Mahindra Bolero emerges as India's highest selling SUV once again

Mahindra & Mahindra, the biggest Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) manufacturer of India, sold a total of 1,00,686 units of Bolero SUV in India during FY 2011-12. With such tremendous sales volumes, the car has become the top selling SUV of the country for the sixth year in a row. Moreover, these sales figures represent a 21 per cent increase in sales of Bolero as compared to the previous financial year, when it rolled out 83,112 units.

With sales of over 1 lac units, FY 2011-12 has proved to be the most successful year for Bolero since it was launched in the year 2000. In March 2012 only, the company recorded the highest ever monthly sales of 10,026 units of the model. Moreover, with these sales volumes, the car became the 7th highest selling passenger car in India during the past financial year, whereas it was placed on the 9th position in the same list during FY 2010-11. Notably, Bolero holds the distinction of being the only SUV in the list of top 10 passenger vehicles present in the country.

Talking about this achievement, Pravin Shah, Chief Executive, Automotive Division, Mahindra & Mahindra, commented, "The fact that Bolero has sold more than 1 lac units in FY 2011-12 signifies the confidence consumers have on the brand. Over the years, Bolero has evolved with the changing lifestyle aspirations of customers resulting in an exceptional CAGR of 26%. I am sure that the Bolero will continue to be as popular on Indian roads in years to come".

The car underwent a major refurbishment in September 2011 and is now priced between Rs. 4.94 and 6.96 lacs, making it one of the cheapest SUVs in the country. Despite the low pricing, it delivers well in terms of fuel efficiency, with a mileage of 15.6 kmpl on highways due to its unique Micro Hybrid System. The latest version of the model possesses a 2.5 L, 2532 cc m2DiCR engine that is capable of delivering maximum power of 62 hp at 3200 rpm and highest torque of 195 Nm at 1400-2200 rpm. It competes against the likes of Premier RiO and Tata Sumo, though it stands miles ahead of them in terms of sales. Three variants of the model are presently available in the country, namely Bolero SLE, SLX and ZLX.