2018 Mahindra Marazzo review, road test

Like the exterior, the Marazzo’s interiors too portray a sense of maturity. The clean and clutter-free dash looks great, while the beige-and-black colour theme and mix of materials complement the aesthetics well. The gloss black fascia finish adds some appeal to the cabin but, on a sunny afternoon, this surface becomes very reflective. Also, the white, ceramic-like highlights on the dashboard and the purple instrument cluster might seem a bit quirky to some. As for quality, the feel of the textured plastics and fit and finish in certain areas is surprisingly good.

The driver’s seat offers a commanding, panoramic view thanks to the expansive glass area, and reversing this long MPV is quite easy with its large rear windscreen and easy-to-judge edges. The wing mirrors offer a clear view back, as does the inside rear-view mirror although it is set quite low and at times can come right in your forward field of view.

The seats themselves are large, very supportive and upholstered in leather. The front ones even get lumbar support adjustment and individual armrests, adding to the overall comfort. In the seven-seat configuration, the middle row gets captain seats, while the eight-seater gets a bench that slides and reclines in a 40:60 split. Unique to the Marazzo is the rear air-conditioner, which has the blower unit running the length of the car with side-firing vents. There is also a selectable ‘diffuse’ mode that releases air in a nice, gentle flow.

Because the C-pillar is pushed far back, the rear door cavity is wide and makes for easy ingress and egress. The left captain seat or 40 percent of the bench in the eight-seater variant (the one closer to the kerb) gets a one-touch tumbling function for easier entry to the third row. Once seated in the third row, headroom isn’t much of a concern and space isn’t too bad. Sure, the seat is a bit low so one sits in a knees-up position, and because of the middle seat rails, you need to wiggle your feet to find room. But compared to some of its rivals, this row can accommodate adults quite comfortably for a considerable amount of time. This seat, however, isn’t wide enough for three people and a backrest recline function, like in the Innova, is missing.

Cabin ergonomics is one area where Mahindra should have put in some more effort. The placement of the dead pedal is too far to the left, the front USB slots are placed too low (below the gear console), the cup holders can’t be accessed when the front armrests are in place, and the bottle-holders in the rear door bins can’t be accessed without opening the doors. These aren’t deal breakers but irritants which Mahindra should have thought through better. Some might also find the steering wheel rim too thin, and the gear lever a bit too tall, and then there’s the ‘aircraft-inspired’ handbrake. It may look neat, but it’s fiddly to use and most testers felt a conventional lever would have worked better.

Storage areas are aplenty throughout the cabin – there’s a large open cavity on top of the dashboard, the large door bins can easily hold 1.0-litre bottles and there are cupholders in every row. The front and middle rows also get USB charging slots. With all rows in place, the boot is a tiny 190 litres, which is just enough for two soft bags. However, fold down the second and third row and it liberates 1,055 litres of cargo area, though it doesn’t have a flat floor.