There was a time when Indian roads were ruled by SUVs like the Tata Sumo and Mahindra Bolero. Even today, many northeastern states and rural villages of India prefer these rugged utilitarian vehicles. Unlike modern-day SUVs, these had a no-nonsense design with almost no features. They were robust UVs that could take all the abuse from the broken roads of rural India. Both the Sumo and Bolero had a huge fan base. Sadly, Tata discontinued the Sumo due to various emission and safety norms, while the latter is still available in the market. Here we have two of the best-looking modified Tata Sumos and Mahindra Boleros that we have seen on the internet.
Tata Sumo 4×4
Tata launched the Sumo back in 1994, and it immediately became a hit among buyers. Over the years, Tata offered several iterations of the MUV, including a generational update. The second-generation Sumo was called the Sumo Grande; however, it never caught buyers’ attention. The first-generation Sumo was even offered to the Indian Army, and the version offered to the army came with 4×4 too. Only a few people knew about it, and only a few well-kept examples can be found in India too.
The Sumo seen here is one such Sumo. The modified Sumo 4×4 was actually built for Mr. Parikshit Singh Deora, who operates the Godwad Safari Camp in Rajasthan. The Sumo comes with the original 2.0-liter indirect injection turbocharged, intercooled diesel engine with 90 Bhp of peak power and 190 Nm of peak torque.
The engine is paired with a Borg-Warner 4X4 transfer case with an electric shifter and low and high ratios. The suspension setup has also been upgraded. The chassis of this SUV is actually a mix of Telcoline and Safari 4×4. The front bumper, fender flares, snorkels, hood scoop are all modifications made to make this MUV look more butch and capable while off-roading. As this is a custom-built project, the Sumo comes with a 14-liter Tropicool fridge, a 0.5 KVa inverter with a 5-amp power output socket, and other features too.
Bolero to Defender
The next creation is from Jalandhar, Punjab. Here, Big Daddy Modifiers have completely transformed a simple-looking Mahindra Bolero into a classic Land Rover Defender 110 SUV. We have seen several Bolero to G-wagen conversions; however, this is the first time a Bolero has been modified to look like a Defender. The exterior has been completely transformed, and most of the panels seen here on the car are custom-made and made from metal sheets. The Bolero now gets a 4-inch lift kit, off-road spec wheels with chunky-looking tires, custom-built metal bumpers, front grille, aftermarket headlamps, turn indicators, and so on.
The workshop has done a great job in replicating the Defender look. They paid attention to details and even got the design of the rear windscreen and quarter glass the same as Defender. The interior of the SUV gets brown leatherette upholstery, a customized roofline, and floor mats. Big Daddy Modifiers took approximately 4 months to complete this project, at an estimated cost of around Rs 5 lakh. The finished product does look a lot like the older generation Land Rover Defender, and that is why we feel it is one of the best-looking modified Mahindra Boleros currently on the internet.