Do you know what common thread binds vehicles as poles apart as the Honda City, Maruti Wagon R, and Mahindra Bolero? All three are the oldest continuously produced vehicles of their respective segments. But even within this rather rare group, the Bolero stands apart. That\u2019s because apart from their names, there\u2019s nothing remotely connecting today\u2019s City and Wagon R to their debutante versions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, the Bolero sold today retains the same basic design as the one that debuted in 2000. What sounds like madness in theory has turned out to be magical in practice with the Bolero essentially becoming Mahindra\u2019s bread-and-butter model that finds thousands of takers every month across the country. What explains this love that India has for the Mahindra Bolero? We can think of five reasons.<\/p>\n\n\n
The Mahindra Bolero uses a body-on-frame, aka ladder frame, chassis where the body and powertrain are mounted on a ladder frame. This is unlike a monocoque chassis where the body and the powertrain are part of the chassis, resulting in a unibody construction. But the latter isn\u2019t as abuse-friendly as a ladder frame construction which can withstand a greater amount of torsional stress and uneven weight distribution for a long time without any hiccups. Along with a leaf spring rear suspension \u2013 a piece of tech mostly used by commercial vehicles \u2013 this helps the Bolero tackle the gnarliest terrains with a full, uneven load of people or cargo. <\/p>\n\n\n
Now the Mahindra Bolero is not exactly going to help you conduct a Zoom meeting while you sip a cuppa. But by ladder-frame standards, the Bolero\u2019s ride quality is surprisingly good over bad patches. And much to the delight of taxi and cargo operators, this ride only seems to get better with a heavier payload. Again, the credit here goes to the Bolero\u2019s front coil spring, rear leaf spring suspension and fat 215\/75 section tyres. Be it broken roads, no roads, slush, mud, sand, or even snow, the Bolero ploughs on while insulating its occupants from the harshness. <\/p>\n\n\n
Powering the Bolero is a sole 1.5-litre diesel engine that produces 76 PS of power and 210 Nm of torque, mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox. Though unimpressive on paper, there are two things that stand out about this powertrain. Firstly, it\u2019s quite refined for a 3-cylinder commercial vehicle diesel engine. Secondly, peak torque is produced between 1,600 – 2,200 RPM and there\u2019s adequate pulling power even at as low as 1,000 RPM. These factors endow the Bolero with immense driveability across terrains regardless of the payload, which frees up the driver from having to constantly work the gearbox. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Furthermore, the Bolero gets a stop-start system that automatically switches off the engine when the MUV comes to a halt, only to switch it on the moment the driver presses the clutch pedal. This tech, along with the engine\u2019s refined and torquey nature, make the Bolero quite frugal with a claimed mileage of around 16 kmpl. <\/p>\n\n\n
\u2018If it ain\u2019t broke, don\u2019t fix it\u2019 seems to be the mantra driving Mahindra\u2019s decision to keep the Bolero largely unchanged since its launch in 2000, save for law-mandated changes such as a cleaner engine and safety improvements. But even though breaking a Bolero is a monumental task, fixing it is easier still. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Credit for this \u2018easy to maintain\u2019 characteristic of the Bolero goes to the simple, even if dated, components used to put it together. From the barebones cabin where a Bluetooth audio system is the biggest feature to roughshod underpinnings, a basic powertrain, and minimal electronics, the Bolero might seem anachronistic in today\u2019s age of over-engineered, tech-laden cars. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The upside of this is that the Bolero is easily fixable, no matter which remote part of the country you\u2019re in. What makes the deal sweeter still is the low maintenance cost of the Bolero. Mahindra\u2019s cheap spare parts and wide service network ensure yearly service costs remain around Rs 4,000 – 6,000 for a mileage of 10,000 km\/year.<\/p>\n\n\n
Mahindra has been able to price the Bolero competitively at Rs 9.78 – 10.79 lakh (ex-showroom, New Delhi) since the MUV is 3995 mm long, undercutting the 4-meter mark by 5 mm and thereby qualifying for a lower GST rate. At this price, there\u2019s no other vehicle that can counter the Bolero\u2019s durability, reliability, fuel efficiency, driveability, serviceability, and space. The latter is especially important because although Bolero\u2019s official seating capacity is seven, it\u2019s not uncommon to see people in multiples of that number being ferried in the MUV. <\/p>\n\n\n
The sheer weight and popularity of the Bolero tag were illustrated with the launch of the Bolero Neo. Essentially a rebadged TUV300, the Bolero Neo is a modern take on the Bolero. But despite being a good car, the TUV300 wasn\u2019t received well in its first stint. However, in its second coming as a rebadged Bolero variant, the Neo\u2019s sales have turned a corner. A new car piggybacking on an over 20-year-old brand that continues to sell today – if that doesn\u2019t illustrate why India loves the Bolero, nothing can!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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