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Posted on: Jun 08 2007

Mahindra Bolero

By modern standards, the Bolero is a dinosaur, which can trace its bloodlines to the WW II Willys Jeep. Now available as a traditional hardtop SUV, the soft-top Invader and the extensively stretched XLS, it is still a favoured workhorse, but is this as far as the Willys concept can be taken?:

Design, Engineering and Interiors:
Mahindra has made an art form of stretching the 80-inch Willys chassis to spawn a whole range of vehicles, and the Bolero itself comes as the medium-wheelbase original, the short-wheelbase Invader and the long, 110-inch wheelbase XLS.
The original Bolero, a squared-off hard-top SUV, is quite a good looking machine, with good proportions and a rugged appeal making up for the lack of modern lines.

The nose is interesting, with rectangular headlamps and a traditional Jeep grille flanked by smart bumpers and body cladding, but there is evidence of the great age of the design in the combine harvester-like doors and the guttering above the windows.There is a distinct military air about it, especially in the flat windscreen and sides, and in the general purposefulness of the design.

The Invader looks very much like a larger Gypsy, with a stepped soft-top, utilitarian doors and a very interesting ‘go-anywhere’ look about it. It has been positioned as a lifestyle vehicle, although the classic Jeep look may have suited it better. The XLS could have done with more thought in the design, which is disproportionately long, and clearly looks like an afterthought. The huge rear overhang gives it a real commercial-vehicle look. What particularly puts one off is the very obvious weld-line, where the old panels meet the new extensions. Fit and finish, although durable-looking, is still mediocre and lacks the polish you expect these days — paint quality is fair, but the panel gaps are wide and inconsistent.

Inside, Mahindra has been making many improvements to the very basic utilitarian cabin, though it is clear there's still some way to go. The dashboard is very basic, the switches flimsy and the ergonomics too are still quite poor. Equipment levels are decent, and the air-con is excellent.

Each version comes with its own seating pattern. The Bolero has buckets in front, a middle bench and two jump seats to seat seven, the Invader has buckets and side-facing benches to seat eight (at a pinch, and is best kept for troops or luggage), and the XLS has three rows of forward-facing benches to seat nine.

In all versions, the seats are comfortable but pretty basic, especially the benches; the standard Bolero has a distinct dearth of legroom, and even in the XLS, the middle row is cramped, though the last row is comfy enough. The Invader has the distinction of possessing the best soft-top in the Mahindra stable, snug fitting and quiet.

Performance, Fuel Economy and Handling: 
The Bolero and Invader GLX use the Peugeot-based XDP-3 engine and BA-10 gearbox, which isn't very fast, with only 72bhp, but with 15.3kgm of torque, has the sort of low-speed driveability owners are looking for. This indirect-injection diesel doesn't need revving, and will happily go all day in third or fourth gear, which is great, because the gearshift is poor; refinement is surprisingly good unless you really push it. The Bolero returns 9.4 and 11.4kpl, the Invader doing the same in the city but its slightly taller gearing helping it return 12.4kpl on the highway.

The Invader DI and the XLS use the Peugeot XD3-PH indirect-injection diesel, with 2523cc compared to the XDP-3's 2498; it has the same power output but only 13.6kgm of torque. However, it is equally driveable, and noise levels are even lower — in fact, it is quieter than the Tavera! In the city, the XLS manages, despite its weight, a decent 8.7kpl, but the short gearing gives it only 10.1kpl on the highway.

The standard Bolero and Invader still use the old steering system, which is awfully cumbersome, like the pedals, which make driving around town a real chore; the XLS, however, uses a newer and much lighter system of controls, which is fairly strain-free around town and has a surprising amount of feel. Ride quality on all three is surprisingly good, especially on the long wheelbase XLS, which is also fairly predictable and stable at highway speeds.

Verdict:
The Bolero, surprisingly, does quite a few things well – it has a decent set of engines, reasonable comfort, and excellent durability, which make it a great utility vehicle. Its ‘I’m-tough-and-solid’ build endears to those who visit their farmhouses often. You could cross any field with the Bolero.

Don’t worry about maintenance as it is cheap and any roadside mechanic is familiar with the macho Mahindra. Resale value depends on its condition at the time of sale. A lifestyle vehicle it is not, however, not even the jaunty-looking Invader, and simply lacks the finesse that adds the S to the UV. If you live outside the city and want to transport a lot of people or good for the next ten years, any of the Boleros would be a good choice; if not, forget it.
Source: autocarindia.com