[luvtandon]

Many congratulations on the acquisition of your new Bol”D”ero JKDS. Wishing you many a happy on road and off-road miles with your Baba. Yours is a well written initial ownership experience and wish it continues like this while you clock up kilometer after kilometer.

[JKDS]

Its been a really long, long time now since my last post. Meanwhile,



Since my last post, I've undertaken changes (literally!) to the BolDero (that's what I fondly call it) both to the interior (extensive) as also to the exterior (not so extensive, although changes are on the drawing board now). I list them out as they were carried out.

Soon after I took delivery (which was at 1924 KMs on the clock, reasons whereof I've already explained in my OP), I crossed the 2200 KMs mark, and I took the BolDero to the Royal Motors Service Center, and got the engine oil flushed and changed alongwith connected parts (as was suggested, to get the metal slivers out from the engine). Service at 2296 KMs on the clock, with Rs. 117.98 as Labour and Rs. 2001/- for parts. Here's where I came to learn that Mahindra uses fully synthetic engine oil (so that makes the completion of running-in of the engine delayed).

I was so happy with the BolDero and the treatment I got due to it on the roads of Kolkata that I still prefer to drive it over the SX4 anyday. Not that the SX4's a bad car or that I am unhappy with it, but the BolDero's the BolDero! :-D Here's where I realised that the stock headlamps were a bit unfulfilling for my needs, so changed the headlamp setup from stock to initially the Hella wiring harness and Hella 100/90W H4s (which were then shifted to the SX4) and the BolDero got the Philips wiring harness with relay and Ceramic Holders and 130/100W H4s, and since then, no complaints, be it driving in incessant rain, highways, foggy mornings or in-city roads. In city limits though, in the event I require more illumination, I always switch the headlamps to high beam after setting the leveller to Level 2. That gives me much, much more illumination up front without blinding the oncoming traffic, especially the lower GC cars. Unfortunately, I don't have before- and after- pictures of the illumination increase, but to me, it seems atleast 2X.
Here are the pictures of WIP during fitment :

The guard before it is opened :


And after it is opened :


The headlamp assembly :


The bulbs and the harness (note the ceramic holders) :








Fitment in progress :




The wiring route and the relays :






Also, the extreme want of a dashcam, in addition to extreme financial exigencies, plus the presence of an old Android smartphone at home, led to me purchasing the Caroo Pro app, and another windscreen-phone-mount (set me back by Rs.150/-), and voila! I had my own dashcam ready and set up to be used! The Caroo Pro has a plethora of useful features, and all that I need to do is to switch on the phone at the start of the drive. Here's a sample video :

https://youtu.be/pMSvMi42c3M

I can't recall if I've stated this in my OP, but almost a month or two after the BolDero came home, we had a family trip to Digha with two infants, so had to get the AC installed in the BolDero super quickly and super reliably. So landed one fine morning at Daga Autolek at Exide crossing (right opposite Calcutta Club, and beside Exide building), and two days and close to Rs. 30,000/- later, had a very reliable and steady AC system installed. Till date, it has worked marvellously! The only gripe here is that the Bolero LX does not have the system in the blower unit to shift between Hot and Cold air (as was explained by Mr. Daga), and the part required to be sourced after-market was not readily available, fixing a heater would not be possible. It didn't really matter then, because I didn't have any hilltrips planned. May be later.
Here are the pictures :















The all-important gap between the belts, ensuring they don't snap due to inter-belt contact and resultant friction :





The final assembly :



The On-Off - & - Thermostat knob :



The piping :



The entire engine bay after all was completed :

[JKDS]

There arose one other problem from the fitment, though, and a serious one at that! One fine morning, when I reached work, I saw coolant fluid dripping from sides of the bonnet. Opened the bonnet, and to my surprise, found the entire engine bay covered in coolant fluid spray! Almost had a heart attack, but could not find the source of the leak then. A day later, found this :



That happened because of the compressor rotor was brushing against the pipe carrying the coolant from the radiator to the engine block, and eroding it to a very minute and well-hidden leak. The leak surfaced when the pressure increased. Immediately had it changed, and made another JUGAAD to keep such further incidents at bay. See below :





Since then, by Almighty's Grace, had smooth sailing!

Meanwhile, a family trip on the occassion of a mannat puja before Ma Tara at Tarapith came up, which is further down the road from Santiniketan – Bolpur. I was completely unsure about the route, and honestly, reposed no faith in Google Maps, especially since the last time it showed me an existent road through a pond and a few houses! Asked around, and I was pointed at MayMyIndia Navimaps, a freemium navigation app. The first seven days were free, and after that, Rs. 600/- for offline life-time navigation in India, and another Rs.300/- for Nepal. Why not give it a shot? So downloaded and installed it in a Lenovo A1000 tablet (2G + GPS), and not even a single hitch in the entire ~500KMs journey! Pin-pointed location, quick GPS Fix, and showed even the lesser known roads! Definitely a huge plus for me, so bought it after the expiry of the free period. The Lenovo A1000 tablet-turned-Dedicated Offline GPS device was set up on the dashboard with its hard cover affixed with 3M tape, so that only the cover remains while I can remove the tablet easily and fix it back too, when I leave the car at the Service Center or any garage.
Also installed a dashboard cover from CarMate to cut any reflections, and it turned out to be really useful too. Here, let me add some pictures of the entire interior setup :







As already stated in my OP, the Pioneer MVH-X169UI HU is complemented by WorldTech headrest screens and PowerBass 4” Co-Axials up front, and similar 5.25” Co-Axials in the rear. While driving though, trying to change the songs through the HU interface or the remote control is very distracting and cumbersome, especially while driving alone, so got the Pioneer CD-SR100 Steering Remote for the HU, and trust me, that turned out to be one of the most useful additions to the BolDero, especially since I was used to the Steering Remote on the SX4. Here's a picture of it :



While this was being done, the BolDero has had 4 trips out-station; 2 to Digha, 1 to Mandarmani, and 1 to Tarapith. Plus, it has had 2 soft-roading sessions at a place we fondly call Shukno Pukur a.k.a. SP. Teammate BlackPearl and Psurelia have several videos of the place uploaded on YouTube and shared here, especially on the thread discussing the ability of the Duster AWD to scale the heights of Sandakphu. Some pictures of that :

To Tarapith, the Abode of Ma Tara :






At the SVCCR, 2015, the BolDero in action as the escort vehicle of my Senior's 1939 Adler Trumpf Junior :




With BlackPearl's Bolero :



At an unofficial soft-roading session :




Brothers, again! :



During my numerous runs both in-city and out, I realised that no one uses the rear jump seats, and that I do not have any use for the same. In any event, if need be, all it takes is getting 8 bolts screwed in. So have taken off the rear jump seats, just to get some more linear space (as pictured above). I do have some more changes to the seating arrangement planned out, especially since the rear seat does not fold flat, but more of that later once it materialises.

Apart from the above, there are two changes I made to the exterior; one is fitting two pairs of auxillary driving lights (local make) up front in case of any emergent use, and the second being relocating the number plate. A few days ago, I saw the number plate tilted on its right side. Closer inspection revealed that the rivet used by the Transport Authorities while fixing the HSNP had rusted and broken off. I also stumbled upon several TLs and Reviews on the Bolero where I found that the first thing to take a hit is the number plate. So the local garage drilled in two holes on the rear door (Size – 10) and with the help of a treated and painted plank of wood, fixed the number plate like this :



Now that's a solution (so it seems now!) to the problem that has plagued many!

That's more or less the sum and substance of the changes and modifications I've made to the BolDero, with several others being planned as also planned out and awaiting execution. I shall take things one at a time, since I humbly yet sincerely pray to Almighty that the BolDero sticks by me always! :-)

(That's my SX4 in the background, by the way!)



Till then, stay safe, drive lots, God Bless and keep revving!

[Samfromindia]

Excellent review JKDS. Bolero LX 4x4 seems to be a very economical & practical buy. I guess no other Bolero has so many LCD screens inside like yours The mileage is pretty impressive too. Time to take her to the hills and unleash the 4x4 !

[AJ-got-BHP]

Excellent write up with some excellent detailed pictures there JKDS. Also, the recent mods that you have done to the Bolero is a stand out to the other common commuting Boleros.

However, in the last pic uploaded by you, I notice the Plastic Cladding over the Front & Rear Wheel Arches have gone off. Am I Correct ? Though the Tyres jutting out from the fenders looks pretty cool this way.

Keep updating the thread and definitely plan to hit the hills sooner than later and get the 4x4 going your way to enjoy the Bolero further to the fullest on the Himalayas

[dieselhead]

Originally Posted by JKDS

Hi Sudi!

I'll send you a PM with that information. In a nutshell, though, it helps immensely if you have e-mail addresses of the higher-ups in Mahindra's Automotive Sector. But even before that, you have to ascertain through your friends there which dealer usually deals more with the Government orders. Then you would have to work your way through. Your dealer in Mysore may be pushing you for the margin on the Thar and the probable hassles on its part to procure a one-off LX 4x4.

Please include me in your PM as I would also be interested for a LX in Bhubaneswar Odisha.

[predatorwheelz]

A lot of water flowed under the bridge since JKDS' last post. He relocated to Delhi, and BolDero did the Kolkata-Delhi route thrice in a space of just over a month. The last trip was with a lot of luggage and household goods, something which JKDS can better elaborate on.

Once in Delhi, he came in contact with the notorious bhpian duo of great SS-Traveller and Predatorwheelz. In fact, he settled very close to where the latter lives, found out their fathers were childhood friends, and frequent meetings meant they became good friends and decided to trips together. Thats when a Binsar trip happened in November. JKDS insisted that we let BolDero earn some highway miles. And here I switch the narrative to first person.

I have driven most modern UVs/SUVs, including the bare bones Gypsy and Gurkha, but somehow never the Bolero. The first trip with BolDero intrigued me.

Good points first. I loved the DI engine's torque in the hills. A wide band of torque, not messed up by the ECU regulating fuel supply to the engine (CRDI owners will know what I'm talking about) allowing you to do even sharp climbs from standstill with part throttle. The vehicle platform itself was capable of taking a lot of abuse, as it did over the trip. We even took the car up a steep private road without permission, just to experience how it performs with 4wd engaged.

Having owned a Mark II Ambasador and a non-turbo Indica before, I didn't have a problem with the lack of acceleration. It was a back-to-basics drive experience on the highway, where you allow a heavy vehicle to reach higher speeds, but once its at 90-100 it cruises comfortably. In crowded little towns the bikes/autos/Tata Aces give way when they see a Bolero pulling up in their RVM, which is something a sedan owner doesn't experience on a daily basis.

But now the bad points. I found the car an ergonomic disaster, and I hereby declare that everything JKDS has written in the below paragraph is crap!

Originally Posted by JKDS

About the front seats, I was under the impression during the extended TD sessions that the seat lacks any kind of under-thigh support. But after clocking ~400 KMs on the ODO and adjusting the front seat's placement and recline, it's now more to my liking (I'm at 5'11", by the way) and no issue with the under-thigh support. That's with another 5'9" person's adequate leg space kept in the mid-row seat well. For shorter people, things should be easier. About the mid-row seats, no issue at all. Adequate lumbar and under-thigh supports ensure that long journeys can be undertaken without any issues. I believe Mahindra may have finally taken all the suggestions and/or reviews and/or criticisms about the mid-row seats and improved them.

The front seats were totally worthless and lacked any kind of under thigh support. When you sit, all the pressure was on your bum and tail-bone. In addition, to liberate legroom at the rear, Mahindra had restricted the movement of the front seat. So when a 6'2" person weighing 100 kgs (me, me!) took the driving seat, he was cramped for legroom and had to sit in a knees-up-and-splayed-apart position, further putting pressure on the tail bone. On the way back from Binsar, initial bravado made me drive about 320kms (out of a total 400) and then we stopped for fuel. Got down from the car, to realize my right thigh and lower back were in severe pain and I was walking like a paralysed man. Promptly handed over the keys to JKDS for the rest of the journey!

The rear seats were not much better either. Restricted legroom, no UTS, and the jarring ride from the leaf springs meant my friends (who had accompanied us for the journey) needed a spa treatment the day after. City slickers, I tell you!

Jokes apart, it was clear that if BolDero was to be the choice for future journeys, the seats needed to go. And here began:

The Perch Conundrum

The choice was between re-padding the seats or replacing them with Innova seats. The latter proved a more difficult choice. We couldn't get them from Toyota ASS as they needed a vehicle number (obviously an Innova) to fill the indent when ordering for the seats. They were also pretty expensive. As of then we couldn't find anyone selling scrap Innova seats. I guess Innovas just run and run and don't get scrapped.

For repadding I contacted my reliable parts supplier, who contacted his seat guy. The latter simply wiled away 2 weeks saying he'd give us a quote, but nothing materialized. Then SST got into the act. With his contacts, we found a good guy in VK. He offered the following jobs:

1. Replacement of the front seats with Tata Safari front seats. He said the base of the front seats was so spartan that there was only so much we could do with repadding them.

2. Shifting the rear seats back about 6" on their rails to liberate more legroom.

3. Repadding the rear seats to liberate more UTS.

4. Giving respectable seat covers.

The price which he quoted was a steal, so we agreed. And after a day's work, this is what we had.



Here's a side view of the seats. I have also attached a view of the stock seats for comparison.



One can see that the new seats come with much better UTS. The ergonomic shape, the height adjust and the armrests only add to the comfort factor.



Now the rear seats. Notice the gap between the headrests and seat belt mounts, and you'll get an idea of how much the rear seat has been pushed back.



2 6-footers can now sit behind each other. Admittedly, the repositioning of the front seats has now made ingress into the rear a bit tricky. Luggage space has not been sacrificed much, and there's still enough space to pack a family's luggage for a week.



Overall, the comfort factor has improved by miles. We did another Binsar trip this weekend, and the comfortable seats ensured none of us were fatigued at the end of it. Even the effect of the leaf sprung ride is absorbed a bit due to better cushioning.



Bull Run

What is an off road vehicle without off road armour? This was a question perched in JKDS' head for some time. On the first Binsar trip his front bumper had an unwelcome brush with an errant trucker. Probably that accelerated his desire to get a proper bull bar. He was impressed with the quality that Prad4X4 were offering for the price, and he chose the model that comes with front bull bar and winch mounts.



The bumper indeed changes the look of the vehicle. The added weight at the front has also improved handling a tad. I personally love the 2 fog lights supplied with the bumper. Though not much spread, they have very strong spot lighting. I have driven the vehicle around the city one whole evening only using these and without the headlights. They came to good use at the end of our recent Binsar trip too, when we faced strong fog just before Delhi.

Note: The exposed wiring you see in the pics has hence been taken care of.



The Milestone

And just 2 days back, 13 months from purchase, BolDero completed the 25K kms mark. Phenomenal, and our joint efforts to make this into an expedition vehicle should ensure many more miles get clocked in future years.



There is a whole list of improvements we have thought out, but I will leave JKDS to elaborate on them, should he choose to do so and lot leave them as a surprise for future posts!

For now, here's a pic of the owner.



And myself. This should serve as a warning to SUV owners. Don't let friends take matters too much into their own hands, or they'll bombard your ownership thread, take liberties with your ride, and even post cool pics with it to show off.

[BlackPearl]

Excellent modifications Basu and Aniket and thanks for posting it here. The options to modify the Bolero are endless and I am happy that you guys are taking it forward. My eternal money crunch does not allow my to do anything on my Bolero LX 4WD except for changing the alloys and bigger tyres .
I really don't understand why Mahindra neglects this segment inspite of so many 4WD Boleros and Pickups being sold in the country, specially in the hilly regions. A factory fitted AC, a bit more powerful engine and some additional creature comforts could do wonders for this platform. Though people might laugh at me but I feel that Bolero 4WD with its simple and rugged nature can be called the Poor Man's Defender. I hope and wish that the banker and the advocate will join hands to make further modifications to the Boldero and take it to places where no other Bolero has been.

[Torqy]

Originally Posted by JKDS

That happened because of the compressor rotor was brushing against the A few days ago, I saw the number plate tilted on its right side. Closer inspection revealed that the rivet used by the Transport Authorities while fixing the HSNP had rusted and broken off. I also stumbled upon several TLs and Reviews on the Bolero where I found that the first thing to take a hit is the number plate. So the local garage drilled in two holes on the rear door (Size – 10) and with the help of a treated and painted plank of wood, fixed the number plate like this :

Attachment 1383427

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/attach...1224wa0029.jpg

^^ Isn't this a better place to fix the number plate?

[JKDS]

As Predatorwheelz aptly put, a lot of water has indeed flowed! I underwent the paradigm shift of relocating to New Delhi from Kolkata, my hometown, which exposed me to a new way of life, new place, new people, and a new meaning of weekend travels, too (as another BHPian told me that with the frequent trips to Binsar over normal weekends, me and Predatorwheelz were re-defining weekend travelling! **big-grin**) !

This also made me realize how much I love Pegasus (yes, BolDero's been rechristened, thanks to my recent trysts with a bit of Greek mythology), so much so that to avoid Pegasus being subjected to public mercy while being parked on the road when I shifted to Delhi, I shifted rentals within a fortnight to Dwarka, to ensure that Pegasus gets it's own parking area, is taken care of regularly, and prying eyes and hands stay off!

This, though, had another upside. It put me in stone's throw distance to a Distinguished-BHPian and a Senior-BHPian, and one can only imagine the benefits of that! So now, for every issue, or rather non-issues even, I would pester them to almost my ends, where somehow, every time, sense prevailed, and saw me saved from being hung up in Pegasus's rear, and seeing the world from a wholly different perspective! I really thank SS-Traveller and Predatorwheelz for patiently addressing my incessant questions and naive ideas, and setting me right wherever I mis-stepped.

As is already been displayed, the credit for getting Pegasus's seats done and sprucing it up, and relocating the rear seat by around 6” to provide adequate rear legroom, goes entirely to SS-Traveller and Predatorwheelz, where both devoted a Sunday to get things fitted, tested and working on Pegasus! The treat's still pending, though!

Now, since September last, Pegasus has done three trips to and from Kolkata, and has also done two weekend travels to Binsar (I'm still writing those travelogues, though!), and is now 25,000 KMs old. The first trip was with AJ-got-BHP, Samba, Avrendu, and a few others, when they were going to Ladakh (Their wonderfully documented travelogue here : http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...r-kolkata.html) and was extremely eventful, where while nearing Benaras, the auxillary lamp wires caught fire due to a cause not attributable to Pegasus, but the quality of the wires used, and the brotherhood of all the members of the trip ensured that issues were addressed instantly, the non-functional AC, horn and headlights made working againThe last trip from Kolkata to Delhi saw Pegasus carrying a load of books and home appliances stuffed to the ceiling, and two passengers, and another 10 bags of clothes up top (Thank you for the carrier, BlackPearl!) over a period of two days, without a single hiccup! This trip included a night over each at Benaras, and Agra, in the old seats, though. That made me realize what the word “workhorse” truly means. One up for Pegasus!

Pegasus also saw us through the two trips to Binsar, the first where we paid homage at the Jageshwar Temple Complex and the Vriddh Jageshwar Temple, and the second, where we hiked till the Zero Point in the Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary, without a single issue (okay, except a puncture, that is). All this is in addition to the daily running it does within Delhi. This brings me to the topic of this post.

After having driven Pegasus single-handedly (well, mostly) for ~25400 Kms now, I can say the following :

a. The car is very, very solidly built, and lives up to the Jeep saying – “Your car may go fast, but mine can go anywhere”,

b. The absence of any fancy electronics is a real boon, starting from the “Welcome to your Bolero” recorded rant to the 4x4 to the engine, where nothing can go wrong due to tripped wires, and if something goes wrong, its easy to resolve,

c. Overlook top speed, and you have got yourself a wonderful cruiser, with FE figures hovering around 10KMpL in city, and 12 – 13 KMpL on the highways (c'mon! It's a 2523 cc engine after all!),

d. The addition of the 4x4 TC in the LX model only accentuates an already great vehicle, and adds a prowess to take on obstacles which would otherwise make laymen like me stop and think. For example, just for the fun of it, I engaged 4H on a mild incline to the Wildlife sanctuary, and Pegasus climbed on 2nd without any throttle input. Comparison, you say? Also did try with 2H, which did require normal throttle inputs.

e. Let's not talk about comfort in the stock form – it's an alien word. But yes, Mahindra makes awesome project vehicles, and this one is such. Tweak around a bit with the rear leaves, and change / spruce up the seats, and trust me, that will definitely do a world of good to the overall comfort of the car (Trust me on this! Predatorwheelz drove between Binsar and ~Josiya Dhuna, where I wrestled Pegasus from him, and then again from Gajraula till home, he was so impressed with the seats!)

f. The stock Maxxis 751s are great for all-round use. I have personally experienced it giving great grip on wet roads, as also rocky or gravel-type inclines, some quite steep, too! Even after 25000 Kms, half of the tread's still left, so I'm counting another 20000 KMs atleast with them.

g. The low – end torque is superb! I recall Predatorwheelz and me getting into a very informative (for me, of course!) conversation about the CRDi engine's behaviour (experienced through Predator) and the difference with Pegasus's power delivery in the lower RPM ranges. The car merrily chugged along the inclines with very normal throttle inputs, without breaking a sweat.

h. Let us also not talk about aerodynamics of the vehicle. Hit with it about 105-110 KMpH on the highways (yes, it does touch such speeds), and FE will drop drastically! About that, the stock car (I've not changed the tyres yet, nor recalibrated the speedometer) has ~10% speedo – error.

i. There's no extra security features that comes in the LX model, except the immobilizer, so a gear lock, or a GPS tracker is highly recommended, the car being a Bolero. I, though, slot the car in N when I park it.

j. The car is ideal for 5 people with space for loads of luggage, especially after modifying the seats. The rear jump seats are, in my opinion, not fit for even kids. They will be so sick with all that bouncing around in the stock vehicle, they are better off in the middle row, or even on laps, if need be.

There! I have tried my bit in summarizing my review of Pegasus after 25000 Kms. I only pray that I can do justice to the vehicle by taking it places where it is capable of going, and gobbling up numbers on the odometer while I am at it! **bigger-grin!**

[BlackPearl]

Originally Posted by JKDS

The last trip from Kolkata to Delhi saw Pegasus carrying a load of books and home appliances stuffed to the ceiling, and two passengers, and another 10 bags of clothes up top (Thank you for the carrier, BlackPearl!) over a period of two days, without a single hiccup! This trip included a night over each at Benaras, and Agra, in the old seats, though. That made me realize what the word “workhorse” truly means. One up for Pegasus!

Good to know that the carrier was put to good use and please no thanks for it. It was lying around since 2012 with no possibility of being in used future, unless I shift base as well!

Originally Posted by JKDS

d. The addition of the 4x4 TC in the LX model only accentuates an already great vehicle, and adds a prowess to take on obstacles which would otherwise make laymen like me stop and think. For example, just for the fun of it, I engaged 4H on a mild incline to the Wildlife sanctuary, and Pegasus climbed on 2nd without any throttle input. Comparison, you say? Also did try with 2H, which did require normal throttle inputs.

I have a query here - there is no mechanical advantage between 2H and 4H, whereas in 4L there is mechanical advantage. So why did the vehicle climb in 4H without throttle input whereas 2H needed it?

Originally Posted by JKDS

e. Let's not talk about comfort in the stock form – it's an alien word. But yes, Mahindra makes awesome project vehicles, and this one is such. Tweak around a bit with the rear leaves, and change / spruce up the seats, and trust me, that will definitely do a world of good to the overall comfort of the car (Trust me on this! Predatorwheelz drove between Binsar and ~Josiya Dhuna, where I wrestled Pegasus from him, and then again from Gajraula till home, he was so impressed with the seats!)

I am tempted now

Originally Posted by JKDS

There! I have tried my bit in summarizing my review of Pegasus after 25000 Kms. I only pray that I can do justice to the vehicle by taking it places where it is capable of going, and gobbling up numbers on the odometer while I am at it! **bigger-grin!**

Excellent summary JKDS, wish you many more miles of happiness with Pegasus!

[JKDS]

Originally Posted by BlackPearl

I have a query here - there is no mechanical advantage between 2H and 4H, whereas in 4L there is mechanical advantage. So why did the vehicle climb in 4H without throttle input whereas 2H needed it?

I would give it to the extra traction available because the front wheels get powered up. To be honest, I am still experimenting with Pegasus, as this is my first 4x4 vehicle, and I consider myself to be naive still. So still learning. I request the seniors to kindly shed light on this if I am misplaced. Thanks!

[ringoism]

Can anyone confirm present availability of the LX / Plus 4x4 (June 2016)?

There's an NGO here that had me looking into 4x4 vehicle options to replace their battered 25-year-old Commander (750?) DP... checked the M&M website which shows a couple of 4x4 Bolero options (LX, Plus), and stopped by the Mahindra showroom in Prini (H.P.) to check on pricing.

Was shocked to be told there that as of 3-4 months ago, production of the 4x4 LX and 4x4 Bolero Plus had been permanently ended by the factory. A local friend had bought a new 4x4 LX maybe a year and a half ago, and there are quite a few of them, mostly private and a few taxis, plying locally... great vehicles. Salesman says he'd lost four or five sales in the past month on account of this stoppage. Only other option now would be the S4 Scorpio 4wd, at something like a 4-lakh premium... for what???? A huge loss in the market if this is true. Are there, then, no simple, rugged multi-passenger 4x4 vehicle options remaining in the subcontinent (Thar and Gurka being passenger-limiting)? Is this actually possible? Sumo still there last I checked, but the 4x4 is rare enough to pose parts supply issues, there is no suitably torquey DI option, and it regrettably uses the undesirable electronic-shift transfer case besides.

I couldn't find any link online with which to directly communicate with the company (M&M headquarters, vs. local dealers). Anyone in another region willing/able to check with their local showroom and confirm / deny?

Thanks,
Eric

[DHABHAR.BEHRAM]

Originally Posted by ringoism

Can anyone confirm present availability of the LX / Plus 4x4 (June 2016)?

There's an NGO here that had me looking into 4x4 vehicle options to replace their battered 25-year-old Commander (750?) DP... checked the M&M website which shows a couple of 4x4 Bolero options (LX, Plus), and stopped by the Mahindra showroom in Prini (H.P.) to check on pricing.

Was shocked to be told there that as of 3-4 months ago, production of the 4x4 LX and 4x4 Bolero Plus had been permanently ended by the factory. A local friend had bought a new 4x4 LX maybe a year and a half ago, and there are quite a few of them, mostly private and a few taxis, plying locally... great vehicles. Salesman says he'd lost four or five sales in the past month on account of this stoppage. Only other option now would be the S4 Scorpio 4wd, at something like a 4-lakh premium... for what???? A huge loss in the market if this is true. Are there, then, no simple, rugged multi-passenger 4x4 vehicle options remaining in the subcontinent (Thar and Gurka being passenger-limiting)? Is this actually possible? Sumo still there last I checked, but the 4x4 is rare enough to pose parts supply issues, there is no suitably torquey DI option, and it regrettably uses the undesirable electronic-shift transfer case besides.

I couldn't find any link online with which to directly communicate with the company (M&M headquarters, vs. local dealers). Anyone in another region willing/able to check with their local showroom and confirm / deny?

Thanks,
Eric

Dear Eric - entry level 4*4 UVs have always remained step-children. Maybe the thing does not fit the "business case"! Sad! .

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar

[Aroy]

The 4x4 Bolero had a BS-III DI engine. As most of the country is soon going to be BS-IV, there would be no sense in making a BS-III vehicle.

Anyway the Scorpio S4+ 4x4 is a much better passenger vehicle with a better ride. The low end torque of the DI engine will be missed in hill driving.