Hyundai Venue vs Mahindra Bolero vs Mahindra Bolero Neo (2026)
The classic compact suv shortlist, settled with numbers (September 2026):
- Pick the Hyundai Venue if you want the lowest starting price (₹8.00 Lakh), the most power (118 bhp), the best claimed efficiency (up to 24 kmpl), the best crash-test score (5 stars).
- Pick the Mahindra Bolero if you want the most seats (7).
- Pick the Mahindra Bolero Neo as the balanced middle path — it wins no single spec outright but concedes little anywhere.
Three-Way Specification Comparison
Hyundai Venue in short
The second-generation Venue, launched in late 2025, is Hyundai's volume compact SUV against the Maruti Brezza, Tata Nexon and Kia Sonet. It grew in size and moved decisively upmarket with dual curved displays, Level 2 ADAS and a diesel automatic option. A 5-star Bharat NCAP result finally silences criticism of the old car's safety.
Full Venue prices & variants →Mahindra Bolero in short
The Bolero is Mahindra's evergreen workhorse, a ladder-frame 7-seater that has ruled rural and semi-urban India for over two decades. It sells on toughness, cheap maintenance and a vast service network rather than features or refinement. There is no direct rival at its price; buyers cross-shop it with the Bolero Neo and used Scorpios.
Full Bolero prices & variants →Mahindra Bolero Neo in short
The Bolero Neo is the modernised take on the Bolero formula, built on a hydroformed ladder-frame chassis derived from the TUV300. It pairs the tough-SUV appeal and 7-seat practicality of its elder sibling with a more powerful 100 bhp diesel and a marginally better-equipped cabin. It sits in a niche of its own, competing partly with sub-4m monocoque SUVs like the Tata Nexon diesel on price.
Full Bolero Neo prices & variants →Head-to-head pairs
Frequently Asked Questions
Venue vs Bolero vs Bolero Neo — which should I buy?
Pick the Hyundai Venue if you want the lowest starting price (₹8.00 Lakh), the most power (118 bhp), the best claimed efficiency (up to 24 kmpl), the best crash-test score (5 stars). Pick the Mahindra Bolero if you want the most seats (7). Pick the Mahindra Bolero Neo as the balanced middle path — it wins no single spec outright but concedes little anywhere. Test-drive at least two before deciding — ride and dealer experience differ by city.
Which is the cheapest among Venue, Bolero, Bolero Neo?
The Hyundai Venue starts lowest at ₹8.00 Lakh, against ₹9.80 Lakh for the Bolero and ₹9.90 Lakh for the Bolero Neo (ex-showroom, September 2026).
Which is the safest of the three?
Hyundai Venue: 5 stars; Mahindra Bolero: not yet NCAP-tested; Mahindra Bolero Neo: not yet NCAP-tested.