Over a decade old 'Scorpio' and 'Bolero' SUV's from Mahindra and Mahindra are still pleasant charmers on Indian roads. The Scorpio SUV was first seen in the Indian market sometime in the year 2002, whereas the Bolero had been doing rounds since 2000. Anand Mahindra had been seen joking about the Bolero SUV during the Auto Expo event, “We can't kill it even if we tried and we did try.”
As per reports, Mahindra and Mahindra has managed to sell nearly about 51,000 Scorpio SUV's in the Indian market during the fiscal year 2013-14. Moreover reports state that Bolero has sold a little over 1,05,000 units during the fiscal year 2013-14. Pravin Shah, chief executive, Automotive, M&M, said, “We have posted highest-ever sales of Scorpio and Bolero in March and these are not merely strong dispatch numbers; they are backed by strong retail buying. We operate on a pull basis and not push basis.” As per sources, the Indian car manufacturer Mahindra plans to unveil its new face-lifted version of Scorpio sometime in the middle of 2014. The changes are expected to be purely cosmetic in nature and the engine shall be retained with the existing line of 2.2 litre M-Hawk turbo diesel engine. It is anticipated that the power and torque figures could be increased from the existing 120 bhp with 290 Nm of torque to 140 bhp and 330 Nm of torque.
Recently, Mahindra had also unveiled a limited edition for the Bolero SUV. The pearl white toned SUV with sporty decals shall be present in only 500 units on a first-come-first-serve basis. The Limited Edition off-roader from Mahindra's stable is stated to be powered by 2523 cc, m2DiCR engine that generates about 46.3 kW of power at 3200RPM with 195 Nm of torque output at 1400-2200RPM. The powerful egine is mated to a five speed manual transmission. For unpredictable road condition the Mahindra Bolero is blessed with Independent with coil spring and anti roll bar suspension for the front wheels, whereas the rear wheels gets Elliptical leaf spring. For complete control and safety the Mahindra Bolero gets an ABS (Anti Lock Braking) system for the rear wheels that is helpful in tackling sharp corners.
On the other hand, rivals like Renault Duster and Ford Ecosport have reported sales figures of about 46,700 units for Duster and about 45,000 units for Ecosport during the fiscal year 2013-14. Mahindra and Mahindra is a known and trusted brand even in the remotest part of the country. This factor seems to have benefited the Indian car-maker in reaching out to a wider set of prospective buyers.
