Mahindra's next-gen Bolero spied on test

The next-gen Bolero is being developed by Mahindra and might see the light of the day some time in 2016. It is codenamed as the U301 and is currently undergoing tests. A test mule was spotted testing recently, the images of which have been sent by PowerDrift.

The test vehicle hints that the car has started sporting production-ready body panels. The makeshift headlamps are gone and the car gets new rectangular-shaped lights. The Bolero is going to be a sub-four-metre vehicle. It will be a more upmarket, modern and sporty looking car than the current model. The vehicle will still retain the predecessor’s body stance and underpin a new ladder-frame chassis.

Under the hood of the upcoming car might be an improved version of the Quanto’s 1.5-litre three-cylinder mCR100 diesel mill. The engine might be tuned to deliver a power output of 100bhp and 240Nm of torque. This mill will come mated to a five-speed manual gearbox and reports suggest that Mahindra might introduce another variant with an AMT transmission. The power will be sent to the rear wheels only, but the company might offer a 4X4 variant in the top-spec model.

The current Mahindra Bolero has been the highest selling SUV for the manufacturer for nine consecutive years now and is the also the only SUV to feature among the top 10 selling passenger vehicles in India. It has always had a great demand in our country and it will be interesting to see if the next-gen variant will be able to continue to attract more buyers like the present Bolero.