Mahindra Bolero has remained a bestseller and last year it achieved the 1 million sales milestone. Launched in 2000, Bolero has featured in the Top 10 list of passenger vehicles during most of its 19 year journey. It is also credited with helping Mahindra establish itself as a manufacturer of rugged, durable vehicles. To ensure Bolero continues to register strong sales and meets newer compliance norms, Mahindra will soon be launching updated Bolero in India.
In this update, Bolero facelift will get ABS, driver airbag, rear parking sensors, speed warning, and seatbelt reminder. The same has arrived at Mahindra dealer, and spotted by Youtube channel Ujjwal Saxena. Another update will be introduced before October 2019 to meet the new norms related to front and side crash benchmarks.
By April 1, 2020, all cars also need to comply with new regulations related to pedestrian protection. For this, Bolero facelift will have various changes such as softer bumper, higher bonnet, and redesigned grille. These changes are meant to reduce pedestrian injuries caused due to an accident.
Different deadlines have been provided for various new safety regulations, but Bolero will be introducing all changes simultaneously in its facelift model. By April 2020, Bolero is also expected to comply with BS-VI emission norms. Surprisingly, Bolero will continue using the old 2.5-litre m2Di engine, which is slated to be upgraded to meet the new emission standards.
Mahindra is not introducing a new engine for Bolero probably because it will increase its overall cost. Passenger vehicle segment is price sensitive, so Mahindra would like to maintain Bolero’s cost advantage. Currently the Bolero is priced in the range of Rs 7.5 lakhs to Rs 9.5 lakhs. The update will result in Bolero price to increase marginally.
Last year, Bolero sold around 80,000 units and in April 2019, sales stood at 5,310 units. One of Mahindra’s bestsellers, Bolero is considered a cash cow with its huge profit margins. Mahindra will be introducing the most relevant changes in Bolero facelift, all while keeping costs down to maintain its dominance in passenger and utility vehicles segment.
