XUV700 Ebony Or Scorpio N Carbon? The Mahindra Dark Edition SUVs Compared In-Depth

Talk about great road presence, and the Mahindra XUV700 and Scorpio N are sure to pop up in your mind. Interestingly, the Indian marque has recently introduced the trending Dark Editions for both these SUVs, namely the Ebony and Carbon editions respectively. These special editions feature several design alterations with plenty of blacked-out elements, differentiating them from their standard counterparts. That said, let’s take a quick rundown of the differences between the two SUVs in their Black Editions below.

Design

Both SUVs were already available in black shades before these special editions. The XUV700 Ebony comes in Stealth Black, which has a shinier finish than the standard Napoli black, while the Scorpio N, typically offered in stealth black, gets a metallic black hue for the Carbon Edition.

At the front, there are minimal changes. The XUV700 Ebony Edition features a silver skidplate compared to the blacked-out unit in the Scorpio N Carbon. While the latter gets more chrome elements in its grille, the Ebony has a darker grille. The XUV700 Ebony continues to feature its signature C-shaped DRLs which makes it look more appealing.

From the side, both SUVs ride on 18-inch blacked-out alloy wheels, and they share blacked-out roof rails as well. A key difference is that the XUV700 Ebony has flush-type door handles, whereas the Scorpio N Carbon sticks to traditional handles.

At the rear, there are no major design changes too. Both SUVs retain their LED lighting elements. The XUV700 continues with its wraparound LED taillights, roof-mounted spoiler, shark-fin antenna, and rear washer and wiper, all carried over from the standard model. The Scorpio N Carbon gets black inserts in its taillamps, which is different from the Ebony.

Interior

The Mahindra XUV700 Ebony and Scorpio N Carbon both feature an all-black interior theme with dark chrome accents, but they differ in execution and detailing.

The XUV700 Ebony’s cabin follows an all-black theme with contrasting silver stitching on the black leatherette seats. You can find gloss black elements being extensively used across the cabin. Additionally, the AC vent surrounds, steering wheel, and AC knobs get highlighted by silver finishes and dark chrome accents. To balance the dark theme, Mahindra has opted for a light grey ceiling, which helps keep the cabin feeling airy and spacious.

 In contrast, the Scorpio N Carbon’s interior retains a black and grey upholstery that looks different from that of the XUV700. The dashboard design remains the same as the standard model but gets plenty of silver surrounds on the centre console, AC vents, and door handles.  

Unlike the XUV700 Ebony, the Scorpio N Carbon does not have a lot of gloss piano black elements or a light-coloured rooftop to contrast the dark theme.

Features

The Mahindra XUV700 Ebony and the Scorpio N are both based on the top-spec variants of their respective standard models, hence carrying all the bells and whistles that come along. They share comfort and convenience features like dual-zone climate control, ventilated front seats and a wireless phone charger.  

What differs is that the XUV700 Ebony, being based on the top-spec variant, comes with a larger 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a 10.25-inch digital driver display, a panoramic sunroof, a powered driver’s seat with memory function, and level-2 ADAS for. 

In contrast, the Scorpio N Carbon gets a smaller 8-inch instrument cluster, a 12-speaker Sony sound system, and a 6-way power-adjustable driver’s seat. It lacks ADAS and has 6 airbags instead of the XUV700’s 7 airbags. Some other shared safety features include ABS with EBD, a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), electronic stability control (ESC) and front and rear parking sensors.

Powertrain

The Mahindra XUV700 Ebony and Scorpio N Carbon both do not have any changes under the hoods. They share a turbo petrol and a diesel engine option, both paired with either of 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic transmission.

The Mahindra XUV700 Ebony however can be had with a front-wheel drive option only while the Scorpio N Carbon can be had with both rear-wheel and all-wheel drive options. It generates a little more power than the XUV700 with the turbo-petrol unit but falls short of the XUV700 Ebony in all the other parameters.

Price And Rivals

The Mahindra XUV700 Ebony Edition is priced from Rs 19.64 lakh to Rs 24.14 lakh (ex-showroom) while the Mahindra Scorpio N Carbon Edition can be had at prices between Rs 19.19 lakh to Rs 24.89 lakh (ex-showroom). 

Both these SUVs are essentially not direct rivals. The XUV700 takes on the likes of MG Hector Plus Blackstorm and Tata Safari Dark while the Scorpio N also competes the same along with being a body-on-frame alternative to compact SUVs such as the Maruti Grand Vitara, Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Honda Elevate and Volkswagen Taigun.

The XUV700 Ebony is for those who want a premium, feature-packed SUV with a stealthy and sinister look. The Scorpio N Carbon, on the other hand, offers a more rugged and menacing look with a rather simpler and practical interior. 

So will you choose the XUV700 for luxury, or the Scorpio N for toughness? Let us know in the comments below.