Mahindra is targeting a more than doubling of India’s lifestyle pick-up market to close to 10,000 units annually over the next few years from roughly 4,000-4,500 units now, as it prepares to launch the Scorpio Lifestyler by April 2027 at a starting price below ₹19.79 lakh, substantially undercutting the Toyota Hilux
India will also be among the first markets globally to get the new pick-up alongside South Africa and Australia, putting the domestic market at the front end of Mahindra’s global rollout
Rajesh Jejurikar, Executive Director and CEO (Auto and Farm Sector), Mahindra & Mahindra, told businessline on the sidelines of the unveiling that this is the first time Mahindra is undertaking such a rollout, with India, South Africa and Australia forming the initial group of launch markets
“This is a car we have produced for global standards. The market for it is primarily outside India, but we also think this is the right time to bring it to India as well,” Nalinikanth Gollagunta, CEO, Automotive Division, Mahindra & Mahindra, told businessline
Mahindra believes the opportunity lies in expanding the category rather than merely taking share from existing players
“We in Mahindra believe that we have to go build this category, we have to go grow the category, we have to get the right products with the right feature set and right value proposition as well,” Gollagunta said
“I’m not necessarily looking at what the segment looks like at this point in time. I’m looking at ways to grow the segment.”
For the market to reach close to 10,000 units, the category would need another 5,500-6,000 annual sales, equivalent to roughly 450-500 additional vehicles every month
Mahindra expects changing lifestyles to provide that demand. Gollagunta sees potential buyers ranging from professionals in their 30s interested in fishing, camping and overlanding to entrepreneurs, contractors, retirees and estate owners seeking a vehicle capable of combining work, utility and recreation
“Whenever we’re looking at where we see customers starting to create a new set of preferences, new lifestyles, we try to get in a little bit early. You can’t be too early, but you can’t be late as well,” he said
Sub-₹20-lakh disruption
Price could be Mahindra’s biggest lever. The Toyota Hilux, which dominates the category, is priced at roughly ₹30.4-37.9 lakh ex-showroom. The Scorpio Lifestyler’s announced starting price below ₹19.79 lakh puts its entry point more than ₹10 lakh below the Hilux
That could bring lifestyle pick-ups within reach of customers shopping in the much larger ₹20-30 lakh premium-SUV market
The Hilux sold about 3,740 units over the past 12 months, accounting for an estimated 85-90 per cent of lifestyle pick-up sales. Isuzu, which pioneered the lifestyle double-cab proposition in India with the D-Max V-Cross, is estimated to sell around 30-60 pick-ups monthly
Together, Toyota and Isuzu put the existing market at roughly 4,000-4,500 vehicles annually
The competitive progression is becoming clearer: Isuzu pioneered the lifestyle pick-up proposition, Toyota premiumised and expanded it with the Hilux, while Mahindra is attempting to take it closer to mainstream premium-SUV buyers through a sub-₹20-lakh entry point and SUV-like technology, safety and comfort
Large dimensions, urban manoeuvrability and the inherent compromises of a pick-up compared with an SUV could, however, remain barriers to rapid adoption
Made in India, for the world
First showcased as the Global Pik Up concept in Cape Town in August 2023, the vehicle will be called Scorpio Lifestyler in India and Mahindra Lifestyler internationally
Designed in Mumbai and developed at Mahindra Research Valley in Chennai on a next-generation body-on-frame architecture, it has been conceived from the outset as a global product. Beyond the initial India, South Africa and Australia rollout, Mahindra is targeting New Zealand, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America
The company showcased three expressions, Valley, Reef and Trail, spanning work and leisure, outdoor exploration and adventure
“We’re 1.4 billion people; there are a million different lifestyles,” Gollagunta said. “Our point is we want to make different cars which a set of people fall in love with.”
Published on August 15, 2026
Companies to follow
- Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd
