Bolero Goes BS-VI Compliant, Becomes First Mahindra Vehicle To Get Certification

Mahindra Bolero has become the latest car in India to get the BS-VI certification. The company announced that the sub-4 meter utility vehicle got its certification from the International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT). In fact, this is the first Mahindra car to get the BS-VI emission certification. To let you know, Indian market is skipping the BS-V era and jumping to BS-VI norms from the current BS-IV norms and the deadline for all vehicles to meet the new criteria has been set as April 1, 2020. However, Mahindra has not launched the BS-VI compliant Bolero in the market but has just got the certification. This means that once the new norms kick in, the maker will be ready with the new version of one of its best selling models.

To be clear, it is the 1.5L 3-cylinder turbo diesel engine on the Mahindra Bolero that has got the latest BS-VI emission certification from ICAT. This engine is rated to deliver 71 HP and 195 Nm, and is also found on the TUV300 sub-4 meter compact SUV from the brand. This effectively means that the TUV300 too will get the same engine and hence will be yet another BS-VI compliant model of the brand in the market. Bolero is also sold with another 2.5L 4-cylinder diesel engine that is rated to deliver 63 HP and 195 Nm. However, as of now, this engine has not got the BS-VI emission certification, but it is likely that the brand will go for the same certificate for the engine in due course of time.

Mahindra also recently updated the Camper range of the Bolero in the Indian market. The Camper range is the double cabin pick-up truck range of Bolero that has been designed by the Indian UV maker for handling rougher tasks while carrying passengers as well. Earlier this month Mahindra officially started taking the bookings for the Bolero ABS in the Indian market as the July 1 deadline kicked in.

Mahindra Bolero is also due for a safety overhaul as the October 1 deadline for BNVSAP norms nears. The Bolero range already comes with driver’s side airbag, ABS, rear parking sensors, seatbelt reminders for the driver and front passenger, a speed warning system and a manual override for the central locking system, due to the recent update that the maker gave to the vehicle. The company is also planning to update the vehicle as per the crash norms before the October deadline nears. One can expect the BS-VI version of the vehicle to launch with the updated safety version of the vehicle sometime after October.

A long time steady seller for Mahindra, Bolero has in a sense been the evergreen seller for the brand. Its rugged nature, reliability, easy reparability, and simple mechanics make it a favourite among the smaller city and rural customers. Not to mention that the 4x4 version of Bolero is quite capable and has the capability to handle rough patches with ease. The affordable price is also another aspect that helps Bolero succeed. Perhaps this is the reason why Mahindra has decided to not work on a new Bolero but make the current model compliant to upcoming safety and emission regulations. This will keep the costs low while altering nothing in a vehicle that is a customer favourite. A win-win situation for both, Mahindra and the customers.