Mahindra Bolero Neo Scores 1 Star In New Global NCAP Crash Test

After a winning streak at Global NCAP crash tests, Mahindra’s latest SUV to undergo assessment has disappointed and by quite a margin. The Mahindra Bolero Neo, formerly the TUV300 scored just one star in both adult and child occupant protection. The result certainly is a massive disappointment not just because of the ratings but also due to the scores. The Bolero Neo's adult occupant protection score of 20.26 out of a potential 34 points and a mere 12.71 out of 49 points for overall safety is undeniably disheartening.

Alejandro Furas, Global NCAP Secretary General said, “We were disappointed to see Mahindra’s one-star rating for the Bolero Neo. This falls well below the safety performance we have come to expect from the manufacturer."

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The Bolero Neo's subpar safety score can be attributed to Mahindra's old ladder-frame platform. Yes, the Bolero Neo is produced on the same platform as the Mahindra Scorpio Classic but as a subcompact SUV. The frontal crash test performance highlights areas of concern such as an unstable structure, inadequate chest protection, and lack of essential safety features like ESC and side curtain airbags. Remember that the Bolero Neo only comes with dual airbags as standard.

The Bolero Neo's shortcomings are evident in the difference between front and side impact protection, compounded by the absence of side head protection. What’s even more troubling is that the 7-seater SUV, with side-facing bench seats for the third row, fails to provide seat belts, let alone airbags, losing out on crucial points and compromising on the safety of the passengers.

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The Bolero Neo showed unacceptable performance in child occupant protection tests as well. In frontal impact tests, the forward-facing child seat for the 3-year-old provided almost full protection, while the rearward-facing seat for the 18-month-old offered limited protection. The side impact tests showed that both child restraint systems offered full protection. However, the car lacks standard 3-point seat belts in all seating positions and cannot disconnect the passenger airbag for rear-facing CRS resulting in a one-star rating for child occupant protection.

Mahindra is suffering the consequence of selling a car in the market that is based on an outdated platform. The company needs to upgrade and not just update its products.

Commenting on the results, Mahindra said, "We at Mahindra are committed to delivering vehicles that ensure the safety and satisfaction of our customers and users. The Bolero Neo is the trusted utility vehicle of choice in India, owing to its robust build, highly dependable nature, and its innate capability to handle a variety of usage conditions. Bolero Neo has always complied with safety regulations that have been introduced over time and continues to be fully compliant with the latest Indian safety standards. As we are constantly innovating and improving our vehicles to exceed safety regulations, we want to assure our customers and stakeholders that Mahindra has significantly enhanced safety features in all our recent launches."