Mahindra Bolero Turbo- Play Time

The new Mahindra Bolero. What's new? It's got a new heart and better interiors. Add the same rugged looks and a suspension that never gives up. Time to go out and play? You bet...

Story Bunny Punia Photography Kunal Khadse

Machines like these separate men from the boys. And cities like Pune are natural 'torture test tracks', best suited for testing the likes of the Mahindra Bolero. I was patiently waiting for the 'jeep' to arrive, but due to the overload of the anniversary issue, I could only lay my hands on her last month. So, there I was, in cargos, Reeboks and Fast-track shades, all ready to pick her up from Bora Automobiles, ready to do all that I had thought of doing, thinking about the rugged beauty for more than a month! My colleagues thought I was exaggerating, after all this was just another Bolero, albeit with a new engine, but then this wasn't going to be a scorcher or a gizmo laden vehicle, and hence, why in the world was I making a fuss about it? Let me explain...

When you are in love with big machines, plan ventures into the unknown at the slightest hint of an upcoming holiday and hate slowing down for potholes and water-logged roads, what option do you have for a vehicle in India? Add to it the fact that you belong to a middle class family, cannot afford to spend a fortune purchasing and then maintaining/running the vehicle and may have to occasionally take the family for an outing. Am I starting to make sense here?

I have always been a lover of 'jeeps' and SUVs, and yes off-roading too and had a soft-corner for the Bolero, but what always kept me back from dreaming of owning one was the slightly uninspiring engine. But things have changed now as Mahindra have decided to go the Turbo way and have plonked the Direct Injection MDI 3200 TC B engine into the Bolero. This engine has been doing duty on the pick-up versions of the Bolero for some time now (refer to our Feb 2006 issue for the Bolero Camper road-test) and as compared to the earlier IDI engine, has more grunt and better fuel-efficiency.

Apart from the new heart, the looks remain the same, except for, may be the DI Turbo badge. This in a way is good as it retains the macho-ish and rugged looks. But to be 'THE' 'jeep' for the urban yuppie, you will have to add in a set of Hella fog lamps mounted on the roof, an in-yer-face bull-bar, and chunky rubber on chromed alloy wheels. Oh, yes, did I forget to add in a real loud horn which will do justice to what ignorant drivers will be seeing in their rear-view mirrors! The Bolero runs on 215/75 Bridgestone tyres (interesting to note that the Camper DI runs on 235/75 R15 Goodyear tyres) which are more than enough to cope up with the 63PS of power (at 3200rpm) and 180Nm of torque (at 1500rpm) which the DI engine pumps out. The tyres are also able to grip very well on both dry and wet roads around corners but show it some muddy tracks and even your granny will be able to get the 1670 kg Bolero kick her rear out with utter ease. A 4x4 version is available on demand, and this combined with the torque available at as low as 1440rpm means that venturing out into the unknown is possible without being in double minds. Suspension up front is independent (Leaf springs in the base version) but her off-road roots show their presence in the way she rides around. The ride is definitely bumpy but she handles way better than I expected, the only grouse being the over-assisted power steering, a joy to use in city traffic, but life-less when the jeep is pushed around hills or during triple digit highway cruising.

Source: Car India April 2006.