The Mahindra Bolero is just launched in the Indian market at Rs. 8.48 lakh (ex-showroom), and here’s why you should buy it over other compact SUVs
The Mahindra Bolero Neo is the newest Mahindra to go on sale in the country. A look, however, is just enough to understand that it isn’t an all-new product from the country’s largest UV maker. Forget the new name; it comes up as the TUV300 facelift for the masses. Nevertheless, with the new name come plenty of fresh design elements and some mechanical upgrades.
It is indeed evident that folks at Mahindra have tried their best to make this name slap look like a promising one. Well, here we are talking about the top 7 advantages that the Mahindra Bolero Neo possesses over its rival SUVs. In case you aren’t aware of its rivals, we tell you that it competes with the complete batch of sub-4m compact SUVs.
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Ladder Frame Chassis
The Mahindra Bolero Neo is the only sub-4m compact-SUV in the country, apart from Bolero, which uses a ladder-frame chassis. Moreover, it uses the third-gen chassis that also underpins the Scorpio and the new-gen Thar. It is, in fact, a strong component of the Mahindra Bolero Neo and lends with added rigidity.
2. Rear-wheel Drive Layout
With carmakers now moving towards monocoque chassis, the FWD layout comes up as a viable and most used option. However, the Mahindra Bolero Neo uses a rear-wheel-drive setup with a longitudinally-mounted 1.5L oil burner.
3. Dual-wishbone Suspension at Front
The Bolero is a famous name around the Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets, where the smooth tarmac is a far sight. Keeping the legacy of the Bolero nameplate intact, the Bolero Neo too gets a potent suspension setup. While the rear end gets a solid axle, the front end gets dual wishbones for added stability. Well, these are quite a rare sight on affordable cars these days.
4. 7 Seats on Offer
Most sub-4m compact SUVs come with seats for 5 passengers like regular hatchbacks and sedans. This takes away the practicality of an SUV from them. Nevertheless, the Bolero Neo gets three rows, with a total of 7 seats inside the cabin. The third-row gets side-facing jump seats, which are best for short adults or kids.
5. High Ride Height
Talking of sub-4m compact SUVs, most of them are based on hatchback or sedan derived platforms. The Bolero Neo, however, gets a body-on-frame construction with a tall-boy stance. As a result, the ride height is quite high when compared with the rivals. Moreover, Mahindra offers it with factory-fitted side steps to ease the process of ingress and egress.
6. Mechanically Locking Differential (MLD)
When the going gets tough, the differential’s principal turns out to be the most useless one. And that’s when we need a differential locker. Interestingly, the Mahindra Bolero Neo gets one from the factory. Mahindra is offering the top-spec N10(O) trim of the Bolero Neo with a factory-fitted mechanically locking differential. Also, it engages without any driver input.
7. Good Approach & Departure Angles
The ground clearance of the Bolero Neo is quite high. Thanks to short front and rear overhangs, the SUV also gets high approach and departure angles. As a result, it can take the roads less travelled with some ease.