combined 258kW output – plus a few other extra bits like digital radio, automatic parking and memory for the driver’s seat position.
So while the Tank 300 is the more expensive option between these two, it does offer more gear at the same time.
| Key details | 2023 Mahindra Scorpio Z8L | 2023 GWM Tank 300 Ultra |
| Price (MSRP) | $45,990 drive-away | $50,990 drive-away |
| Colour of test car | Deep Forest | Dusk Orange |
| Options | None | Premium paint – $595 |
| Drive-away price | $45,990 | $51,585 |
How much space does the Mahindra Scorpio have inside?
Having a captain’s chair second row (with a gap in between) means the Scorpio can fit six inside, instead of the seven that you might first assume.
In reality, Mahindra has done well to squeeze in three rows of seating into the Scorpio, because it’s noticeably shorter than other off-roaders with a third row.
Six seats is one thing, but having only one cupholder doesn’t seem to gel with the family fun-bus aspirations of the Scorpio. Other storage for your incidentals is a bit lacking. The centre console is surprisingly small, and it’s only the wireless charging area (as well as door cards and the glovebox) for taking your stuff.
Build quality feels good, and nice and solid in terms of rattles and wriggles. And when you consider the low asking price (and the levels of scepticism that can come with it), there is no issue at all with the feel of how this is bolted together. The imitation leather on the seats feels good, and they are plenty comfortable enough. However, some of the harder plastics feel a little bit scratchy and switchgear basic.
Sitting in the second row of the Scorpio gets you an elevated seating position, with plenty of forward and side visibility for adults and kids alike. And with only two seats here, you get a nice sense of space. There is an unused void in between the two seats that allows for relatively unfettered walk-through access (for kids) into the third row, but you also feel that some kind of storage console in the middle could also be helpful.
The second-row seats don’t have any sliding ability, but the backrests can tilt and the passenger-side seat can tumble forward for extra access into the third row.
And once you’re in the back, you won’t find much space on offer for adult-sized humans. Kids would be a better fit.
When you don’t want the third row, it doesn’t have the ability to disappear into the floor. Instead, the backrest can flip forwards and the entire seat can be tumbled forwards. It’s not perfect, but it works well enough.
When the third row is in use, the amount of storage space goes from good to virtually non-existent.
Having an extra seat (in comparison to the GWM) is an advantage for the Mahindra, but doing so also eats into the majority of your boot space. So if you need to load some gear into the back, the Tank 300 fits more people.
How much space does the GWM Tank 300 have inside?
There’s no doubt that the interior of the Tank 300 is impressive, especially when you keep in mind the $50,990 asking price. That kind of money only gets you into a base-specification Toyota Fortuner, Isuzu MU-X or mid-spec Mitsubishi Pajero Sport. The likes of a Ford Everest or Jeep Wrangler is much more expensive.
The dashboard is dominated by big Mercedes-Benz-like air vents, as well as the big slabs of brushed-aluminium-look plastic. There are exposed bolts and ambient lighting, and twin 12.3-inch displays (for the driver and infotainment) recessed into the dash.
Lots of features, but I think it’s more important to note that the build quality of the Tank 300 is also at a high standard. Elements don’t feel loose or flimsy at least, and rough grabs and yanks of interior elements don’t seem to uncover anything untoward.
The seats have almost every trick in the book in this specification, and feel comfortable and supportive for long drives. Ergonomically, the Tank 300 is good overall. There’s tilt and reach adjustment through the steering column and lumbar support as well.
There are quilted, stitched and perforated leather patches on the doors, and some more Mercedes-Benz inspiration in the metal-look speaker covers.
There’s a 12V, USB-A and USB-C power outlet down near the wireless charging pad, and the cupholders are hiding among the well-sized centre console arrangement. Slide a small bin back and out of the way, and you’ll find them.
There are air vents and twin USB power outlets in the second row, and enough room for adults to sit quite comfortably. Although I didn’t try, I reckon child seats (including rearward-facing units) would slot in quite easily. The seating position is relatively low, but certainly comfortable and visibility from the back seats is good enough.
In the back, you’ll find a decent boot with 400 litres of storage space on offer. It’s not massive, and trades more in width and height than length. I’d say it’s comparable to something like a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. You do get 12V and 220V power in the back here, and the removable floor can also convert into a low-slung camping table, which is pretty cool.
There’s no underslung spare wheel here obviously. The full-sized unit is hanging off the back of the side-hinged tailgate.
| 2023 Mahindra Scorpio Z8L | 2023 GWM Tank 300 Ultra | |
| Seats | Six | Five |
| Boot volume | 756L to second row | 400L to rear seats |
| Length | 4662mm | 4760mm |
| Width | 1917mm | 1930mm |
| Height | 1857mm | 1903mm |
| Wheelbase | 2750mm | 2750mm |
Does the Mahindra Scorpio have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto?
While both Z8 and Z8L specification get an 8.0-inch infotainment display, only the latter gets the support of wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. We prefer the stability that comes with a wired connection anyway, and smartphone mirroring does separate you from the fairly average native operating system. It’s a bit slow to load and not particularly intuitive, but that doesn’t tend to matter after you’ve connected your smartphone.
This sentiment only gets stronger when you realise the Scorpio is missing native navigation and digital radio.
The larger 7.0-inch multifunction display in front of the driver – which is flanked by analogue speedometer and tachometer dials – is helpful, adding some more technology and versatility to the driving experience.
Does the GWM Tank 300 have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto?
Utilising one of the 12.3-inch interior displays for infotainment purposes – which is standard across the range – there is a good set-up for users that includes wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There’s no native navigation or digital radio, however (something that the hybrid gets), so expect to depend upon your phone (and data) for that kind of thing.
There are plenty of features and elements to dig through in the infotainment display, including things like driver assistance features and seat massaging/ventilation. It might take some time to learn where some things are hiding, but it’s not too bad overall.
In front of the driver is another 12.3-inch display, which is your digital instrument cluster. While it’s not as immersive and impressive as the best examples out there, it is quite good overall.
When you consider the asking price, it’s quite excellent. You can customise the layout here with a few different functions, and the inclusions of a trip computer (which looks like a heart-rate graph) and digital speed readout are accounted for.
Quite obviously here, the Tank 300 is a significantly better experience in comparison to the Scorpio.
Is the Mahindra Scorpio a safe car?
In comparison to other four-wheel-drive wagons, the Scorpio does fall to the back of the pack in terms of safety.
While Mahindra espouses a recent five-star crash test rating from Global NCAP for the Scorpio, we need to stress this is not the same test as ANCAP or Euro NCAP, with Global NCAP using a less comprehensive testing program compared to the work of ANCAP and Euro NCAP (who have aligned on testing and assessment procedures).
Currently, the Scorpio has no ANCAP rating for it to be compared against important competitors.
Is the GWM Tank 300 a safe car?
Against the relatively strict 2022 ANCAP testing criteria, the 2023 GWM Tank 300 scored a five-star ANCAP rating.
This rating includes an 88 per cent score for adult occupants and 89 per cent for child occupants. Vulnerable road users (pedestrians) get an 81 per cent protection rating, while the safety assistance systems on the Tank 300 get an 85 per cent rating.
| At a glance | 2023 Mahindra Scorpio Z8L | 2023 GWM Tank 300 Ultra |
| ANCAP rating & year tested | Untested | Five stars (tested 2022) |
| Safety report | N/A | ANCAP report |
What safety technology does the Mahindra Scorpio have?
Mahindra is unlikely to offer up vehicles to ANCAP for testing any time soon, because the dearth of safety technology on the Scorpio (elements that are common on competitor vehicles) means its safety assist systems score could mean a zero-star finish under the ANCAP regime.
Autonomous emergency braking, lane-keep assistance, lane-departure warning, forward collision warning, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and low-speed reverse autonomous braking. That is usually a list of standard fare on a new vehicle in Australia, but that is a list of things that are missing from the Scorpio.
Technophobes might find it to be a breath of fresh air, but lacking this kind of equipment does make a dent in the value-for-money equation of the Scorpio. Because at the end of the day, this is stuff that you do get elsewhere.
What safety technology does the GWM Tank 300 have?
Along with that five-star ANCAP safety rating, the Tank 300 goes hard with standard safety equipment. This includes autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and intersection intervention, front collision warning, lane-departure warning and lane-keep assistance. There’s also adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition and emergency lane-keep assistance.
But wait, there’s more: front and rear cross-traffic alert, reverse AEB, front and rear parking sensors, adaptive cruise control and a 360-degree camera system.
I found the lane-keep assistance to be a little overbearing for everyday usage, as Trent noted in his first drive of the Tank 300.
How much does the Mahindra Scorpio cost to run?
Mahindra offers five years’ worth of capped-price servicing for the Scorpio with kilometre intervals set at 10,000km. Three years costs $1280 (which averages out to be $426 per year), while five years goes up slightly to $471.60 per year for $2358 in total. For a diesel-powered four-wheel drive, that’s a reasonable number.
Mahindra offers buyers a seven-year warranty with a 150,000km cap, plus up to seven years of roadside assist – renewed annually each time the car is serviced at a genuine Mahindra dealer.
As Mahindra continues to push its presence into the mainstream, we’ll start to see the Indian car maker listed on a variety of online insurance quote generators. At the moment, our usual port of call doesn’t have Mahindra listed. However, we picked up a quote elsewhere that put the Scorpio Z8L at $1370.22 per year.
This is based on a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male driver living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.
How much does the GWM Tank 300 cost to run?
The Tank 300 has 12-month/15,000km service intervals, but it’s worth noting that the first visit is set at 10,000km for some reason. There’s five years’ worth of capped-price servicing available costing a quite reasonable $1150 for the first three years. After five years that goes to $2000, which works out to be $400 per year.
The Tank 300 is covered by a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, as well as a five-year roadside assistance plan.
Insurance for a Tank 300 Ultra comes in at $1755.82 based on a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male driver living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.
| At a glance | 2023 Mahindra Scorpio Z8L | 2023 GWM Tank 300 Ultra |
| Warranty | Seven years, 150,000km | Seven years, unlimited km |
| Service intervals | 12 months or 10,000km | First service at 12 months/10,000km Subsequent services every 12 months/15,000km |
| Servicing costs | $1280 (3 years) $2358 (5 years) |
$1150 (3 years) $2000 (5 years) |
| Fuel cons. (claimed) | 7.2L/100km | 9.5L/100km |
| Fuel cons. (on test) | 9.0L/100km | 13.0L/100km |
| Fuel type | Diesel | 91-octane regular unleaded |
| Fuel tank size | 57L | 75L |
Is the Mahindra Scorpio fuel-efficient?
Against a claim of 7.2 litres per 100 kilometres, we saw a number a little higher than that. It was as good as 8.0L/100km – an impressive figure – when doing mostly highway cruising. That number began to creep up to 10.0L/100km after some time off-roading, for an average of around 9.0L/100km overall. Once again, it’s a pretty good number. And it comfortably beats the petrol-powered Tank 300.
Along with the Ford Everest, the Mahindra Scorpio is one of the few examples of vehicles in this class to have Selective Catalytic Reduction, with an AdBlue tank that will need an infrequent top-up.
Is the GWM Tank 300 fuel-efficient?
When compared against the (mostly) diesel-powered competitors, the Tank 300 isn’t going to be able to challenge very well in terms of driving range or overall efficiency. Against a claim of 9.5L/100km, we saw an average that was noticeably higher, around 13.0L/100km.
Our testing included a fair swathe of highway driving, but also some town driving and a chunk of off-roading. At least the Tank 300 is happy drinking the cheap stuff, so buyers can avoid premium fuel and save a few cents per litre at the bowser.
What is the Mahindra Scorpio like to drive?
The Scorpio’s 129kW and 400Nm from a turbocharged diesel engine was somewhere around the benchmark some years ago, but those figures do lag behind the competition in this day and age. The closest would be the relatively old Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, which has 133kW and 430Nm from a 2.4-litre engine. Everything else – including the similarly priced LDV D90 – makes more power and torque.
But it has to be said – similar to the Pajero Sport – that there is enough grunt here to get the job done. It doesn’t have that thrust of torque you can get in something like a Fortuner when you nail the throttle, but it gets away without feeling glacial. It’s reasonably quiet under load as well.
The six-speed torque converter automatic gearbox, which comes from the same partly Toyota-owned company Aisin, is a smart and smooth operator. It doesn’t make a habit of shifting gears too often, and can get the most out of what Mahindra’s 2.2-litre engine has to offer.
Just don’t try to rev the engine out too much, as it can feel particularly breathless anywhere near that 3500rpm redline. And do some planning for longer overtaking opportunities at highway speeds and on hills.
The ride quality of the Scorpio is good, but also not at the same level as the best in the segment (I’m looking at you, Ranger and MU-X). It can feel a little fidgety and busy over smaller potholes and lightly deteriorated patches of road, but larger bumps are handled better. Obstacles like big potholes, or clearing speedbumps with a smidge too much pace, and similar scenarios see the Scorpio hold onto its composure fairly well.
Steering is tuned on the light side of the spectrum, and the Scorpio holds onto the road well enough in most situations. You certainly know not to punt it hard through corners, and it won’t be your first choice for attacking your favourite twisting ribbon of quiet tarmac. However, it’s good enough.
One big problem to note here is the stop-start system. These are often the whipping post of a motoring journalist, who is quick to turn it off even when the system is smooth and advanced. However, the Scorpio’s set-up is neither of those two things. It takes time to kick back into life after killing the motor, but there is a deeper problem here.
Turning off the auto stop-start system when the engine is dormant doesn’t allow it to turn back on. Instead, the driver is forced to turn the ignition off, put the selector back into park, turn the vehicle back on, and then drive off. It makes you look foolish at best, but it’s dangerous at worst to have a momentarily bricked car at a busy intersection.
Off-road, the inclusion of an auto-locking rear differential takes the decision away from the driver (or the chance to forget) and makes the Scorpio feel settled and capable off-road. Tyre diameter is relatively low, and ground clearance isn’t as good as others in the segment.
The traction-control system is good and operates well in tandem with the Eaton-sourced rear differential. However, there are some things to note here. The engagement of the rear differential, which locks automatically when a certain amount of wheel spin differential is generated, can feel clunky at times and cannot be permanently engaged for periods of time. So as you’re traversing rough country, rolling back and easing forward, it can frequently engage and disengage.
We also were surprised by a four-wheel-drive system that chose to go back into two-wheel drive at one stage, seemingly without any warning or notification.
Equally, the Watt’s linkage rear suspension and independent front suspension don’t carry the same kind of articulation as you’ll find elsewhere. The Ford Everest also utilises a Watt’s linkage rear suspension set-up, while just about everything else uses a five-link set-up with the ubiquitous panhard rod.
As we noted in our first drive, pay attention to the location of that AdBlue tank behind one of the rear wheels if you’re going hard off-road. Puncturing that could effectively bring the car to a halt.
What is the GWM Tank 300 like to drive?
The most pleasing thing about the Tank 300 is how smooth and comfortable the driving experience is, especially for something with potent off-road ability in its standard form.
For comparison’s sake, the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon – the most capable specification grade – can feel noisy and vague on the highway, which is something you tend to quickly forgive when you explore that incredible off-road ability.
While I’m not sure exactly how capable this Tank 300 is in direct comparison to a Wrangler off-road (more on that later), the levels of cohesion between engine, powertrain, suspension and steering are quite nice.
The ride quality of the Tank 300 does sit on the firmer end of the spectrum somewhat, and can feel a little busy over rougher suburban roads. Think of it as more like the tautness of a Toyota Fortuner than the floatiness of a LandCruiser Prado, if that makes sense.
The trade-off here, though, is good levels of body control and a nice, planted nature to the Tank 300 around town. Having a ladder chassis, relatively high kerb weight and centre of gravity means it’s not going to be as nice to drive as a Sportage or X-Trail, for example, but the Tank 300 does have nice manners for the most part.
A big part of those manners is the 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine, which offers a good amount of torque below 2000rpm for a relaxed sense of acceleration. There’s enough performance on offer without feeling particularly fast, but the strength of this engine is certainly the mid-range twist rather than any high-rev shenanigans.
For a vehicle like this, that is exactly what you want. The engine is quiet and refined as well, and something that comes to a petrol engine much more naturally than a diesel donk.
Off-road, the Tank 300 is more impressive. It’s not just about the locking differentials, as good as they are. More so, the Tank 300 felt quite stable and sure-footed in certain situations, handling side angles and ruts nicely. The five-link rear suspension – which uses a well-known panhard rod layout – is supple and articulates well.
The independent front suspension isn’t going to keep up with the live axle of a Wrangler for flex – swaybar disconnects or not – but at the same time it feels quite good. Once again, having locking differentials solves a lot of woes in this regard.
But with nice low-range gearing, good throttle calibration (a big improvement in comparison to the GWM Ute) and more traction than you can poke a stick at, the Tank 300 feels confident and easy to explore off-road.
We drove the Scorpio and Tank 300 back-to-back on some challenging obstacles, and we found the latter to be the better option. There was more traction and stability on offer, as well as better ground clearance.
Good quality Michelin Primacy SUV tyres are no doubt an important part of the Tank 300’s on-road competency, and they seemed like a decent off-road tyre to boot. But as is always the case, going for a more aggressive tyre and increasing the 30.5-inch rolling diameter would only improve this GWM off-road.
| Key details | 2023 Mahindra Scorpio Z8L | 2023 GWM Tank 300 Ultra |
| Engine | 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel | 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol |
| Power | 129kW @ 3500rpm | 162kW @ 5500rpm |
| Torque | 400Nm @ 1750–2750rpm | 380Nm @ 1800–3600rpm |
| Drive type | Part-time four-wheel drive, low-range transfer case, auto-locking rear differential |
Part-time four-wheel drive, low-range transfer case, front and rear locking differentials |
| Transmission | 6-speed torque converter automatic | 8-speed torque converter automatic |
| Power-to-weight ratio | 61.4kW/t | 75.2kW/t |
| Weight | 2100kg | 2155kg |
| Spare tyre type | Full-size | Full-size |
| Tow rating | 2500kg braked 750kg unbraked |
2500kg braked 750kg unbraked |
| Turning circle | 12.6m | 12.0m |
Should I buy a Mahindra Scorpio or a GWM Tank 300?
The value of the Scorpio is far and away its strongest asset, and Mahindra has come to the market with a properly competitive drive-away price to entice buyers into consideration.
It’s the cheaper option of this duo, and gives Australian buyers a credible brand-new option for much less than $50,000.
However, it has been comfortably beaten in this comparison by the more expensive Tank 300. Aside from having a thirstier powertrain, the GWM proved to be better on-road, better off-road, safer, and with a better executed, more practical interior.
So while there are still things to like about the Scorpio, it’s the Tank 300 that is a clear winner in this comparison.
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