Comparison: Tata Yodha 1500 vs. Maha Bolero 1.7T

Tata Yodha 1500 and Mahindra Maha Bolero 1.7T are two of the most recent, reasonably priced and well-equipped offerings in the pickup truck segment. As indicated by the monikers, Tata Yodha comes with a 1.5-ton payload capacity whereas Maha Bolero gets a1.7 ton capacity. Even so, the two offerings are not very different from one another. Tata Yodha is powered by the company’s time and tested reliable 4-cylinder engine which produces 85 BHP of power and 250 NM of torque. We first saw this powerplant in Tata 407 and consumer reports indicate that it is good for up to 300,000 kilometers.

Mahindra Maha Bolero is powered by a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine with produces 70 BHP of power and 195 NM of torque which makes it less powerful than Tata’s offering. Differences between the two commercial pickup trucks do not end here, as Tata Yodha features a 260mm clutch whereas Maha Bolero gets a smaller 240mm unit. Both cars are offered with a 5-speed manual gearbox and like Yodha, Maha Bolero customers have also reported not facing any problem with the engine up to 1,00,000 kilometers.

So as far as the mechanicals of the pickups is concerned, it is safe to say that as a result of higher torque figures and clutch diameter Tata Yodha is comparatively better equipped when it comes to the powerplant option than as compared to Maha Bolero 1.7T. Both Bolero and Yodha pickup trucks ride on tubular chassis which get additional reinforcement between the cabin and load body with Yodha’s frame on the thicker side Both pickup trucks come with semi-elliptic leaf springs, rigid front axle, and rear live axles with Yodha having more leafs compared with Maha Bolero. Tata’s offering also trumps Mahindra Bolero pickup in terms of ground clearance with a 210 mm stat whereas the Bolero pickup only manages to offer 190 mm of ground clearance.

Coming to interiors, Tata Yodha features a cabin design which is similar to that seen in the Xenon pickup and features more equipment than as compared to Maha Bolero 1.7T. Tata Yodha’s cabin also manages to isolate engine and road noise quite well. Tata Yodha’s cabin has also been when crash tested and is sold internationally in countries like Thailand and Chile which is why it is up to the mark with international safety standards.

Mahindra reduced the dimensions of Bolero 1.7T a few years ago which means that it now features a much smaller bonnet and therefore has a reduced crumple zone which compromises its safety in case of a crash. In terms of features, Yodha comes equipped with a tachometer, tilt and telescopic steering wheel, reclining bucket seats, flatbed co-driver seat, 12-volt charger, bottle holders, etc. which are also offered in Bolero 1.7T. Inside Bolero, we find a steering wheel which is tilt-adjustable but does not come with telescopic adjustment feature and the pickup also does not feature a tachometer.

Tata Yodha rides on 16-inch steel wheels which come wrapped in 215/75 rubber whereas Maha Bolero 1.7T only comes equipped with 15-inch steel wheels which are wrapped in 195/80 tyres. It should also be noted that even though Maha Bolero rides on smaller wheels than those found in Tata Yodha, Mahindra’s pickup rides on 12 ply tyres which are much more handy in case of overloading than those offered in Yodha which only get an 8 ply rating. But Yodha tops this category as well with tyre width of xx inch that is greater than that of Maha Bolero which eventually leads to better handling on rugged terrains.