Mahindra has been paying attention to the MPV segment ever since the Toyota Innova rung the bells of success and wanted to get a chunk of this segment with their very own offering – the Marazzo. It was launched back in 2018, and with this new model, Mahindra intends to reinvent the image customers have about the brand and its future models. The new Marazzo is new from ground-up, meaning it gets a new chassis, engine and transmission, a new design and new features too. The Marazzo was originally designed at the brand’s technical headquarters in the USA. Now while we don’t see American styling in the detail, we’re yet to figure out if it has been designed by a team of Indians.

Styling it right

Mahindra Cars haven’t really offered the best in terms of design in the past, but with the Marazzo, they hope to change that. The Mahindra Marazzo appears to have a well-rounded design, but it’s not a design language that’s bound to flatter you. It’s decently proportioned and that typical cab-forward MPV shape can’t go unnoticed. At the front, it gets a stubby bonnet, rather small-ish headlights, above which you will find LED strip lookalike elements. The wing mirrors are huge and the bonnet is nice and shapely. The grille gets the toothy effect, giving it a mildly aggressive look from up-front. Along the sides, there are some bold lines that give it some muscle. It also gets a rising window line along with a chrome strip, but we find the wheels a bit small. The tail lamps, although neatly designed, look too big. Then you get the floating roof, which is now a trend on nearly every other car. The chrome bar on the tail gate gives it a premium look from the back.

Space, not style

The dashboard is split by horizontal elements and we like the combination of materials and textures. We also like how the black and beige work along with the piano black, giving it a top-notch quality feel. The dashboard even gets enamel white accents; the black plastic above the dashboard is beautifully textured, while the seats feel like they belong on a car from a segment above. The Mahindra Marazzo features a 7.0-inch infotainment screen, offered with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The instrument cluster is neat and tidy, but more importantly, legible. Even the MID displays huge fonts.

When seated, you sit nice and high with excellent visibility out-front; the best part being, all the controls are within reach. There’s lots of room in the foot well and a dead pedal would’ve been a nice add. The switchgear is rather familiar, but the steering is new. As far as comfort is concerned, the seats offer sufficient support, but what stands out is the pair of captain seats in the middle row. The seating posture is great and the long seat base offers good under-thigh support, but we found that the cushioning was a bit too much. The Mahindra Marazzo is also sold as an 8-seater.

The drive

The Mahindra Marazzo is powered by a 1497cc, 4-cylinder diesel engine makes 121bhp and 300Nm of torque. The engine is surprisingly refined and quiet at idle, but as the revs climb, you do tend to hear the engine. Push it hard while you’re on the move, and that’s when you’re up for a lot of noise. Driving it at a decent pace is quite the opposite, however. Mahindra has ensured to keep engine vibrations as little as possible and the clutch is light, which makes driving around in it a breeze. The MPV pulls away easily and its 1.5-litre motor delivers power in a linear manner. Turbo lag is evident at lower revs and acceleration isn’t great either, with pace picking up quite slowly. The Marazzo also features cruise control. The 6-speed manual transmission is light and easy to use.

Final conclusion

The Marazzo is a Mahindra, no doubt – but one that feels better than Mahindras of old by leaps and bounds. It’s a properly engineered product that sets the benchmark for refinement and comfort. Performance could’ve been better and somehow, the Marazzo finds itself priced between the Maruti Ertiga and Toyota Innova, which is sure to pull in buyers looking for an spacious MPV. And it definitely offers you a lot of value for your money. Also, grab the latest info on the new cars, only at autoX.