They Say love is blind and my friends point to my love of this vehicle as Proof!
The first time I saw the Bolero was at Dusk. We were planning a family trip along the Gujarat Coast and as everybody could not fit into my Santro; I borrowed a Friend’s Bolero.
The Black Monster looked huge menacing in the Dim light.
I thought let’s take a turn in the City before we leave at Dawn.
That first ride was an eye opener. I had expected one of those bouncy vehicles where you wrestled with the Steering and kicked the clutch and hauled with all your strength on the Gear lever.
The beast moved smoothly, turned at your command with no hesitation (the wonders of Power steering!) even at low speeds. The gear lever moved like a hot knife in butter.
I got down dazed this couldn’t be a Mahindra vehicle! I rubbed my eyes pinched myself but there sat the Monster grinning at Me!
The next Day the Family packed itself in with its entire Luggage and wonder of wonders there was no squabbling for space, there was enough for everyone’s knees and elbows, no jostling for space. The interior was as spacious as the outside indicated.
The vehicle started smoothly and accelerated quickly. Before I knew it I had crossed 120 kms per hour speed. There were no rumbles of protest from the engine. With the windows up there was not much noise from the engine.
We hit a rough patch on the Rajkot Dwarka Road (In fact we hit a lot of rough patches on this road which is an apology for a Highway!). The Bolero just took the rough with the smooth and carried on. What I liked most was the balance of the vehicle and the convenience in driving. The Driving position is comfortable and the controls responsive.
In the evening We were a cheerful group who were not tired and looked forward to seeing the sights, proof that the vehicle was comfortable for the Driver and Passengers. The A/c was adequate though as we were travelling in winter that’s not much of a recommendation!
Inside the town of Dwarka with its narrow streets the Bolero was easy to maneuver and big and tough looking to make the pesky Autos keep their distance lol.
Next day we started with the sun and drove along the seacoast with the windows down. The sound of the engine was a muted growl and the tyres whispered a rhythm that mingled with the song of the wind. There were no harsh rumbles and rattles even on rough patches.
We drove about a 1200 kms over all types of terrain in four days and the vehicle gave us no trouble and performed excellently.