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The Mahindra Scorpio has gained active safety features – including autonomous emergency braking, lane-keep assist and adaptive cruise control – following new Australian regulations and its zero-star ANCAP rating.
The active safety features expected to be added to the 2026 Mahindra Scorpio off-road SUV in Australia later this year have been announced.
Mahindra has confirmed the Scorpio – called Scorpio-N in its Indian home market – will gain autonomous emergency braking (AEB), which will allow imports to resume for Australia following a temporary hiatus after the technology was mandated from March 1, 2025.
New stock of the Mahindra Scorpio without AEB – and a zero-star ANCAP safety rating handed down in 2023 – 'complied' in Australia before March 1 can continue to be sold.
"Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd is committed to adhering to all regulatory standards. We plan to introduce Scorpio with AEB in Australia by the end of this year," a spokesperson told Drive in February.
"We have adequate stocks in 6 & 7 seat Scorpio to see us through to that model update."
The AEB includes detection for other vehicles, along with pedestrians and cyclists, Mahindra says.
The lack of any crash-avoidance technology in the current Mahindra Scorpio resulted in it receiving a zero-star ANCAP safety rating in late 2023, with a safety assist score of 0 per cent and a vulnerable road-user protection rating of 23 per cent, making it ineligible for any stars.
In India, the Scorpio also receives lane-keep assist, lane departure warning, traffic sign recognition, automatic high beam, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go functionality, and leading vehicle departure warning.
It will not be standard-fit in India, with the four-wheel-drive diesel automatic Z8L ADAS with the active safety features costing around ₹106,000 ($AU1900) more than a base Z8T version, though it also includes more standard equipment.
Additionally, Mahindra has added ventilated front seats, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, and a gloss-black centre console to the Scorpio in India, which could also become available in Australia.
A seven-seat configuration was recently added to the flagship Scorpio Z8L in Australia, replacing the previous six-seat configuration with second-row captain's chairs, which the base Z8 retains.
The Mahindra Scorpio is currently priced between $41,990 and $46,990 drive-away in Australia. Mahindra Australia does not report its sales figures, unlike most car brands.
Jordan is a motoring journalist based in Melbourne with a lifelong passion for cars. He has been surrounded by classic Fords and Holdens, brand-new cars, and everything in between from birth, with his parents’ owning an automotive workshop in regional Victoria. Jordan started writing about cars in 2021, and joined the Drive team in 2024.
