If you are dropping your plan of purchasing an SUV just because of high maintainance cost, then think again, if you can neatly maintain an SUV like Bolero, then it can deliver you a mileage of 30+ km/ltr diesel.
Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (M&M) recently organised the Mahindra Bolero Mileage Marathon aimed at highlighting the mileage of this SUV, at Kochi. A total of 32 Bolero families participated in the event which was a special customer-centric initiative.
“The Mahindra Bolero Mileage Marathon in Kochi gave a clear idea on fuel efficiency of this great economical SUV. A testament to this is the winning mileage of 35.15 kms/litre clocked by Mr. Seby K B. The Bolero’s superior value proposition, style and rugged appeal coupled with our customer-centric approach to business have been major contributors to its success over the years,” said Mr. Vivek Nayer, Senior Vice President – Marketing, Auto Sector, Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd.
The Mileage Marathon, covering a distance of approximately 58 kms, was a close contest with the first runner-up, Mr. James C K, clocking an average of 31.35 kms/litre, while the second runner-up, Mr. Jamseer T S, clocked an average of 28.79 kms/litre.
Mahindra Bolero is of course not as muscular as Scorpio or Tata Safari. But considering the initial cost and the maintainance cost, it still has its own place in the Indian SUV market.

Raser Technologies (recently added to NYSE-listed companies) which has been building electric motors and developing geothermal electric plants since 2003 is converting these heavy-weight SUVs into a range-extended electric vehicle good for 100 mpg and a range of 40 miles.
Higginson, chairman of Raser Technologies Inc. was at the New York Stock Exchange in New York Friday to display a hybrid version of the Hummer H3, the General Motors Corp.
Hummer well known for it's low fuel efficient engine, is promised to improve by many fold by this new technology. The hybrid Hummer is propelled by an electric motor, built by Raser, which is connected to a four-speed automatic transmission. Power comes from a Raser-built generator that is recharged by a gasoline engine.
With a 90 mph top speed, off-road capability and a lithium ion-battery that's rechargeable in as little as three hours, the SUV is ready to give mileage of more than 100 miles (161 kilometers) per gallon when driven as much as 40 miles a day and can travel 40 miles on electrical power alone. While a 2008 Hummer H3 gets 14 MPG in the city and 18 MPG on the highway, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who owns two Hummers converted to run on hydrogen and biofuels, praised the vehicle at the SAE International World Congress last month, the Detroit News reported.
Although officially not declared, but according to a car-buying Web site Edmunds.com, hybrid Hummer would likely cost about $12,000 to $15,000 more than a gasoline-only model, which has an average listing price of about $33,000.

[via DesertNews]