Mahindra SA False advertising

Mahindra Scorpio-N — Advertised as 4x4, Dealer Now Says 4x2. One Month, No Resolution.

I responded to Mahindra SA's own online offer (offers.mahindra.co.za/offers/scorpio-n) for the Scorpio-N, which explicitly states:

"...boasting an impressive 129 kW of power and 400 Nm of torque, PLUS the 4XPLOR intelligent 4x4 system with selectable terrain modes and automatic rear differential-lock management... yours from just R5 299 per month, or R489 999..."*

That advert can only reasonably be read as a 4x4 offer at that price — 4XPLOR is Mahindra's own name for the vehicle's intelligent 4x4 system, and it's listed as an included feature, not an optional upgrade.

I contacted a dealer on the strength of this advert to purchase two vehicles. Over a month later, I'm now being told the vehicle at that price/spec is actually the 4x2, not the 4x4. If Mahindra intended the 4x4 system to be excluded or optional at that price point, the advert needed to say so clearly. It doesn't.

When I raised this directly with Mahindra SA, I was repeatedly redirected to WhatsApp support, where responses take up to 17 hours and consist of generic, copy-paste replies that don't engage with the actual question. A month in, I still don't have clarity, let alone my vehicles.

I want to be fair: from everything I can see, the Scorpio-N is a genuinely good vehicle, and that's exactly why I chose it. But this process is doing real damage to my confidence in the brand — if the advertising is this loose, what else isn't being disclosed?

What I want from Mahindra SA:

1. Written clarification on whether the advertised price/spec includes the 4x4 (4XPLOR) system or not. 2. If the advert was incorrect, honour the advertised terms or provide a clear, written resolution — not a redirect to WhatsApp. 3. A direct contact who can actually resolve this, not a queue.

If this isn't resolved at dealer/manufacturer level, note that unresolved complaints can be escalated to the Motor Industry Ombudsman of South Africa (MIOSA) — *** / *** — and this may also be a Consumer Protection Act misleading-advertising matter worth raising with the National Consumer Commission.