Mahindra launches compact Bolero Power+

Mahindra launches compact Bolero Power+

Finally, there’s a mini, updated version of the best-selling SUV

When Mahindra launched the TUV300 some years back, rumours suggested that this was, in fact, their awaited compact version of the Bolero. Despite being a relatively basic vehicle, the Bolero has been a best-seller for Mahindra and a class-leader in SUV sales. It’s simple, rugged, works well in the rural market and holds value amazingly well. If this isn’t India’s Hilux, we don’t know what is.

The TUV300 didn’t turn out to be the small Bolero we expected, and nor did the NuvoSport. But clearly, Mahindra was mighty interested in the sub-4m space. This theme carries on with the Bolero Power+, which comes in at 3995mm long and uses the recent 1.5-litre mHawkD70 engine. Thanks to the lower tax bracket, the Power+ comes in at an attractive price starting at Rs 6.59 lac ex-showroom, Navi Mumbai. The updated three-cylinder motor is BS4-compliant, which means you can register this rough-and-ready SUV in the metros.

Mahindra claims that the Bolero Power+ retains the same interior space as the previous model, continuing to seat 7, but with better comfort. Power and efficiency are up. The new engine delivers 70bhp and 195Nm of torque and an ARAI-certified 16.5kmpl. We’ve sampled this workhorse in the original TUV as well as the updated 100bhp version in the more recent NuvoSport, and come away impressed by its refinement.

Some gadgets have been borrowed from more upscale stablemates, including a digital instrument cluster, Micro Hybird (Mahindra’s start-stop tech), a voice messaging system and an engine immobiliser.