When the Scorpio was launched a little over a decade ago, its manufacturer wanted its corporate brand to remain in the background.

Hence, the rear had a prominent ‘Scorpio’ embossed with a smaller ‘Mahindra’ placed quietly under it.

But, today, when the company launched the SsangYong Rexton, ‘By Mahindra’ was up boldly on the body.

“We have clearly come a long way since the Scorpio when we were taking a big leap forward in SUVs and were far more circumspect.

“Today, the Rexton carries the Mahindra endorsement which is about a top-class value proposition,” Pawan Goenka, President, Automotive & Farm Equipment Sectors, told Business Line .

Scorpio’s success

The ten years have seen a dramatic transformation at M&M. The Scorpio was a make-or-break product when it was conceived in the late-1990s.

M&M had parted ways with Ford and earmarked Rs 600 crore for this project.

The same company paid four times as much to acquire Korea’s SsangYong Motor last year.

The Scorpio was an instant success and signalled M&M’s arrival as a serious SUV player. Scorpio’s predecessor, Bolero, is its largest selling brand with monthly numbers of nearly 10,000 units.

The other products include the Xylo, the XUV500 and the recently launched Quanto.

SUV connect

Not too many people are aware of the SsangYong brand. Its association with a better known Indian company is, therefore, critical to its growth.

M&M’s core competence in the SUV space has established a strong connect with customers and helped build its brand over the years.

Synergies with SsangYong are expected to take the story to the next level.

Its CEO, Yoo-II Lee, said India would be the second largest export base for the company after Korea.

The Rexton will be the first part of a longer journey in this part of the world.

Both M&M and SsangYong are confident it will be a strong contender in the premium SUV segment.

>murali.gopalan@thehindu.co.in

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