[daywiz]

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

After the TUV300, KUV100 and the NuvoSport, Mahindra & Mahindra have started working on their fourth compact SUV - which will be a smaller version of it's popular Bolero UV.

Slotted to lose 170mm from it's overall length to duck under the 4-meter mark, the wheelbase of this mini-Bolero will be the same as the regular UV but the shape will see reduced front and rear overhangs, with tweaked bumpers on both sides. Other than this, most of the body panels, dashboard, interiors and features are expected to be carried over from the regular Bolero UV.

When launched, the mini-Bolero is expected to come with the all-new 1.5L 3-cylinder mHawk diesel engine (which is also plonked in the TUV300 & the NuvoSport) in a 7-seater configuration, albeit the 1.5L diesel for the mini-Bolero will be tuned for better fuel efficiency and hence produce only 68HP, still a 5HP increase over the regular Bolero's 2.5L, 63HP oil burner heart.

The mini-Bolero is expected to be launched by August 2016.

Can't really call it a mini-bolero, as the interior dimensions are pretty much the same, and few minor cosmetic changes to the outside.

Still, like many others I fail to see the purpose of this exercise, unless of course this will now evolve to become the standard Bolero. The reduction of length and the new engine should give considerable support on the tax front, but how much of it will actually be passed onto the consumer.

Secondly, unless they redesign the interior even alil bit, with slightly better seating setup,( they actually might help free up some space), its not going to really be such a worthwhile investment to launch this. Rugged design is good, but like few others pointed out the interior also needs to upgrade with time.

Not too sure if the 1.5L being a 3 cyl set up will make the Bolero interesting, its going to be rather debatable, although the torque upgrade might be useful. How much fuel economy improvement are we going to get by detuning the mHawk80?

[romeomidhun]

They need to chop-off only the bumpers to make it under-4m. The cabin and bonnet can be intact while doing so.

Now, since M&M is at it, can they do something to make Bolero look a bit modern than the decades-old design? (Original image: Indianautosblog)

[1.2TSI7DSG]

I dont understand how a sub 4 meter bolero will help without a 1.5 l engine from the Qunato/Nuvo/TUV.

But a Bolero with a 1.5 l engine (though more powerful than the existing one) would be a disaster. If at all M&M is trying to upgrade the vehicle to a more powerful engine, my recommendation would be to add all the relevant safety features (especially on the brakes- I remember bolero having horrible brakes- ABS is a must for the vehicle)

As far as I remember, Bolero has gone from 2000 with a Peugeot Engine to having an in house engine of almost twice the power/torque(need confirmation) -remember Bolero VLX- without a sensible safety upgrade.

The age old Crash Resistant Chassis, The poor brakes, the horribly vague steering, the extreme roll, the terror ride, (and yet the vehicle sells like hot cake)-- add to that a 80/105 bhp engine -- and there you would have a recipe for a deadly machine

Do update whether there is an engine change or not- else it would only be a cosmetic/cost reduction change.

[Asish_VK]

I thought Mahindra was in right track after the launch of XUV 5OO and to some extent Thar, But now I realize, that was a one off . They have to get rid off this flops and work on something fresh and appealing . I hope they will do so.

[hybridpetrol]

In my opinion, this is a great idea to increase the Bolero sales further.
Their TUV300 could not sell well, even though the design is butch, and interiors are improved very well. The reason could be the price. At around 8.5L OTR starting price, TUV300 is priced at par with Ecosport and Vitara Brezza, and urban users who need a car that looks like SUV would buy these against TUV300 or Bolero.
But the market for Bolero is generally in rural areas and small towns.
Bringing in a 1.5L Diesel, and thus if they could reduce the price by a lakh or more on the current around 7.5L OTR price. If they can give a 4m-Bolero to 6L OTR or lesser, there will be more takers for sure.

[findviru]

As rightly said by GTO, Mahindra really put their efforts into XUV 500 and it shows in its killer looks and premium interiors. The subsequent models like TUV 300 could not reproduce that. If Mahindra wants to increase their customer base then it has to provide better interiors and looks keeping their core DNA intact.

[landcruiser123]

Wasn't the TUV supposed to be the shortened Bolero?
Mahindra can just do a favour to themselves by launching the TUV 300 with another lower trim than bringing in an all new Bolero.

[romeomidhun]

I can understand why Mahindra is so much frantic and launches models in every 3 months. They were selling close to 10K Boleros earlier. Now, even after the launch of KUV, TUV and NuvoSport, the combined sales of UVs is around the same number.

Today, I could see they test KUV, bumper-chopped Bolero, TUV and XUV in the vacant roads behind M&M research center. They have a lot of new launches in stock, I guess.

[i74js]

Mahindra has done a smart thing, if I have to guess, they will keep the provision of replacing these front and rear bumpers with the old bumpers of existing Bolero.

They have done this earlier with reduced ground clearance for XUV 5OO which can be increased right at the dealership; so one buys a Bolero with reduced cost and at a later date replace it with older bumper, no wonder if M & M offers old bumpers as official accessories !

[puneeth2]

I appreciate Mahindra for having a can-do attitude but they just horribly lack design finesse. Even a car as good as XUV500 has over the top design and gaudy. They need to come up with sensible design if they want to cater to a wider range of buyers. They rush with vehicle launches, most of them hideous. I can't remember a Mahindra vehicle having a mature design language.

[dheepak10]

I don't think that this is a new model from Mahindra, but more like an update to the existing Bolero.

Save taxes, Pocket some and share the remaining with the customer!

I think it is this much only. So at the end of the day, this Bolero might just be a Bolero that is relatively cheaper.

[JediKnight]

Bolero has been the milch cow of Mahindra. The top of the line Bolero ZLX is around 10 Lakh on road Bangalore. In spite of the million rupees price tag the top end is less specced than the base version of the likes of Vitara Brezza/Eco sport. Spec to spec Bolero is a very expensive vehicle. The so called top spec does not have fresh air mode in the aircon. On top of that Mahindra does not even bother to truck the car to its dealers. All boleros are actually driven from the factory to the dealers.

The markets however are now changing. With a mad rush now in the compact SUV space, customers have a lot more options. With manufacturers like Maruti entering the fray people in smaller towns have more options and suddenly Bolero looks very overpriced. Mahindra needs to bring down the cost drastically for Bolero to be viable.

Mod Note: Please take the time to format your posts and make them readable.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by JediKnight

Bolero has been the milch cow of Mahindra. The top of the line Bolero ZLX is
around 10 Lakh on road Bangalore. Inspite of the million rupees price tag the
top end is less specced than the base version of the likes of Vitara Brezza/Eco
sport. Spec to spec Bolero is a very expensive vehicle. The so called top spec
does not have fresh air mode in the aircon. On top of that Mahindra does not
even bother to truck the car to its dealers. All boleros are actually driven from
the factory to the dealers. The markets however are now changing. With a
mad rush now in the compact SUV space, customers have a lot more options.
With manufacturers like Maruti entering the fray people in smaller towns have
more options and suddenly Bolero looks very overpriced. Mahindra needs to
bring down the cost drastically for Bolero to be viable.

When I bought my Bolero Sportz in 2005 it cost around 5.85 lacs on road. The then GLX was priced at 6.56 lacs on road.
The present Bolero Storme ZLX does not justify a 10 lac price tag. No way.

My experience was that the Bolero did not have a "Re-Circ" mode in the Aircon - it just had a fresh mode which meant that inside the city one was always breathing in those fumes or other funny smells.

My Bolero was not driven down - it was trucked in. I had a great relationship with the SKS Auto guys at the time in Koramangala (where today that Sapphire Toys is) and they had even ensured that I got Bridgestone Dueler Tyres as OEM on my Bolero.

Yes, give the present day competition and the finesse of all these new age vehicles, M&M needs to consider doing something about modernising or revamping the Bolero.

Which is really what this discussion on this thread is all about...

[veyron_head]

Originally Posted by JediKnight

Spec to spec Bolero is a very expensive vehicle. The so called top spec does not have fresh air mode in the aircon.

Couldn't agree more.

A couple of days ago one of my colleagues test drove the TUV T8 AMT and I rode with him. This so called topend was barebones! Monocolor Audio system, no navigation, no automatic AC, no auto up down on windows, no electric mirrors and not even a automatic day/night mirror!! Most of these are standard fare in lesser priced hatchbacks.

The onroad price in Bangalore for the T8 was 11.8 Lacs!! I was anxiously looking at my colleagues face to see if he was surprised (I sure was!). But he wasn't. He said when his Honda City cost him so much several years ago, the TUV is a much bigger car and is probably worth the asking price!!

The point is, there are still many of us who equate size with price and think a bigger car is justified in asking for a higher price!

I personally love the bolero for its looks, but its just a shell with hardly any features at all. Mahindra can use this opportunity like Toyota did with the crysta - Make the bolero worth its money this time.

[daywiz]

I got few major queries.

With the new engine & below 4m setup, how much of exact tax saving are we expecting over the present Bolero? and what pricing range are we actually expecting?

Also will we see the addition of an AMT to the Bolero for the first time or will the AMT issues in the mHawk80 variant may put that possibility in doubt?

None of the spyshots so far show any change in the interior, so is the probability of a new interior also dim?