Mahindra launches: Mahindra’s Bolero has received a full model change with a comprehensive redesign that is clearly a hierarchy leap upmarket with a little more premium for an extremely versatile, long-functioned automotive nameplate that does not stand for in any other way its legendary durability.
The launch is a big moment for a model that has been a pillar of rural and semi-urban transport for decades.
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Mahindra launches: Bold Exterior Transformation
The 2025 Bolero focuses on a new, modernized design language that still retains Mahindra’s boxy silhouette while borrowing styling cues more common in today’s era of SUVs.
The front end receives a more aggressive-looking grille with vertical slats finished in dark chrome, and the adopt sleeker LED headlamps integrated with sharp-looking daytime running lights for the first time in the model.
Power bulges that accentuate the SUV’s muscular stance are featured on the hood while redesigned bumpers with silver skid plates underscore the SUV’s off-road credentials.
On the sides of the new SUV come squared-off wheel arches, with which the new alloy wheels (on higher variants) replace the utilitarian steel wheels in the previous generations.
The shoulder line structure remains, but there is now also mild character creasing to liven up the appearance without sacrificing the Bolero’s simple design approach.
The new tailgate is redesigned to find a more pleasing integration of the spare wheel, while LED tail lamps replace the basic units seen on the outgoing model.
The overall shape retains the upstanding, no-nonsense dimensions that are the Bolero legacy, although small tweaks to panel gaps and camouflage sqrtum finishing reflect the car’s premium ambitions.
Interior: The Most Dramatic Change
Although the exterior changes are pretty substantial, it’s the cabin of what we’ve been told is the new Bolero where the model takes the biggest leap forward.
The previous, spartan dashboard makes way to a thoroughly modern design dominated by a free-standing 10.25 inch touchscreen infotainment system.
Physical climate controls are still offered, given the Bolero is a vehicle frequently operated in harsh environments.
In terms of the dash and interior trim, the instrument cluster features analog dials paired with a 7-inch digital screen that displays trip information, navigation directions and vehicle status.
The cabin has seen a pronounced improvement in materials, with soft-touch surfaces adorning the dashboard and the door panels, and more solid switchgear that clicks with positive precision.
Seats get special treatment, with new front buckets providing better support and adjustability. The second and third-row benches are given better cushioning, and their inclination angles are set with the outgoing model’s long-time critique in mind.
Higher trims offer leatherette upholstery, while the base vehicles get a durable fabric with good patterning.
The Bolero’s mission of practicality continues within the cabin, with functional storage spaces all around, including bigger door pockets, a chilled glovebox, and multiple USB ports (Type-C clear now for charging devices).
The rear air conditioning vents provide comfort for occupants during the harshest weather conditions.
Engineering: Fine-Tuned with No Compromises
You can view the process through an image gallery below, but underneath the updated skin, Mahindra has stuck to the proven formula of the original Bolero, with a rugged ladder-frame chassis, though the automaker has made a number of adjustments to enhance ride quality and handling.
The suspension geometry is completely retuned to help minimize body roll while maintaining articulation required for off-road forays.
Propulsion is provided by a new version of Mahindra’s proven 1.5-liter mHawk diesel engine now rated at 100 horsepower and 260 Nm of torque — modest increases that enhance drivability without compromising that engine’s famed reliability.
The new unit replaced the previous 5-speed transmission, and adds an automatic overdrive gear for better highway cruising capability and improved fuel economy.
In a dramatic change, Mahindra also brings a 2.2-generalized mHawk diesel in higher variants, producing 140 bhp and 320 Nm.
This powertrain is hooked up to either the 6-speed manual or a new 6-speed torque converter automatic transmission – it answers a major market pressure to go with more convenience features, while not sacrificing capability.
Four-wheeldrive is still at hand with either powertrain, with the electronic shift-on-the-fly system and an honest-to-goodness low-range transfer case for true off-road capability.
Ground clearance is up a bit to 210mm, while approach and departure angles are also up, but still plenty impressive at 37 and 34 degrees respectively.
Technology Integration
The new Bolero adopts modern tech without upsetting its simple character. The infotainment system a wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and is supported by Mahindra’s AdrenoX connected car platform with remote vehicle monitoring, geofencing capabilities, and over-the-air updates.
Safety is notably upgraded with dual front airbags becoming standard throughout the range with side and curtain airbags incorporated on the higher variants.
It also gets ABS with EBD, electronic stability control, hill descent control, and a reversing camera with dynamic guidelines bringing the Bolero up to scratch with modern safety standards.
Market Positioning
Preserving its quintessential base, Mahindra has been smartly targeting urban buyers looking for an authentic SUV experience through the new Bolero.
Where it was once strictly workhorse territory, the expanded range now runs the numbers from the sort of rock-chucking base machinery that makes up roughly 90 percent of this segment all the way up to luxurious low-riders with comfort and technology Bogan would have yawned at a couple generations prior.
With this positioning, the Bolero is not just a traditional rival, but also a more lifestyle-focused compact SUV, providing a real alternative that sells on proper capability, rather than just trendy looks.
Mahindra launches
Mahindra has managed to tread the tenuous line between evolution and revolution with this comprehensive redesign.
The new Bolero adheres to its utilitarian roots, while also offering refinement, technology and comfort that widens its audience beyond simple, workhorse markets.
The new-generation Bolero offers improvements in areas but it remains true to the Bolero essence for loyal customers.
For new buyers it offers an interesting foil to the class of conventional crossovers — an alternative with real character, real durability, and real off-road credentials in a more polished package.
