[locusjag]

Originally Posted by ashutoshb

A naive question here.

The spinning wheel issue, is it specific to the TUV or to all rear-wheel drive vehicles, say the Old gen Safari or Scorpio?

If only TUV, then why are they not making the MLD a standard fitment?

I've seen old posts on wheel spin experienced by 2WD Scorpio owners on the forum. It's not only on the TUV. Uneven surfaces or slippery surfaces along with open differentials on RWD cars makes this outcome possible.

RWD pickup trucks are used regularly in snowed in areas like Minnesota with sandbags at the rear to weigh them down, for a better contact patch for the wheels with the road. Similarly, when weighed down with a full load, Indian RWD cars like the Scorpio, TUV and Innova too behave differently. With 7 people on-board, I drove through a proper slushy stretch in the Western ghats in 2019 in my TUV once - no problems. But in the absence of a full load, good wheel articulation, specific axle types, differentials...all of these things are needed to get RWD UVs out of tricky spots.

I am told by Mahindra insiders that the MLD's cost was deemed a reason for not providing it as standard fitment.

[shrinz.vivek]

This car launch and the subsequent discussions are quite thought provoking.
Most of us on this forum are quite educated and technically or rather technologically sound (if such a word exists). We are dependent on gizmos and not machines. We enjoy our cars; we dont "use" them.
This car appeals to those 15 to 20 thousand/month Eeco and Bolero buyers who have an entirely different set of expectations & needs from their cars. Many of the missing features or outdated designs in such cars don't matter to them at all. For example:
1. Electrically foldable OVRMs are not required if you always have a passenger who can open it for you.
2. Android auto is not needed if you have all the alleys and gullys of your village on the back of your hand.
3. Sunroof is a hindrance if you are going to load 10 days worth of luggage of 7 people on the roof. <image attached>

What this car gives which no other car in this segment offers is:
1. Big car impression (perfect marriage gift for rich villagers. See the webseries panchayat to learn more)
2. Useful in its true sense. Load 10 people + 10 sacks of rice and it has the space, power & strength to accommodate this and more.
3. Inexpensive. For people who take loans to buy fertilizers and manure worth 10000 rupees, every rupee matters.

IMO the main reason behind renaming the TUV as Bolero is to establish that rural connect, because Mahindra knows the pampered city folks will never buy it.
Hence it will be unfair to compare this car with a Creta or a Nexon, because this machine can do so much productive work compared to its rivals, and that compels us to forgive all other shortcomings.

[Kosfactor]

Originally Posted by shrinz.vivek

IMO the main reason behind renaming the TUV as Bolero is to establish that rural connect, because Mahindra knows the pampered city folks will never buy it.
Hence it will be unfair to compare this car with a Creta or a Nexon, because this machine can do so much productive work compared to its rivals, and that compels us to forgive all other shortcomings.

Well said.

Mahindra owners are less in here as is and considering their customer base is 50% or more rural, I understand why.

My father on his trip to rural Rajasthan saw how people were ferried in Boleros to some pilgrimage center, there were people all over it including the roof. My father was very impressed, surely it would have played in his mind during the next purchase.

[ramnaresh_2000]

Originally Posted by shrinz.vivek

This car appeals to those 15 to 20 thousand/month Eeco and Bolero buyers who have an entirely different set of expectations & needs from their cars. Many of the missing features or outdated designs in such cars don't matter to them at all.

I do agree with some of your points, but initially when Mahindra launched TUV 300 they claimed 25% of their sales were from AMT variant. Now I don't think AMT variant appeals to Bolero/Eeco buyers. M&M clearly wanted this to be an urban vehicle.

There was also some interview where M&M claimed more than 50% of their bookings were of the top end T8 variant (at that time T10 was not launched). The vehicle flopped due to issues like AMT, wheel spin, body roll and many other issues. They are trying to rectify it now with "Neo", and aiming at rural buyers by following Safari strategy employed by Tata.

I also don't understand the strategy of removing roof rails, rural users love their roof rails. Not to mention taxi owners.

[jeetumg27]

Those 2 jump seats at the rear really look so uncomfortable and are disastrous from a safety point of view. I know M & M is gunning for the rural customer who wants more seats, but such a major compromise is really uncalled for, especially in these times where safety is actually becoming a big differentiator. God forbid, in case of a rear end accident, can’t even imagine what those passengers would go through.

[shrinz.vivek]

Originally Posted by ramnaresh_2000

M&M clearly wanted this to be an urban vehicle. .

This was clearly a mistake and may be this is what they want to correct with the Bolero Neo

Originally Posted by ramnaresh_2000

I also don't understand the strategy of removing roof rails, rural users love their roof rails. Not to mention taxi owners.

I agree. I found it strange too. This is clearly a result of desperate cost reduction in order to price it as close as possible to the Bolero. But taxi owners will anyway install roof carriers; with or without roof rails. Innova is a good example of that. So it may not matter much.

[locusjag]

Originally Posted by jeetumg27

Those 2 jump seats at the rear really look so uncomfortable and are disastrous from a safety point of view. I know M & M is gunning for the rural customer who wants more seats, but such a major compromise is really uncalled for, especially in these times where safety is actually becoming a big differentiator. God forbid, in case of a rear end accident, can’t even imagine what those passengers would go through.

The rear passengers that Mahindra had in mind are gun-toting bodyguards that rural strongmen/sarpanches typically have. These guards would need to quickly get out of the car in a pinch and this sort of seating and door is ideal for that sort of a use case. A YouTube review for the Bolero Neo mentioned this (was it PowerDrift or Carwale? I can't recall.)

And I can certainly relate - in my years spent in Jamshedpur, I've seen these bodyguards seated in open top jeeps at the rear. I somehow remember seeing thatched cots getting carried around in the jeeps; perhaps it's for the sarpanch/strongman to get off the jeep, sit down wherever required and to conduct an impromptu courtroom session

In any case, to each his own. If an urban buyer doesn't have a use for the 3rd row seats, they can take them out.

[pandabear]

Originally Posted by Geta

I was expecting Mahindra to name it like "Taurus" or something similar. They already had Scorpio in their stable, and a "Taurus" will not look out of place at all.

Taurus brand name is already owned by Ford, cannot be used by any other manufacturer.

[Kosfactor]

Originally Posted by locusjag

The rear passengers that Mahindra had in mind are gun-toting bodyguards that rural strongmen/sarpanches typically have. These guards would need to quickly get out of the car in a pinch and this sort of seating and door is ideal for that sort of a use case.

Urbanites find it hard to imagine such things unfortunately

Guard seat is another name for those seats. Access to third row without having to crawl through second row is important in such cases, therefore Scorpio \ Bolero etc still provides it, Sumo \ old Safari as well had it.

An added utility is to provide 'lift' to known people in the rural environment\farm, they will be hesitant to sit in our normal seats, but jump seat is fine, its like a pickup bed.

[Geta]

Originally Posted by pandabear

Taurus brand name is already owned by Ford, cannot be used by any other manufacturer.

Mahindra could have gone for TAWRO or TAWROX instead.

[CEF_Beasts]

Originally Posted by pandabear

Taurus brand name is already owned by Ford, cannot be used by any other manufacturer.

If the brand name is not registered in India, then it can be used. Classic example is the Tata Harrier and Toyota Harrier!

[pandabear]

Originally Posted by CEF_Beasts

If the brand name is not registered in India, then it can be used. Classic example is the Tata Harrier and Toyota Harrier!

Yes, you are right thanks for pointing it out. I always assumed that car names were globally registered under the madrid convention to which India is a signatory.

On further casual browsing I can see this website where you can check if the brand name is registered, https://business.indiafilings.com/tm...ch_text=taurus

Well I am getting offtopic, so let me end it here.

[abhikb]

Originally Posted by jeetumg27

Those 2 jump seats at the rear really look so uncomfortable and are disastrous from a safety point of view. I know M & M is gunning for the rural customer who wants more seats, but such a major compromise is really uncalled for, especially in these times where safety is actually becoming a big differentiator. God forbid, in case of a rear end accident, can’t even imagine what those passengers would go through.

You are right on your part but AFAIK, putting more seating capacity gives some relaxation to the manufacturers in obtaining CMVR certification.

[GTO]

Team,

We drove the car on regular roads (preview was on a small test track) and have updated the review with a full driving report, as well as the list of pros & cons .

[The Mechanic]

Originally Posted by Omkar

Multi-link coil spring suspension also gets a stabiliser bar:

Isn't that a Panhard Bar/Rod and not a stabilizer bar

Forgive me if I am being stupid

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liR1...st=LL&index=11