2020 Mahindra Scorpio Prototype Catches Fire During Testing

A test mule of the 2020 Mahindra Scorpio has been snapped catching fire on the outskirts of Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It is yet to be known if anyone was injured in the fire, but we at ZigWheels certainly hope that was not the case. Mahindra has been actively testing the Scorpio across Tamil Nadu. Seeing the test mule here, it looks like three factors could be involved in the unfortunate incident. Here’s what we think happened:

Accidents:

This is one of the likeliest reasons for this unfortunate mishap. Manufacturers usually test their vehicle at high speeds. Considering India’s poor highway safety record, there are high chances that the test mule seen here met with an accident. Most modern cars come with a trip function to cut fuel supply to the engine to prevent a fire accident. But seeing as this is a prototype, the function may not have been active. Even in production vehicles, the trip may malfunction sometimes.

Note: Spy shot from previous story.

Short Circuit:

Another reason for a fire accident in almost all cars is a short circuit. There are plenty of factors this could happen since it involves wiring and electricity. But the notable ones include poor wire quality and poor installation of the wiring harness, rat bites (a big threat for all cars) and naked wires lying out exposed. A quick tip for all car owners is to ensure that any wiring related problems is swiftly taken care of to avoid any unfortunate incidents like this.

Engine Or Components Malfunction:

Engine or component malfunction could have also played a role here. Manufacturers generally test various components from different original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). Certain components in the car could be running on high stress for this unfortunate incident to occur. You can also notice that the front suspension of this test mule has collapsed.

Note: Spy shot from previous story.

Whatever may have been the cause, it is quite fortunate that this incident occurred during the testing phase of the 2020 Mahindra Scorpio. We hope that Mahindra identifies the cause for the fire. The 2020 Scorpio will be larger than the existing model and will feature an evolutionary design with typical Mahindra design elements. It is also expected to come with its new BS6-compliant 2.0-litre diesel and petrol powertrains.

We expect to see the next-gen Scorpio at the Auto Expo 2020.