[aaggoswami]

Originally Posted by PYSO

I... same feeling?

Nopes. I found it to be comfortable but overall space is something I cant travel in. Due to heavy upper body, I prefer relatively upright backrest. Note that my weight is 100 kg, not very common.

Originally Posted by Herbie98

Test drove Marazzo ...

8) Driver Ergonomics was very good.
10) Driver gets a commanding view of the road, typical like Mahindra.
13) NVH is awesome. No wind noise at 120 kmph. Cabin is very well insulated and is pleasantly silent.
16) 6 speed Gearbox is light and quick to slot.
17) Gear ratios are well spaced.
19) Body roll well contained. Passengers don't feel vertical or sideways movements.

- Brakes were average, despite being front and back disc brakes. Brakes lack the bite
- Engine bay is very very cramped. Access to mechanical parts and even battery is tough. At maintenance, service technicians are bound to struggle.
- The New 1.5 - 4 cylinder engine, durability needs to be seen.

In short this has been the best Mahindra till date. The top end variant is close to Innova Crysta Gx which would have the most durable engine, better service standards and resale value.

Did the front co-passenger armrest interfere while working thorough the gears ? In my case my hand was constantly hitting co-passenger armrest. Too long armrest plus the seat was kept forward to give more sense of space in 2nd row while I was conducting test drive. I also found that the slot for engaging 2nd gear has longer throw.

Front visibility : Could be better than Innova Crysta, but not the first generation Innova. Dashboard extension from base of front windshield is way too long plus the cowl could have been a bit lower. This would give even more airy ambiance in cabin. 1500 rpm = 60 kmph in 5th; not sure about rpm at same speed in 6th but it was 1250 rpm IIRC. Good enough considering small motor powering a large people mover.

Me and my friend felt more body roll than my 2012 Innova, however, this was compensated by softer suspension aiding urban ride quality. Somehow, felt that brakes in Marazzo are better than my car, probably my car is on last legs of brake pads ?

Engine bay is cramped = accurate description of what it is. Am wondering if engine oil filter replacement would need the hoses to removed. This 1.5 litre diesel engine is labelled as D15 by Mahindra and has oil filter near the oil dipstick. Couldn't grab an image of the same. Battery replacement would need the air filter to be removed. Innova GX 7-seater 2.4 costs around 17.5 lakh OTR and approximate on road price of Marazzo M8 is 15.5 lakh. Around 2 lakh difference is not small enough to ignore. However, Innova has many things going for it from larger more effortless engine to brand image, pleasant ownership experience with good anticipated resale adding to the equation. Marazzo should have been price lower, specially M6 variant.

[MMV]

Quite comprehensive yet concise note on the Marazzo. Definitely feel like doing a TD, especially before finalizing other comparable options. Seems like Mahindra has addressed the most common complaints about its vehicles.

[mohansrides]

Thanks to everyone here who had TDed the car and provided their views. I couldn't do a TD. But I did pay the car a visit. My impression is that the car is definitely a looker. Exterior design is very nice. But there are a couple of important misses:

1.) The boot needed to have been slightly bigger.

2.) Third row should also recline.

3.) Access to charging ports in dash was messy given that infernal handbrake. Even the cupholders were not freely accessible due to that handbrake lever.

4.) That handbrake was totally unnecessary.

5.) The storage on top of dash needs a cover. Maybe this is an aftermarket fix?

6.) Second gear kept mucking with passenger armrest. If I push passenger seat back, it eats into the legroom behind.

7.) Finally, I don't understand this obsession with captain seats. Most families (with kids and seniors) buying an MUV need more seating space. This means that a bench in the second row is a high fidelity feature that will be extensively used. Ideally, the full family should be able to use the first two rows allowing for the third row to be folded away to accommodate everyone's luggage for a road trip. This is the expectation. At most, this scenario can be tweaked with one seat of the third row used by a person with the other folded for luggage. These are the typical use cases. I don't see any manufacturer keeping this in mind.

Overall ergonomics is not a strong point in this car. At least, that's what I feel.

P.S.

To be fair, despite it's big misses, the Honda BR-V does accommodate 6 adults (under 5'8") and 2 kids (under 5 years) in 3 rows. The family was quite comfortable. And we still had access to a 230 litre boot. On top of that, the BR-V comes in a petrol with a CVT.

I was hoping that the Marazzo would be a better offering. But it looks like I am going to have to wait for the Ertiga or the next gen BR-V, or a used BR-V. It's a good thing that I am a relaxed shopper.

[kbishwa]

Originally Posted by mohansrides

I was hoping that the Marazzo would be a better offering. But it looks like I am going to have to wait for the Ertiga or the next gen BR-V, or a used BR-V. It's a good thing that I am a relaxed shopper.

BRV or Ertiga (old or new) cannot be compared with Marazzo, at least for it's seating comforts. BRV doesn't offer good thigh support, only two adsults in second row. If someone has petrol engine in mind, it is useless comparing it with only diesel Marazzo.

For an MPV the best part is its long drive comfort and Marazzo offers all: one of the best seating comfort, good ingress and egress, silent cabin and good fuel economy. Pls appreciate M&M for such an indigenous world-class product. It would definitely be cheap to maintain and hope would be reliable also.

[Bh.P]

Very excited with the initial impressions of the Marazzo. But utterly disappointed with the lack of an AT. I will be looking out for a 7 seat AT when I plan my next change. Hope they get one by then.

[samaspire]

I had the opportunity to be present at the launch of the Marazzo in Udupi. Bhpian deep blue had the honour of revealing the vehicle.



Few observations:

1) Not sure that it is the best Mahindra yet, but it definitely is a "never before" Mahindra. It's their answer to the people mover segment, but should have been priced closer to the Ertiga, not Innova. (my opinion). Don't know how much training the showroom staff has got, but the introducer mentioned that Marrazzo means Shark in Spanish. Best of all, he revealed that it has achieved 4-Star Europe NCAP rating, and 5-Star Indian NCAP rating. (I trust that these fallacies have not been taught to them by Mahindra, but …)

2) I did not drive the car, but was a passenger in the 2nd row. Contrary to other feedback, I found the ride quality to be not so good. While there were no issues with the potholes and humps, I could feel every small vibration over rough roads on my back. I think it had something to do with the 17" tyres of the M8 and they probably were over-inflated.



3) 2nd row headrests are fixed. As in, they are removable, but not adjustable.

4) The engine bay is cramped!! (I think my Alto's engine bay is wider than this one). You might risk injuring your fingers if you need to disconnect the battery. Removing the battery entails removing a couple of other parts first.



They have purportedly done this to free up more area inside the cabin, but the dashboard depth is almost 3 feet.



That means that half the engine is inside the cabin. What happens in case of a high speed frontal collision?

5) These 3 stickers are present in the engine bay.




6) Child Lock switch: Too easy for a child to unlock.



7) Notice the dimples on the metal.



8) 3rd row seating space. The 2nd row seat is fully ahead in the near photo, while its fully behind on the other side. Note that the person on the left is 5'4" while the one on the right is about 5'10".



Point to note is that only the seat on the left side is collapsible to prevent 3rd row passengers alighting from the right.

9) There is a cover provided for the OBD port. Notice it towards the top on the image.



10) The seatbelt locks have felt lining to prevent minor rattles. Nice touch.



11) 3rd Row armrest with bottle holder



12) 2nd row seat belt clip



13) Notice the sharp edge of the plastic moulding beside the driver side AC vent. Looks cheap.



14) Cabin light for the 3rd row. Can be switched on by pushing it in. Looks very nice. Inspired by the one in the Audi Q7 - that one is feather touch, and much richer though.



15) The roof lining above the 3rd row head area is nicely cushioned. So even a sudden jump will not result in head injuries.

16) The engine sump guard looks very well built and is a good safety feature.

[venkyhere]

Originally Posted by aaggoswami

6. Dashboard expanse from base of glass is quite long. It could have been shorter. What Mahindra saved in keeping the hood small, a bit of that saved real estate is comfortably consumed by Dashboard.

the other way around, and it would have looked like the nose & head of a dolphin. This is a shark, remember ?

[landcruiser123]

Originally Posted by PYSO

The risk that Mahindra has taken with this strategy is that the initial buyers of Marazzo will mostly be cabbies. This could potentially lead to Marazzo earning the stigma of being a pure cabbies vehicle (like the Xylo). Once such a stigma sinks in - the damage cannot be undone.

I think this 'cabbie' image doesn't affect a car. If its a good car and there are no alternatives, cabbie image doesn't matter.

The only cars that get stuck with cabbies are the mediocre cars which are well engineered, but lack finesse to appeal to a private buyer. Only buyers on a strict budget will buy the cars.

Example:
- Indica
- Etios
- Xylo

[Kenneth Keymer]

Originally Posted by Turbanator

how about " Touring Utility Vehicle"

Wonders never cease with Mahindra. KUV stands for “Kool” Utility Vehicle :P

By that yardstick your suggestion is way better!

[samaspire]

One thing that looked odd to me is the dashboard. It has 5 different colours/textures on it. Grey top, glossy black centre piece, ceramic white stripe under it, beige glovebox lid and dark grey gear console. The glossy black has this nice vector pattern that fades out from the passenger ac vent towards the centre, but it is a fingerprint magnet.




Another odd thing I noticed is that the charging/USB ports are very low down, with the phone storage area at almost floor level. You have to reach down for them with the armrest and the handbrake lever in the way. No way you can use that while driving, because it's impossible to keep your head above the dashboard if you reach down for your phone. (Actually, might be possible for tall drivers)

[prakash_ajp]

Originally Posted by samaspire

Another odd thing I noticed is that the charging/USB ports are very low down, with the phone storage area at almost floor level. You have to reach down for them with the armrest and the handbrake lever in the way. No way you can use that while driving

May be that's the idea? Why anyone who cares about safety would reach for the phone while driving?

[giri1.8]

Saw the car recently, have to say this is "Machine minimum man maximum" in execution ! they have focused on the passenger area more than anything else, which is great. Even the engine bay reflects this idea.

Instead of such a small engine with high horsepower, which is great for compact cars and sedans, they could have used atleast the 1.99L diesel detuned for better FE.

Small diesels on big cars return good FE, but with full load everything goes for a toss, including FE! with 7 people and luggage onboard, this might return lower fuel efficiency than a Hexa or Innova in hilly terrains(just my personal experience with small and big engines).

[Aaron:)]

I for one, am pleasantly surprised by the Marazzo. Weird name aside, it seems like Mahindra's most mature product yet. And it's not even ugly!
Balanced dynamics, good NVH, decent quality and great space - it has the makings of a great family MPV. I hope it does well in the market.

[samaspire]

Dont know if it's been mentioned before - Steering wheel is adjustable only for height, not reach.

[Waspune]

Originally Posted by Mad Max

The fully loaded Innova diesel is about 26L. It would be a stretch for even the most flexible buyer to go from 17L to 26L as an upgrade.

Lets keep it to the 2.4 GX variant for the comparison sake (as the Marazzo lacks auto transmission) that does come with all necessary things plus an additional airbag. It is priced at 19 lacs ONR and club that with Toyota's reliability and A.S.S I am sure this version alone will compete well with the Marazzo top end. No wonder Toyota revamped the GX features just in time

Originally Posted by Mad Max

Let's compare this with Ertiga and this will outshine it in every department. Why is everyone concerned about the smaller engine in Marazzo while we have a puny 1.3L pulling 7 people in an Ertiga wherever they want to go? (No offence to Ertiga owners btw)

The newer (upcoming) Ertiga has grown bigger and lighter so expect the (power and torque) to weight ratios similar for both Ertiga and Marazzo.

Originally Posted by Mad Max

For me, this is a great attempt by Mahindra

Agreed! Mahindra has very well created a segment and positioned it perfectly between the Ertiga and Innova.