Mahindra Marazzo

Exterior and Interior

Aesthetically, the design of the Marazzo is said to have been inspired by a shark. It features a bold front with a ‘shark tooth’ grille taking centre stage, flanked by a set of large wraparound headlamps. The bonnet is short and the roofline is tall which gives the vehicle a prominent stance. At the rear, the MPV features a high-set tail lamp which sport an angular design. Unlike a lot of MPVs, the Marazzo makes use of a ladder frame chassis with mounted body, rather than a monocoque setup. The car sits on large 17-inch alloy wheels which get disc brakes all round as standard.

The cabin is large, spacious and features a three-row layout. It can seat six adults in comfort in the three rows and comes with an adjustable middle row. The abundance of space can be attributed to the long wheelbase of the Marazzo that even surpasses that of the Innova Crysta. The cabin is also plush and looks more mature than a lot of other Mahindra cars. It is an amalgamation of leather seats, piano black finishes and an upmarket looking dashboard. In terms of convenience features, it can be had with a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto - an Apple CarPlay update is set to be released later. It also gets a 4.2-inch TFT MID display and separate roof-mounted aircon units for the second and third rows. Other features include cruise control and rear parking camera. In terms of safety, the Marazzo offers dual airbags and ABS as standard.

Specifications

The Marazzo is powered by a new transversely mounted 1.5-litre 4-cylinder diesel engine which makes 123PS of max power and 300Nm of peak torque. The engine is mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox. The FWD configuration is also one of the reasons for the Marazzo’s cabin space as the FWD configuration negates the need of a transmission tunnel resulting a virtually flat-floored cabin. Currently, the diesel motor is the only engine on offer, but Mahindra does intend to bring in petrol and automatic options by 2020. To balance out the ladder frame chassis, Mahindra uses a forged aluminium double wishbone suspension setup in the front to aid better ride quality. Usually, wishbone setups are used in expensive sportscars. As for the brakes, the Marazzo offers a disc brake setup front and rear and comes with ABS as standard.

Variants

The Mahindra Marazzo is offered in four variants, M2, M4, M6 and M8. The M2 is priced at Rs 9.99 lakh, while the M4 is priced at Rs 10.95 lakh. The M6 and M8 variants are priced at Rs 12.40 lakh and 13.90 lakh respectively (all prices, ex-showroom pan-India). All variants except the M8 are available with 7- and 8-seater options. The 8-seater options demand a Rs 5000 premium over their 7-seater counterparts.

Competitors

Toyota Innova Crysta: People have so much faith in the Innova that they are willing to pay the astronomical Rs 14-23 lakh asking price for one. The Toyota Innova has been the yardstick by which MPVs are measured in India. Offered with both diesel and petrol powertrains, the Innova offers car-like ride quality and top-of-the-line features in a spacious package, backed by a reliable service network and low maintenance costs.

Maruti Suzuki Ertiga: In line to receive an update by the end of 2018, the Ertiga is everything Maruti's known for. It offers space, features and a good ride quality at an affordable price. The SHVS-equipped trades in performance for fuel efficiency, the latter of which is more desirable for most people.

Honda BR-V: Though Honda claims the BR-V to be an SUV, the word crossover defines it perfectly. It too has a 7-seater configuration and is priced between Rs 9.22 lakh and Rs 13.39 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).

Renault Lodgy: Renault's only 7-seater in India, the Lodgy is known for being spacious and practical. The sensible choice then?

ZigSays

The Mahindra Marazzo is a great overall package especially at the price it has been launched at. It offers ample space for six, offers a premium looking cabin and comes with an impressive features list with a lot of essentials offered as standard. Features like keyless entry and push-button start/stop are given a miss but it shouldn’t be a deal breaker.