We’ve been reporting on Mahindra upgrading its Bolero SUV for a while now. As per the Indian government's mandate that came into effect on July 1, 2019, Mahindra has started production of the AIS 415-compliant Bolero. The Bolero Power Plus and the 9-seat Bolero Plus have been revised to include safety kit such as a driver’s side airbag, ABS, rear parking sensors, seatbelt reminders for the driver and front passenger, a speed warning system and a manual override for the for the central locking system. Mahindra will also remove child locks from fleet and taxi vehicles at the dealer level.
When spy shots of the Bolero emerged online, we had told you that thanks to the safety update (specifically the driver’s side airbag), the SUV also gets a new steering wheel unit (from the TUV300). However, no other interior changes are expected for now.
Mahindra has also rejigged the variants on offer. The Bolero (LX, EX, SLE, SLX and ZLX – all 7-seaters) that comes with the 63hp/195Nm, 2.5-litre, four-cylinder diesel motor has been discontinued. This unit will also be offered on the 9-seat Bolero Plus and will be upgraded before the April 2020 deadline as per Mahindra’s BS6 engine strategy.
Other than the changes to the safety features list, the 7-seat Bolero Power Plus continues unchanged. It is still powered by the 1.5-litre, three-cylinder, turbo-diesel motor that makes 71hp and 195Nm of peak torque. This motor, which does duty in the Mahindra TUV300 as well, will also be upgraded to meet BS6 norms.
There will be at least one more major update in store for the Mahindra Bolero as in its current form, it does not meet the crash test norms (frontal and side-impact) that'll kick in from October 1, 2019, or pedestrian safety norms that are set to begin from August 2020.
While we are unable to confirm exactly how much the updated models cost, expect prices to increase by Rs 30,000-50,000, depending on the variant. The pre-update Bolero Power Plus and Bolero Plus were priced at Rs 7.01-8.35 lakh and Rs 7.99-8.55 lakh (ex-showroom, Mumbai), respectively. Mahindra has officially begun accepting bookings for the updated Bolero Power Plus at its dealerships and on the SUV's website.
The Bolero nameplate is quite important to Mahindra and it has been its bestselling utility vehicle for some time now.
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