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Old 19th September 2016, 23:01   #91
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Re: Mahindra's sub-4 meter Bolero. EDIT: Launched @ Rs 6.59 lakh!

Can somebody who test drives this 1.5 Mhawk Bolero do a 2nd gear start from the speed of 0 km/hr(speciality of the 2.5 DI) and check whether there is any knocking or need of a half clutch. Both arent present in the 2.5 DI and I want to know since the torque figures are the same on paper, if this also holds true for the 1.5 Mhawk. Please quote me in your answer

Last edited by rahul4321 : 19th September 2016 at 23:05. Reason: addition
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Old 24th September 2016, 07:15   #92
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Re: Mahindra's sub-4 meter Bolero. EDIT: Launched @ Rs 6.59 lakh!

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Originally Posted by highwaypatrol View Post
All they need to ..............away from you in no time..
All good suggestions and true - except for the target audience's (the huge rural hinterland and tier II & III towns) - and mine too! - reluctance to part with any extra bit of their hard-earned for any unnecessary frills! And most of these improvements will add to the bill. M&M seem to have got their mantra right - a major reduction in cost price without significant reduction in VFM!



Quote:
Originally Posted by anjan_c2007 View Post
The launch is the age old and ...................out was to MHawk D 70 it and relaunch !
A good part of these concerns - fit & finish, plastics etc - are addressed in my above post, and M&M have again trumped the issue (OTR price) by their <4m offering while retaining the VFM tag.
As for the significance of the names (M Hawk D 70), its the same game which our domestic majors have learned from their MNC cousins - specially the yanks & Japs with their earlier, hilarious engine nomenclatures! And Airbags & ABS - well now! The number of recalls (by various players) - with airbag issues is a subject best left to speculation. However, it is nice to see ABS/EBD gradually making their way across the board, even in the more plebeian offerings. So, it won't be surprising to see M&M bowing its head to popular sentiment & offering this feature in the new Bolero, sooner rather than later.
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Old 24th September 2016, 07:56   #93
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Re: Mahindra's sub-4 meter Bolero. EDIT: Launched @ Rs 6.59 lakh!

Sometime in 2005, in order to take advantage of the glaring difference between Petrol and Diesel prices, I swapped over my old MG410 HardTop Gypsy for the 2WD Bolero Sportz. I consciously stifled the desire for 4WD off roading/slush roading etc when I did this.
The idea was to indulge in more road trips in and around Bangalore, to all the nearby hill stations and I used to try and do this every couple of months for a couple of days, for golf and so on. But that XD3PU engine with its 63 or 68BHP of power was only so good and quite soon I started craving for a more powerful engine. Mostly because on the highways the Bolero would strain a lot. I must have clocked about 40K kms in that 3 years...by my standards, with my level of travel, that really was quite an achievement...
But it was an immensely practical bare bones, tough vehicle. Absolutely lovely indeed for what I wanted at the time.
Some of the things they could have done was to introduce flat foldable rear seats so that people could use it as a flat loader bay. The AC of course had no "recirc" so it would always blow cooled outside air into the cabin, which meant all sorts of fumes and smells.
At this time the Scorpio was the "aspirational" SUV for people like me, so sometime in 2008, three years into the Bolero I went and got the Scorpio.
Suddenly there was "double" the power on tap, in a far more refined engine and lots more ergonomics and comfort and some level of luxury, in a similarly tough beast package!
What a relief! And for quite a while, there was nothing quite like it to suit my needs!
I think the Scorpio truly did yeoman service for us. Some 50K Kms in 4 years which again was no means achievement in itself for me, because of the general paucity of time!

I remember thinking at the time, that the Bolero is actually more stable in some sense than the Scorpio because of its lower roofline and boxy shape. And I remember wondering when they would shoehorn the Scorpio engine into the Bolero and thereby give consumers the juice and power in that package! It was just a matter of time till they launched the ZLX with the Crde engine in it. But they messed up the ergonomics with the positioning of the gear lever and other things. And they haven't paid quite as much attention as they ought to have, to safety.

Thats really the trouble with M&M - they continually mess up the ergonomics of these vehicles, by irritatingly trying to improve upon what is already tried and tested. Invariably, I am sure that these ergonomics of these vehicles are done by some Pygmy sized individual, because with each new avatar, they become less and less comfortable for tall people to use.

Things like under thigh support on the seats, gear lever positioning, some of the fiddly bits and music system positioning etc etc.

But one thing I' ll say for them. They absolutely have the pulse of the Indian Utility Market in the palms of their hands.

Forget all these foolish follies like the Quanto and Xylo and NuvoSport and KUV100 and all the rest of these Quasi modern vehicles, which are seriously poor in design aesthetics.

Concentrate on their Bolero and Scorpio and perhaps the TUV300 and the Thar.

They seem to have more or less got those right - barring of course the design element. I really do not understand their urge to over design everything.

Even their acquisition of Pininfarina does not seem to have rid them of the malaise of frightfully dreadfully ghastly design cues.

Their current lot of designers, quite clearly, deserve to be taken out one by one, into the cold light of dawn, and shot.

Now this little sub 4M Bolero looks like the next best thing going - I think it is eminently sensible to offer this vehicle in this avatar. For sure.

And resurrect it as India's best seller UV! ( A little more attention to Ergonomics and Safety, though, would have helped to slightly "future proof" the vehicle..)

Last edited by shankar.balan : 24th September 2016 at 08:03.
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Old 24th September 2016, 09:48   #94
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Re: Mahindra's sub-4 meter Bolero. EDIT: Launched @ Rs 6.59 lakh!

Quote:
Originally Posted by shankar.balan View Post
Concentrate on their Bolero and Scorpio and perhaps the TUV300 and the Thar.
+100 Shankar. I will just add the XUV to this list.

There is a market for the KUV as well [Ignis/WagonR/Ritz] but it needs to be right there with its design and refinement.

Mahindra needs to be more creative with its design and keep it clean and understated. Quality [as well as vendor shortlisting] is another aspect which needs huge introspection from their end. Do it right in the first time and that, there is just one way to do things, the right way. As said by our BD Saab.

A Jeep [Thar], Mini SUV/Raised hatch [KUV], A small SUV [TUV/Bolero], The SUV [Scorpio] and XUV.

There is no need for Xylo, at least in that form or the Nuvo or the Verito etc.
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Old 24th September 2016, 14:43   #95
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Re: Mahindra's sub-4 meter Bolero. EDIT: Launched @ Rs 6.59 lakh!

Just took a test drive of the new bolero. It isn't what the bolero used to be - but in a good way. The NVH of the new bolero is like driving a car. was very surprised at the the response of the new engine, very very peppy. Overtaking now is a breeze. Plus it does a 100 very quickly without an effort.
But the fit and finish is something to be desired for. Edgy sharp dashboard looks half cooked. Body lines still needs to be refined and looked out of place. I didn't feel like I was driving a rigid beast at all. The AC was super cool with a decent music system. Micro Hybrid worked well.
It Was par with driving any car. But for the price Mahindra has a winner. on road price for the top end model in 9,42,000/- in Karnataka Mangalore. Ex-showroom is 7,84,000/-. Plus you get a seven seater.

Mahindra does not have any plans of introducing a 4wd in the new bolero. As per the the SA.

Currently Owning a 2005 front rigid Front suspension with an MDI engine on a KMT GB (My daily drive) Bolero. Thats done close to 2 Lakh kilometers. The difference is mind blowing. The torque and sheer power of the MDI and the kmt GB is non existent in the new bolero power+. I cant imagine towing anything attached to the back of the new bolero+. It will struggle its guts out. Also it wont be able to do steep inclines on the hilly areas. Engine breaking on the power+ does not exist.

The New bolero Power+ has me impressed. Its not meant to do donkey work like
the older MDI turbo. It is meant for the city and you can maneuver it without a sweat.

I am considering buying it and its bang for the buck if you are looking for a cheap SUV.
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Old 24th September 2016, 14:47   #96
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Re: Mahindra's sub-4 meter Bolero. EDIT: Launched @ Rs 6.59 lakh!

Quote:
Originally Posted by rahul4321 View Post
Can somebody who test drives this 1.5 Mhawk Bolero do a 2nd gear start from the speed of 0 km/hr(speciality of the 2.5 DI) and check whether there is any knocking or need of a half clutch. Both arent present in the 2.5 DI and I want to know since the torque figures are the same on paper, if this also holds true for the 1.5 Mhawk. Please quote me in your answer

I did try launching from the second gear on the power+. Like I do with my MDI Bolero. It does knock and you will need to de-clutch and shift it to first. The power+ fails here.
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Old 24th September 2016, 16:06   #97
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I saw this Cut Short Bolero today.
All that they seem to have done is to reduce the gap between the body and the bumpers and effectively the bumpers are now almost flat and flush with the body both front and rear.
Else the vehicle is unchanged.
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Old 30th September 2016, 18:05   #98
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Re: Mahindra's sub-4 meter Bolero. EDIT: Launched @ Rs 6.59 lakh!

Eagerly waiting for TBHP official review! Highway performance of Power+ seems sorted as reported, but I am more interested in its hill driving capability. Admins are you listening?
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Old 5th October 2016, 20:24   #99
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Re: Mahindra's sub-4 meter Bolero. EDIT: Launched @ Rs 6.59 lakh!

Motorbeam has come out with their review for Bolero Power Plus.

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Old 5th October 2016, 21:59   #100
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Re: Mahindra's sub-4 meter Bolero. EDIT: Launched @ Rs 6.59 lakh!

Quote:
Originally Posted by yamaniac View Post
Just took a test drive of the new bolero. It isn't what the bolero used to be - but in a good way.
Plus you get a seven seater.
Hey thanks for sharing your experience. I have been a Bolero fan since years and can live with the crude engine as well, but just the interior comfort is so that it has always made me decide otherwise.

For me the biggest grouch was and it still seems to be the case is this

Mahindra's sub-4 meter Bolero. EDIT: Launched @ Rs 6.59 lakh!-underthigh-support.jpg

I feel extremely uncomfortable driving like this with poor under-thigh support.
They should have really done away with the last 2 seats as they are absolutely useless and the created space should have been utilised to make the cabin better.
At least provide this as an option with better seats etc. and this will bring a lot more buyers any given day.

Quote:
Originally Posted by PraNeel View Post
Motorbeam has come out with their review for Bolero Power Plus.
Thanks for sharing the review!

Quoting from the review: The car isn't meant to be driven fast AT ALL!!

Hahahaha this cracked me up big time!

Cheers!
SD
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Old 5th October 2016, 22:07   #101
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Re: Mahindra's sub-4 meter Bolero. EDIT: Launched @ Rs 6.59 lakh!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Trojan View Post

I feel extremely uncomfortable driving like this with poor under-thigh support.
They should have really done away with the last 2 seats as they are absolutely useless and the created space should have been utilised to make the cabin better.

SD
The Bolero is a product aimed at rural market. You will be surprised to see the number of people that travel in Bolero and Mahindra Jeeps in the rural and semi-urban areas. So those last row of seats are very important. Mahindra wants to re-gain the high numbers of Bolero so has updated the engine and has reduced the price.

For enthusiasts like you Mahindra wouldn't care.
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Old 5th October 2016, 23:52   #102
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Re: Mahindra's sub-4 meter Bolero. EDIT: Launched @ Rs 6.59 lakh!

Quote:
Originally Posted by PraNeel View Post
The Bolero is a product aimed at rural market. You will be surprised to see the number of people that travel in Bolero and Mahindra Jeeps in the rural and semi-urban areas. So those last row of seats are very important. Mahindra wants to re-gain the high numbers of Bolero so has updated the engine and has reduced the price.

For enthusiasts like you Mahindra wouldn't care.
Agreed, it targets the rural market which is good. The product has been successful and will most likely continue to be as there is no direct competition which is as hardy and durable apart from being totally VFM.

What I was leaning towards is that Mahindra should at least give an option of such seating configurations like they do in other models.

Customer gets a choice and at the end pays for it as well.

The rural market will still continue to buy the XL variants which allows them to officially seat 9 and the drivers imagination is the upper limit


Cheers!
SD

Last edited by Trojan : 5th October 2016 at 23:55. Reason: edited sentence
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Old 5th October 2016, 23:57   #103
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Re: Mahindra's sub-4 meter Bolero. EDIT: Launched @ Rs 6.59 lakh!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Trojan View Post

Forgot to ask though, how comfortable were you with the drivers seat.
I have never driven a Bolero . I have travelled in one though on the middle seat. The experience was strictly OK.
The point I wanted to make was those last row of seats holds importance for rural market.
You can try your luck by reaching out to Mahindra through social media, to launch the optional version as per your request. Mahindra is known to be responsive to customer preferences.
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Old 8th October 2016, 07:13   #104
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Re: Mahindra's sub-4 meter Bolero. EDIT: Launched @ Rs 6.59 lakh!

Seventeen years and they have done nothing at all with the Bolero in terms of safety kit!
Really!

My first encounter with the Bolero was my BIL's Silver GLX in the year 1999-2000. At that time, we went gaga over it because it was (compared to the other gunk that was available in India at the time), really an excellent hardtop solid Jeep / UTE.

But then, typical of M&M they just sat on their success, producing more and more silly variants as time went by. I remember asking when they introduced the SPORTZ which I bought, why could they not give us something as basic as split foldable rear seats and chuck those foolish last row side facing seats out?

And as more time went by and they added the Crde engine etc, why could they not design a Bolero with at least optional safety kit?

Now this sub 4m compact Bolero or Bolero Power or whatever, is another case in point. Very old wine in a re designed bottle.

Again, no safety stuff and very little additional finesse and ergonomics.

Bah! Not for me, for sure!
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Old 9th November 2016, 15:05   #105
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Re: Mahindra's sub-4 meter Bolero. EDIT: Launched @ Rs 6.59 lakh!

Sub-4 meter Bolero seems to have really hit the bulls eye for Mahindra. Massive spurt in sales in October:8323 compared to 5744 last month.
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