Mahindra Bolero facelift: The name Bolero has been synonymous with utility vehicle in India for 20 years. Famed for its rugged build, reliable diesel engine and it’s overall no-nonsense road presence, it has been the first choice in hinterland and semi-urban areas.
With the new facelift, Mahindra wants to ensure that the Bolero still has what it takes to be competitive in an increasingly competitive world of modern SUVs, but still remain true to its form-factor.
The updates aren’t revolutionary, but the additions add just enough freshness to a package that’s been serving Mahindra well — simplicity, reliability and affordability combined with a no-nonsense SUV body.
Updated Look But Same Design Identity
There is still the ubiquitous boxy shape that the Bolero is known for in the facelifted version. But for this outing, Mahindra has made some very subtle cosmetic changes to help make it feel a tad bit more contemporary.
It has got an updated grille design with new chrome embellishments, mildly re-sculpted headlights offering LED DRLs as an option and re-tweaked front bumper for an aggressive look.
It is still similar from side and rear profile lines maintaining the characteristic upright position of the car, squared wheel arches and tall body form.
A couple new dual-tone colors and additional decals are about the extent of the eye candy. It’s not flashy, but that’s precisely why the Bolero has kept booming, it looks like it does work and it can really work hard.
Functional and Durable Cabin
The changes inside the cabin are subtle but significant. The dashboard layout is still plain-jane, now with a new two-tone colour option and updated AC vents.
Mahindra also upgrades to a digital instrument cluster, a more modern steering wheel and, in the higher trims, an infotainment display, which is still a small screen with limited functionality.
The seating is still plain but functional. Its seats command from the front row, and the second-row bench can accommodate three adults across.
While the cabin plastics are hard, they are high quality enough to avoid feeling cheap and all the controls are easy to get to. Manual AC, central locking, power windows are other features available, as per the variant.
This is not about luxury, but rugged durability — and the refreshed Bolero does just that pretty well.
Proven Diesel Engine
Under the hood, the Bolero facelift continues to be powered by the 1.5-litre mHawk75 three-cylinder diesel engine that churns out 75 bhp and 210 Nm of peak torque. It’s paired to a 5-speed manual transmission.
The figures may be not be huge but the engine is a punchy unit and should work well in the lower end of the power band, something quite useful for offroading as well as city use.
The Bolero is capable of negotiating bad roads and broken surfaces with ease.
Given the ladder-on-frame chassis, high ground clearance and robust suspension it has, it can take patches of rough, even muddy paths and village roads, in its stride without drama.
It’s not for high-speed blasting, but for everyday tasks in punishing surroundings, it’s darn near perfect.
Safety and Practicality
As per today’s safety norms, the facelift comes loaded with airbags for the driver, ABS with EBD, reverse parking sensors, and seatbelt reminders as standard.
Mahindra has also focused on enhancing rigidity standards to comply with crash safety regulations.
Barring metro cities, the smart play for Mahindra would be to continue producing the Bolero, with low running costs, wide service availability and excellent resale value, it’s one of the most sensible choices for a commercial user or a family extended beyond six members.
Pros:
Durable and reliable! makes them ideal for outdoor or rough use
the tank, space-saving and plant-friendly. protocol numbers and frequency of commands the receiver can process.
Easy to service with wide service network
Fresher front-end styling made that much better
Long-lasting high resale value
Cons:
No modern features such as touchscreen, or connected tech
What feels “basic” now in design for urban homes?
No option for an automatic transmission
It’s not fast, which is fine; it’s designed to get people back and forth, not as a highway cruiser or the thrill of the ride.
Mahindra Bolero facelift: Conclusion
The Mahindra Bolero Facelift demonstrates that as much as it is about having the flashiest looks and the most high-tech gizmos in the bag, nothing succeeds like ruggedness, simplicity and reliability, and in a market like ours, even now.
With gentle touches to keep it contemporary and a recipe that still works, The Bolero, India’s heartland workhorse, soldiers on.
The Bolero still delivers, whether you are a farmer, a transporter or you just happen to want a no-frills SUV — it always has, in that sense.