Mahindra Bolero is one of the most successful Utility Vehicles in our country. First introduced in the year 2000, the Bolero quickly gained popularity as an extremely tough and rugged car. The Bolero also offered a seating capacity of up to 9 people! This ensured its popularity as a transportation vehicle, and many commercial fleets relied on the Bolero for their daily tasks. Overall, the Bolero was more popular as a work UV than a passenger vehicle.
Now, though, things are a bit different. Mahindra Bolero Power +, the sub-4-metre variant of the Bolero with a 1.5-litre mHAWK engine, is the only Bolero version on sale right now after the regular Bolero was discontinued earlier this year. Now you can only buy the 7-seater Bolero Power Plus, which is available in five trim levels: LX, SLE, SLX, ZLX, and Special Edition. While ZLX is the more-premium trim, with the most features on offer, the SLX is the best-seller in the Bolero line-up. If you’d like to know the difference between these two variants, you’ve come to the right place! In this comparison article, we go through all the details that are similar and different about the two trim levels, to help you make an informed buying decision.
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First, let’s go through the dimensions of the vehicle. The two trims of the Bolero Power Plus are the same size, which is smaller than the regular Bolero. The Bolero Power+ is mm long and mm wide. Its height is mm and the ground clearance is mm. Both the SLX and ZLX trims are identical in dimensions.
Dimensions |
Mahindra Bolero Power+ |
Length |
3,995 mm |
Width |
1,745 mm |
Height |
1,880 mm |
Wheelbase |
2,680 mm |
Ground Clearance |
180 mm |
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The Bolero has always had the same general design, with only slight alterations in details over the years. The current-gen Bolero Power+ has a very old-school and boxy design. The silhouette resembles an older-model Mercedes G-Wagen, especially in the side profile!
As for the differences between the SLX and ZLX trims, there aren’t many. The biggest difference would be the body decals offered on the ZLX, which the SLX (and other trims) misses out on. The other difference is the presence of a rear washer/wiper which is on the ZLX. Both the trims feature steel wheels with wheel-caps and body-coloured ORVMs.
The interior of the Bolero is surprisingly eye-catchy. For a vehicle that focuses more on utility than luxury, the seats look surprisingly upmarket. The comfort is also quite good, although the lack of lumbar support isn’t very nice. The third row is alright, but the seats aren’t front-facing, which could cause discomfort to a few people.
There isn’t much to distinguish the interior of the two vehicles, as the only major difference is the availability of a driver information screen and a digital clock in the ZLX variant. Both the trims sport a digital instrument cluster though, which looks and feels quite premium.
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Mahindra Bolero Power+ SLX offers a plethora of standard safety features, like driver-side front airbags, antilock braking system, reverse parking sensors, overspeed alert, seatbelt reminder with front-passenger detector, and engine immobiliser. Needless to say, we’ve come a long way since the days of bare-bones basic equipment!
There is one significant difference between the two trims in question is the micro-hybrid system. The micro-hybrid system is essentially just a start-stop assist, which helps shut off the engine in traffic stops to preserve fuel. This system is available in the ZLX variant, but not the SLX. You also get a driver information display in the former which displays distance travelled, distance to empty, gear indicator, and door-open warning. Other than that, there is virtually no difference between the ZLX and SLX trims.
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There is only one engine option available on the Mahindra Bolero, a 1.5-litre mHAWK inline-4 turbo-diesel motor. Transmission options are also limited to just one: a 5-speed manual. Additionally, the ZLX trim features a micro-hybrid system for start-stop assist during heavy traffic. The SLX trim does not feature this system.
Engine Specifications | Mahindra Bolero Power+ |
Engine Type | 1.5-litre inline-4 |
Power | 71 PS |
Torque | 195 Nm |
Transmission | 5-speed MT |
Fuel Mileage | 15 Kmpl |
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The ZLX trim of Bolero Power Plus is the more-premium variant, and thus, is the most expensive one on offer. The SLX trim is one level below, and consequently is the cheaper of the two. A complete price list of the Bolero line-up is provided below:
Mahindra Bolero Power+ trims | Price (ex-showroom, New Delhi) | Price (on-Road, New Delhi) |
LX | Rs. 7.49 lakh | Rs. 8.58 lakh |
SL | Rs. 7.86 lakh | Rs. 9.17 lakh |
SLX | Rs. 8.51 lakh | Rs. 9.89 lakh |
ZLX | Rs. 8.86 lakh | Rs. 10.27 lakh |
Special Edition | Rs. 9.08 lakh | Rs. 10.36 lakh |
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Competitor | Comparison |
Mahindra Scorpio | Comparison Coming Soon |
Mahindra TUV300 Plus | Comparison Coming Soon |
Force Gurkha | Comparison Coming Soon |
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Well, long story short, the price difference between the two trims isn’t significantly huge. That said, the difference in equipment level isn’t that big as well. If you’d rather live without the micro-hybrid system, rear-windscreen wiper, and the decals, then you should go for the SLX trim and save yourself Rs. 40,000. If it were up to us though, we’d definitely go for the higher-trim. There’s nothing that’s being offered that we don’t want on our car!