2018 Mahindra Marazzo review, road test

A spacious and contemporary MPV that slots right between the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga and Toyota Innova Crysta.

Published on Oct 03, 2018 02:41:00 PM

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It’s an easy-to-drive car with light controls and a smooth engine.

Interior design and colour theme are contemporary and modern. Quality of some textured bits is very good.

Space isn’t too bad for adults. An Innova-like reclining function would be nice.

The Marazzo’s footprint is larger than any other Mahindra passenger vehicle on sale, at 4,585mm in length, 1,866mm in width and 1,774mm in height. This makes it shorter and lower than the Innova Crysta, but it’s wider and has a longer wheelbase too.

Prominent C-shaped body crease is reminiscent of the Ferrari 456.

Mahindra’s designers, this time, have stuck to a more conventional styling theme and haven’t gone overboard with excessive design elements. So, while the Marazzo might not evoke a ‘wow’ feeling at first, you can’t accuse it of being garish or over-the-top like some other Mahindras; it wears a mature and contemporary design. The face sports Mahindra’s signature toothy grille, the headlamps appear a bit timid, and the LED DRLs would have been more impactful and attractive attached to the headlamps than the fog lamps, which is where they are currently located. In profile, the Marazzo is your classic, monovolume MPV, but with some likeable elements like the prominent C-shaped character lines on the doors, attractive 17-inch wheels, a rising waistline and a rather tasteful use of chrome highlights, you could even call it sophisticated. That said, the upward sloping window line, and the oversized tail-lamps make the rear end seem bulky and the rear wheels a bit small.

The all-new platform underpinning the Marazzo is quite unique – it sits on a ladder frame, with a transverse engine powering the front wheels. The company claims this setup was adopted to add the requisite dose of toughness to the MPV while providing a more traditional car-like driving character.

Attractive 17-inch alloy wheels look good in this shade of gunmetal grey.

The structure is 52 percent high-strength steel and, with weight-saving in mind, the front suspension is aluminium-intensive. However, though several components under the hood are made of plastic, the Marazzo still tips the scales at a hefty 1,650kg; lighter than the 1,855kg Innova, but 400kg heavier than the Ertiga.