Anand Mahindra Pays Tribute To His Favourite Car - The Bolero
Today, Mahindra is one of the strongest names in the Indian market. Its portfolio now has both Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) and EV offerings. The carmaker commenced an important launch earlier this month- that of the new Bolero and Bolero NEO. The Bolero, the iconic SUV, has got a major upgrade this time. Now, chairman Anand Mahindra has taken to X (previously Twitter) expressing his admiration for the nameplate. He shared a soulful note along with a bunch of pictures.
The chairman has shared three different images in the post. Two of these show the new Bolero, wearing the Stealth Black colour. This, in fact, is a new addition to the Bolero’s palette. The third image shows Anand Mahindra posing along with another Black Bolero (which is an older generation model). In the post, he narrates the story behind this picture.
Anand Mahindra starts by talking about the Bolero’s predecessor- the Armada. It was, in fact, the first hard-top SUV from Mahindra. Anand Mahindra used to drive the Armada back then. He used to have a Hindustan Contessa before it. Even with advanced products like the XEV 9e on sale, he says the Bolero is still his favourite. He is fond of its ruggedness and old-school nature.
The Black Bolero that we see him posing with belonged to Anand Mahindra himself. Nicknamed the ‘Black Beast', the chairman fondly recalls driving it everywhere. He has always been a fan of the Bolero’s rugged, old-school charm. He adds that the 2025 model retains the OG’s recognisable silhouette.
He then talks about the age of the nameplate. The ‘Bolero’ has been around for a remarkable 25 years. It was first launched in August 2000. The Mahindra Group chairman points out that it’s the second-oldest car brand in continuous production in India, after the Maruti Wagon-R. Even the Alto is a month younger as it debuted in September 2000. Anand also revealed that Mahindra’s internal teams have debated phasing out the Bolero multiple times in the past. But, as he puts it, the SUV has always “refused to say goodbye.”
When we hear ‘Mahindra’, it isn’t the Bolero that we tend to associate it with first. This Indian carmaker’s legacy is deeply intertwined with Willys and the rugged off-roader SUVs that they made in the post-war era. Mahindra models continued to feature a soft top and the familiar ‘Jeep’ shape till 1993, when the Armada made its debut. The Bolero that came out in 2000 was the successor to the Armada Grand that was launched in 1998.
At launch, the first-generation Bolero had an ex-showroom price of Rs 4.99 lakh. For the first time in Mahindra’s history, it featured an independent front suspension. It was powered by a 2.5L diesel engine that made 72.5 hp. The Bolero soon rose to acceptance. Mahindra could scale the numbers well in the first five years. By 2005, over 24,800 units were sold, and the Bolero became the best-selling SUV in the country, capturing 20% market share.
This, in a way, fuelled the company’s future growth. It had previously lacked a strong (and steady) seller, especially in the urban and semi-urban markets, that would bring in enough margins and money for future growth. Backed by steady demand, the SUV continued to post monthly numbers in the ballpark of 10,000 units for years. (Even in 2024, the Bolero’s monthly numbers stood at 8,100 to 9,000).
This brought in good cash flow, which the company used to fund its future product development and expansion. The Bolero’s acceptance also earned the manufacturer a better reputation and improved its brand image, particularly in rural and urban India. The Scorpio, which was launched in 2002, brought more monthly volumes and helped in the further growth of the carmaker.
Let’s start with the first-generation Bolero. It came with a 2.5L IDI (indirect injection) diesel engine (XD3P), which was developed in collaboration with Peugeot. This four-cylinder engine offers less low-end torque and fuel-efficiency compared to later DI engines that were introduced on the SUV. On the Bolero, it came mated to a five-speed manual transmission. In 2004, the Invader was added to the lineup.
In 2007, the Bolero received a notable update. It brought a bolder, more upmarket styling to the table. In October 2008, the Bolero SLX was introduced, with Micro-Hybrid technology. This was intended to improve fuel efficiency. Later, the VLX (Storm) was launched, with CRDe technology. It had 100hp on offer-the most powerful Bolero till date!
In 2011, another cosmetic update was introduced, which brought new bumpers, a bolder grille, and other tweaks to the SUV. The update also added features like a digital instrument cluster and engine immobiliser to the Bolero.
A peppier, more refined m2DiCR engine was also introduced. This engine traces is an evolution of the MDI engines. These again, have their lineage in IDI engines- the MD2350 and MD2450. The former was a rebranded version of the BD144 engine of International Harvester engine used in early Mahindra tractors.
An update launched in 2016, brought a 1.5-litre mHawk D70 engine to the Bolero. It was capable of making 70bhp and 195 Nm. It was more powerful than the m2DiCR and came paired with a five-speed manual gearbox. The 2016 Bolero Power+ was also the first sub-four meter Bolero! It had its overhangs chopped off to qualify for the tax benefits.
The SUV got a more powerful 1.5-litre mHawk75 three-cylinder diesel engine in 2020. It could produce 76PS and 210Nm, and came mated to a five-speed manual transmission. Downsizing the engine did not really take off the Bolero’s appeal.
And finally, in 2025, we have the all-new Bolero. It is powered by an improved version of the mHawk75. The vehicle is very drivable and the engine feels more refined than before. The new SUV comes equipped with advanced safety tech like airbags and ABS.
Over the years, the Bolero has gained a cult status in India. It has stood the test of time. Even when contemporaries like the Tata Sumo, Chevy Tavera, and the Sonalika Rhino perished, the Bolero stood strong. It continues to have a strong foothold in the rural and suburban markets. It thus makes sense for the carmaker to keep the nameplate alive.
The carmaker also has the NEO range on sale, which continues to witness strong demand in many cities. Over the years, we have also seen many different iterations of this iconic SUV- from long seven seaters to campers and purpose-built vehicles like ambulances. Most of these have performed well in our market
The range isn’t limited to the passenger vehicle space alone. Mahindra also based its commercial vehicle (pickup truck) lineup on the same. ‘Bolero Pik-Ups’ continue to witness huge demand in the country. The Pik-Up range also comes with CNG powertrain options.
The Bolero family is expected to grow further in the upcoming years. Even the current model continues to be based on the ladder-frame chassis. In the future, the nameplate will make a transition to the newly developed NU_IQ platform and have a monocoque construction. It will likely get turbocharged petrol and hybrid engines in the future.