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Old 6th November 2018, 15:30   #1
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Mahindra Marazzo : Official Review

The Mahindra Marazzo is on sale in India at a price of between Rs. 9.99 - 13.90 lakhs.

What you'll like:

• A clean looking Mahindra (for a change!) with a robust, abuse-friendly build
• Nice & roomy cabin. 1st & 2nd seat rows are spacious, while the captain seats are terrific
• A 3rd-row seat that can actually be used by adults
• 1.5L diesel offers good driveability & fuel economy. 6-speed MT is smooth to use
• Compliant ride quality with neutral road manners for an MUV
• Impressively refined & more carlike-to-drive than other body-on-frame UVs
• Dual airbags, all-wheel disc brakes, Isofix & ABS are standard
• Features such as 2 front armrests, adjustable lumbar support, cruise control, rear window sunshades, rest reminder, economy mode etc.
• Scored 4 stars in the GNCAP crash test (more information)

What you won't:

• With the 3rd seat row in place, the boot is rather small for a vehicle of this size
• Concerns over niggles in a freshly baked product & engine from Mahindra
• M8 variant's price overlap with the XUV500 & Hexa (especially after discounts on the latter two)
• No automatic variant on sale. Almost all competitors have an AT in the line-up
• Some design errors such as the cramped engine bay (try accessing the battery) & hard-to-use handbrake
• Mahindra's after-sales service quality is a hit or miss. Remains a gamble
• Many important features missing (keyless entry & go, auto-dimming IRVM, leather-wrapped steering, telescopic steering adjustment, auto headlamps & wipers etc.)


Last edited by GTO : 19th November 2020 at 07:35. Reason: Updating with GNCAP score
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Old 6th November 2018, 15:30   #2
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Review Index:
Exterior

Interior - Front

Interior - Rear

Interior - 3rd Row

In-Car Entertainment

Driving the 1.5L Diesel MT

Ride & Handling

Other Points

Smaller yet Significant Things

Last edited by Aditya : 19th February 2019 at 14:57.
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Old 6th November 2018, 15:30   #3
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Exterior



In India, when one speaks of MPVs, just two names come to mind – the Toyota Innova Crysta & Maruti Ertiga. The former is the undisputed king of MPVs, while those who want something less expensive + smaller + easier to drive, opt for the latter. The excellent packaging, long-term reliability and high resale values of these two MPVs have ensured that their runs in the market have been successful. Other manufacturers such as Mahindra (Xylo), Tata, Honda, Renault and Nissan have had a crack at this segment too, but none have been able to match the 2 leaders.

Clearly, success in the MPV segment is harder than in other categories. That's why Mahindra has come prepared this time around. For one, it isn't taking the Ertiga or the Innova head-on. Rather, the Marazzo is positioned right between the two in terms of size as well as price. Second, and importantly, the product is very competent. The Marazzo is aimed at the customer who needs a larger vehicle than the Ertiga, but does not want to shell out a small fortune for the Innova Crysta. Don’t forget that the Innova Crysta’s price has considerably shot up – the Marazzo will appeal to those who have the budget for the old Innova, not the current one. Trivia = the Bolero’s sales had shot up after the Qualis was discontinued & replaced by the pricier Innova.

The Marazzo has been developed with engineering & conceptualisation inputs from the Mahindra Research Valley, Tamil Nadu and Mahindra North American Technical Centre (MNATC) in Detroit. It uses a new U321 platform, which is not currently shared with any other car. Mahindra claims to have spent about Rs. 1,400 crore on developing the Marazzo. The vehicle is probably the only one we know about that uses a body-on-frame construction with a transversely-mounted motor & front wheel drive. The Chevrolet Enjoy was a rare monocoque to be a RWD, while the Marazzo is a rare body-on-frame to be a FWD! The company keeps bragging about this patented body-on-frame + transverse-mounted engine + FWD layout, but what is the reason behind that? Here’s what we think:

1. It’s cheaper to develop a body-on-frame car than a modern monocoque (read = MUCH cheaper).
2. Body-on-frame UVs are more robust & abuse / overload friendly. This is key to the rural & taxi markets.
3. Commercial operators love body-on-frames as they are easier to fix after accidents.
4. Transverse-mounted engine = more cabin space.

The Marazzo has been designed by Mahindra's design studio with inputs from Pininfarina - the Italian design house that Mahindra owns. Marazzo means “shark” in Basque (thanks to BHPian Aiel for pointing it out) and the car's styling has apparently been inspired by one (don’t miss this post by Smartcat). What we can tell you is that the Marazzo looks pretty good for a people carrier.

Mahindra Marazzo : Official Review-mahindra-marazzo-comparo.png

Fit & finish are better than other Mahindra vehicles, but not as good as say, what Toyota manages. The car is solidly built and the doors, tailgate and bonnet have some weight to them. There's not much flex if you press the metal with your thumb & the doors seem to have superior sheet metal than the Innova’s which ding easily. The vehicle's kerb weight of 1,600 kg makes it lighter than the Innova Crysta and Xylo, but almost 400 kg heavier than the Ertiga. The paint quality is acceptable, but certainly not exceptional.

To power the Marazzo, Mahindra have used a new 1.5L, 4-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine mated to a 6-speed manual transmission. Automatic & petrol options are conspicuous by their absence. The AT will come later, but there is no petrol as Mahindra simply has no expertise in petrol engines. Period.

Coming to safety, the Marazzo is equipped with dual front airbags, ABS + EBD, ISOFIX child seat mounts, impact-sensitive door locks and all-round disc brakes as standard. Mahindra has also equipped the car with audible speed warnings. Additionally, you get tell-tale and sound warnings if any of the doors has not been shut properly. While the car has not been crash tested by independent entities like NCAP, Mahindra claims that it meets the crash regulations that are scheduled to be implemented in India. We wish Mahindra had provided the top-end variant with 6 airbags & ESP like the XUV500.

Mahindra is offering a standard warranty of 3 years / 1,00,000 km, which can be extended to 5 years / 150,000 km. We strongly recommend this extension as brand-new Mahindras are known to have niggles in the early batches. Plus, the engine is new too.

A pleasant surprise is this clean looking MPV from Mahindra, without the quirkiness & over-styling that we usually see in the company's other cars. Pininfarina effect? Smart projector headlamps and a grille that's on the slimmer side. Bonnet slopes downwards like a European people mover:


Well-sculpted tailgate, but the tail-lamps are too big & the chrome strip too thick IMHO. Rear reminds us of the Renault Lodgy in some ways:


Viewed from the side, the Marazzo is very van-like in appearance & the cab-forward philosophy is evident. Still, the C-shaped character lines, large wheels and body cladding help in making it look interesting. Chrome strips are used on the window line and black body cladding. The design is proportionate, while the front & rear overhangs aren't too long. By MPV standards, the Marazzo does look smart:


One of the best angles to view the Marazzo from. Mahindra knows best how important design is; the main reason for the Xylo's dismal market performance was its ugly styling:


Bodyline is much cleaner compared to some other Mahindra products. There are some cuts and creases, but they are not overdone. On the other hand, the tail-lamps look terribly big from this angle:


Headlamp clusters of the M6 & M8 variants feature halogen projectors for the low beam, regular halogen units for the main beam and halogen turn-indicators. Follow-me-home function has been provided. DRLs are not integrated in the headlamp cluster. Don't miss the chrome eyebrow on top:


Another look at the detailing of the headlamp cluster. Notice the chrome at the base of the black housing:


With all the lights in action. When you press the lock button twice, the follow-me-home function is activated and the headlamps stay on for 20 seconds:


Eyebrow-shaped LED daytime running lights (DRLs) are available only in the M8 (top) variant. Halogen foglamps with black housings are provided in the M6 and M8 variants. Notice how the front towing point is neatly integrated in the foglamp housing (bet you missed it at first glance!):


Foglamps provide sufficient illumination and double up as cornering lights:


The DRLs are prominent even under direct sunlight and help in giving the Marazzo good road presence. They dim a little when switched to pilot lamp mode. The Marazzo also comes with a lead-me-to-vehicle feature. Press the unlock button on the keyfob twice and the DRLs + LED strips in the tail-lamps come on in full intensity, then blinking twice to indicate where the car is:


Radiator grille gets a mesh design and claw-like chrome inserts which have become a Mahindra design trait. Notice how the bonnet is shaped to accommodate the Mahindra badge:


Dual-tone bumper uses a lot of black to break the monotony. Has a wide split air-dam too:


The air-dam's upper portion gets a mesh design (carried over from the grille) with a chrome insert below, while the lower portion gets vertical slats and a single horizontal one:


Underbody gets a good deal of protection at the front. Even though it is plastic, the material feels tough and built to last:


Aero wiper blade design looks very cool:


Windshield washers placed on the bonnet look ugly (they should have been hidden under). Each unit shoots out water through two nozzles:


I felt that the wipers are on the smaller side. A substantial portion of the windshield is not covered by their sweep. That said, they are very silent in operation. You can't hear a thing! Wipers have a courtesy wipe feature (after using the washer, a final sweep occurs after a few seconds):


Panel gaps are among the best we have seen on a Mahindra vehicle:


Some inconsistencies are present however. Example = around the bonnet and tailgate areas, the shut lines are wider:


Dual-tone body colour + black ORVMs with integrated blinkers are mounted on the main door panel:


ORVMs house useful white puddle lamps underneath. They come on whenever you unlock the car:


The puddle lamps do a good job of lighting up the ground below:


Top of the door handle is draped in chrome, while the lower part is body coloured - a very classy touch. Disappointingly, the Marazzo does not get keyless entry & go and therefore, no request sensors here. Those buying the expensive M8 variant are surely going to complain about its omission. Keyhole is present only on the driver's side:


Blackened window panes & B and C-Pillars. D-Pillar gets a black insert to give a floating roof effect. Roofline tapers towards the rear. Window line features a chrome strip that extends from the A-Pillar all the way on to the D-Pillar. Glass area is huge in this car:


There is too much happening on the D-Pillar with the black insert, chrome strip from the window line and the tail-lamp, all contributing to the clutter in the corner:


Flared front wheel arches attempt to lend a muscular appearance to the van-like body:


Prominent character lines in the shape of a "C". Lower down is a black cladding with a slim chrome strip:


M8 variant gets dual-tone 17" alloy wheels shod with 215/60 section Bridgestone Duelers. The funky design will split opinions - I liked them, GTO didn't. M6 gets 16" alloy wheels and 215/65 section tyres, while the M2 and M4 variants get 16" steel rims. For an MPV, we feel that the 16" wheel size is more suitable (comfier ride, lesser chance of tyre damage, cheaper tyre replacements). Sweet touch = wheel bolts aren't visible...they are concealed by the cap:


Disc brakes are provided on all four wheels of the Marazzo :


Tiny aero flaps at the front only:


Unlike some other Mahindra vehicles, the Marazzo does not get a ribbed roof. Roof rails are not available either:


Weird that a shark-inspired vehicle doesn't get a shark-fin antenna! It is available as an optional extra though. The standard antenna is a conventional stubby unit:


Notice how the rear washer is beautifully integrated in the stop lamp (last non-illuminated slot on the right). Barring the M2 (base), all variants of the Marazzo get rear wash & wipe:


Surprising lack of attention-to-detail. Check out how the panel on the side sticks out compared to the piece on the tailgate. This is one of those things = once you see it, you can't unsee it:


A closer look at the detailing in the tail-lamp cluster. The pilot lamps are a mix of LEDs & halogens. The indicators and reversing lamps are halogen bulbs:


Tail-lamp features a chrome insert on the side, shaped like the tail fin of a shark. The cluster is simply oversized:


With all the lights in action:


Large chrome insert runs between the tail-lamps and appears to merge into them. Unlike anywhere else in the Marazzo, the chrome treatment looks overdone here. We would have liked it to be more subtle. Recessed area for number plate is huge. The rear is the only part of the design where we would like some changes:


Reversing camera is tucked away above the number plate (in the center). In a car this long, you're going to need it:


Electromagnetic boot release is located low on the tailgate, instead of above the number plate like we have seen in most UVs:


Model and variant badges are located on the right. The first "A" in the Marazzo incorporates a red shark fin:


On the sides, the rear bumper rises all the way up to the tail-lamp clusters. There is a black plastic insert on the lower edge, with foglamps at both ends. Four parking sensors provided; I would have preferred the outside ones to be positioned nearer to the bumper edge. Meaty exhaust pipe peeps out from below the bumper on the right:


M6 and M8 variants get rear foglamps. Reflectors are on the inner sides:


Rear towing point is located on the left, behind this plastic cover:


Spare wheel is a full size alloy:


Double-wishbone suspension at the front. Has lots of aluminium components:


The Marazzo looks more van-like compared to the Ertiga. It's also a size bigger:


With the king of the segment & the indisputable benchmark. While the Marazzo is shorter in length than the Innova Crysta, it has a longer wheelbase. A smaller turning radius and lighter steering makes the Mahindra easier to park & maneuver in the city. Between the two, the Marazzo is the more "car like" to drive:

Last edited by Aditya : 15th November 2018 at 16:32.
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Old 6th November 2018, 15:30   #4
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Interior - Front



Like the exterior, the Marazzo's interior has been designed by the Mahindra Design Studio and Pininfarina. The vehicle is available in 7-seater or 8-seater configurations.

Mahindra claims to have moved the A and C-Pillars as forward and backward (respectively) as they could in order to maximise the door opening area of the Marazzo. The front doors open and shut in a triple-stage action. As mentioned earlier, the doors have some weight, but they are not so heavy that it will take a lot of effort to open or shut them. While the doors open wide enough and the running board is not very wide, the floor is a little on the higher side, yet not as high as other body-on-frame UVs. Some senior citizens will complain. The roof is high and the seats are placed at a comfortable height. So, you can just walk into the car. Once inside, the Marazzo has sufficient legroom, headroom & width.

The front & rear windshields are large, while the side windows of the first and second rows are big enough to allow for excellent all-round visibility. It's only the windows of the third row that are on the smaller side. Still, there is lots of light entering the cabin. The use of beige on the dashboard, doorpads, seats, pillars and roof helps matters.

The dashboard has a beige & black theme with white and chrome inserts too. Piano black has been used extensively. While the lower part of the dashboard is beige, the carpets and floor mats are black (black or dark grey flooring is best for India).

Cabin quality is overall satisfactory, with some good parts & a few cheap ones. The plastics on the dashboard are all hard. While the quality is certainly better than other Mahindra vehicles, it does not feel at par with say, a Tata Hexa. While most parts are well-finished, there are a couple of rough edges. Those buying the lower variants will be happy; the top-end variant's customers might wish things were more premium. The seats get leatherette (artificial leather) upholstery and there is some leather applied on the doorpads as well.

The vehicle gets some useful features such as sunshades for the windows of the second row and lumbar support for both the front seats. Ergonomically, the cabin is well laid out for the most part. There are barely any flaws. It is Japanese car-good, although some bits (like the USB and 12V socket) are poorly placed. The handbrake is a story in itself. Otherwise, everything is where you want it to be. Even the dead pedal is comfortably angled. The gear lever, which is mounted on the dashboard, is perfectly positioned and engaging reverse is easy. I'd say that the steering was a little far away for a laidback driving position (GTO & Vid6639 sit that way). Mahindra should definitely have provided a reach-adjustable steering at this pricing.

The feel, quality and finish of the buttons and switches are satisfactory, but not premium. Some of these are shared with other Mahindra cars.

Interior is classy, simple & functional in design:


Frontal visibility is excellent. You sit higher up than a sedan, but not as high as a Safari (as an example). Nope, you cannot see the bonnet as it slopes down sharply. IRVM is mounted a little too low - those sitting high up will feel this:


Front quarter glass at the A-pillar's base. LHS one aids driver visibility:


The dashboard runs really long. The sheer length from where it starts till the windscreen is huge! Check out the expansive surface area on top:


Steering is soft and has thumb contours. Sadly, no leather cladding and it is a size too thin. Piano black insert helps give it an upmarket look. Hornpad is a stretch for your thumbs & is hard to press too. The dual-disc horn sounds nice:


Steering can be adjusted for height only, not reach - even in the top spec! This is a major omission as a reach-adjustable steering greatly contributes to the 'perfect' driving position. Tall dudes with a laidback driving style like that of GTO & Vid6639 will wish the steering was closer:


Whoa! That is one crowded steering. Get this = there are FOUR scroll buttons! Controls for the infotainment system, telephony and voice commands are placed on the left spoke. Separate button provided for the very useful mute function.

Buttons for operating the MID and cruise control are placed on the right spoke. To engage cruise control, move the toggle switch on the steering wheel upwards and it engages cruise control at the speed at which you are driving. Increase or decrease your speed by moving the same switch upwards or downwards. You can switch it off by pressing the "Cruise Off" button below. Press "RES" and the cruise control will resume at the same speed you had disengaged it at.

All steering mounted buttons have a nice, premium feel to them:


Tachometer on the left and speedometer on the right (the arrangement we prefer). Both dials get purple outlines and needles with white lettering; this purple colour has divided opinions in the Team-BHP office. In the Marazzo brochure, Mahindra calls this purple "techy". We call it "tacky". The instrument cluster is clear and easy to read even during the day time. Despite the dials being a size smaller than we'd like them to be, the fonts are well-sized. Digital temperature and fuel gauges are on either side of the MID. See the carelessness - between "x1,000" and "rpm" on the revv counter, there's no space! RPM counter is optimistically marked till 7,000 rpm (will they use the same in a future petrol?). The diesel doesn't even revv to 5,000 rpm which is where this redline begins!!


Good-looking MID has two trip meters. It also has a trip meter that tells you how many kilometres in a trip you have used the air-con for (important for cabbies). When idling, every minute with the air-con on increases the Trip A/C meter count by 1 km. On the bottom left is the gear position readout:


Other information displayed includes average fuel efficiency, distance to empty, average speed and the driving time. Instant fuel consumption is not shown (we don't miss it):


Additionally, the MID shows the date, outside temperature, digital or analogue clock and incorporates a stopwatch:


The MID throws up a number of warnings including one for low fuel. It also displays the specific door that is open. While there is a warning for the tailgate as well, there is none for the bonnet. Upon switching the car on - if the front wheels are in a turned position - the system warns you accordingly. It also shows the direction in which the wheels are turned, and how you need to steer to straighten them. With the onboard navigation turned on, you can get turn-by-turn navigation instructions. Additionally, the MID also flashes a message momentarily after every 25 km of continuous driving and a 'take rest" reminder after 250 km or 2.5 hours of non-stop driving:


MID allows you to set personal reminders (pretty useless IMHO - I'd rather use my smartphone for that):


One can store a list of birthdays, wedding anniversaries and car anniversaries. Again, this might have been useful in the pre-smartphone era, but not today. Instead, Mahindra should have given the ECO-savings calculator (in rupees) that the Innova Crysta has:


Light and wiper stalks are lifted off the Scorpio. They feel durable, but not premium. Foglamp controls (front & rear) are on the light stalk itself. Disappointingly, auto headlights and auto wipers are not available on any variant of the Marazzo. Just not done in the M8 variant which costs between 16 - 17 lakhs on the road!! Another negative = no "lane change indicator" where a soft press would result in 3 indicator flashes:


Standard illuminated keyhole. Again, we're disappointed with the lack of an engine start button. So many cheaper cars get keyless entry & go!


Air-con vents also get chrome borders and inserts on the air flow direction controllers + air volume controllers. This is a rare car in which, if you shut the front air vent, the airflow is almost zero. Usually, we see more air coming out, even when closed:


The dashboard could have been merged with the door & pillar more seamlessly, as is the case with other cars. The sharp edges here look sorely out of place. The crevasses will be difficult to clean too:


Controls for the headlight leveller and ECO driving mode are to the driver's right. Engage ECO mode and a white light comes on:


Cover for the fuse box does not have sharp edges, but could been better finished. You can see all the loose plastic hair in this pic. One could use this space as a small storage area:


OBD port is located at the base of the fuse box:


Uniquely, the black OBD port gets its own cover!


Doorpads with the same black & beige colour theme as the dashboard:


M8 gets chrome door handles & lock knob too. When you lock or unlock the driver's door, all other doors lock & unlock - there is no central locking button. Niggles = this was working intermittently in our test car. Sometimes, when the driver's door was locked, the others remained unlocked. This happened at least 5 times. Mahindra needs to address these irritants:


Like the dashboard, the doorpad gets a white insert. It's plastic, hence no qualms of it getting dirty (you can easily clean it). Again, opinions were divided in the Team-BHP office on these white inserts. Some liked it, others didn't:


Simple switchgear for the power windows. They are illuminated in white. Only the driver's window gets one-touch up / down & anti-pinch. ORVMs are electrically adjustable and foldable, but don't get the auto-folding function. Weird that companies miss out on such simple convenience features after spending over a thousand crores in R&D:


While the plastics are all hard, the armrest is padded and covered in leatherette:


Door pockets are deep and wide. They can hold a 1L bottle, a cup and an umbrella. Be careful not to allow small items (such as coins) enter the umbrella slot. Removing them is a pain:


Door sills aren't too wide, which means lesser effort is needed to move your feet in & out of the car. No scuff plates provided:


Well-sized contoured seats are very comfortable to sit in and offer good support. They are firm enough to be supportive over longer drives. Will accommodate larger users as well. M8 (top) variant gets leatherette upholstery:


Levers look and feel robust. Height adjustment for the driver's seat is available on all variants, except the base:


Fore & aft adjustment is via this sturdy metal lever:


Lumbar support can be adjusted via this rotary knob. Both front seats get it. Those with a weak lower back will appreciate. Like height adjustment, this function is available on the M4, M6 and M8 variants:


Fore & aft travel range is enough to accommodate tall & short drivers alike:


Height adjustment range is healthy as well. Short or tall, no one will complain:


A closer look at the perforated leatherette upholstery. The quality of the upholstery is average. This is certainly no Hyundai:


Front seats get comfortable, individual armrests - a Mahindra trademark. At 5'10", I could move gears even while resting my left arm on the armrest. On the flip side, if the passenger seat is moved forward, the armrest can foul with the gear shifter:


Seatbelts aren't adjustable for height, but their positioning will be comfortable for most people:


Front seatbelts get pretensioners. This is the first car in which we have come across exposed pretensioners:


The pedals are well spaced out. Dead pedal is sufficiently wide and...


...comfortably angled:


ORVMs are very tall, which is good. However, they should have been a size wider as well. Width is very important when it comes to ORVMs:


IRVM is wide enough. However, like in most other UVs, the thick D-pillars restrict visibility:


Automatic dimming for the IRVM is shockingly missing! Standard manual adjuster provided – the kind you get in economy hatchbacks costing 1/3rd the Marazzo's price:


Reverse parking view for the driver. While the D-pillars are thick, overall visibility is decent thanks to the big rear glass. No complaints here:


Center fascia gets shiny piano black finish around the ICE and air-con vents. Again, the white inserts (at the bottom) have divided opinions in our office. The gear lever is mounted on the center fascia. Drivers of some seating positions will find it to be placed slightly far away than preferred:


Like the side units, the central air-con vents get a subtle chrome border and inserts on the air volume controllers and air flow directors. Even these vents can be shut (most cars skip on it here):


7.0-inch touchscreen ICE sits right on top of the center fascia. It comes with Bluetooth, USB, navigation, Android Auto & Apple CarPlay (recently added). ICE functions have been covered in a dedicated post later in the review:


M8 variant gets a climate control unit lifted from the XUV500 and with an 'economy' mode (again, important for cabbies). The blower has 8 levels of adjustment. It starts getting loud on levels 4 and 5, while on levels 6, 7 & 8, it is annoyingly loud. The lowest temperature that the system goes to is 17.5 degrees centigrade before hitting LO, while the highest is 31.5 degrees before hitting HI; increments are in 0.5 degree levels. Rear passengers can start their air-con independently from the back.

The system is satisfactory. However, with continually changing accelerator inputs (say, heavy driving in the city), we found its cooling to drop. Once we started maintaining consistent accelerator inputs, the air-con cooled well. This is probably because whenever you floor the accelerator, the compressor turns off. It's too sensitive & Mahindra needs to correct it. In the city with a heavy foot, the compressor is kicking in and out constantly. There was a bug in our test car - the cabin re-circulation mode light was not going off. It was permanently on!

Front passenger seatbelt and "airbag off" warning indicators are located below the climate control system:


Backlit USB ports, Aux-in port and 12V charging point are inconveniently located too low on the center fascia - very close to the floor of the car! These are difficult to reach. USB 2 can be used for connecting to Android Auto, but not USB 1:


Rubberised base for storage space (next to the USB ports) can be used to park your smartphone:


Storage bin in the center console gets a sliding tambour door - a premium touch. It has a rubberised top. Because its rubberised, you could place an item or two on it as long as there is no hard cornering involved:


Aircraft (or boat?) inspired handbrake looks super cool, but is terribly inconvenient to use, especially with the armrest in place. Better to fold the armrest up while using the handbrake. We like such design touches as they bring character to the cabin, but not at a severe cost of ergonomics:


Handbrake rubs against the driver's seat too, which means one needs to put in extra effort to operate it. In this seat position, the leatherette could wear out prematurely:


Storage bin in the center console houses a pair of cupholders. They have a rubberised base, which can be removed for cleaning. Storage bin itself is big & practical:


Piano black surface keeps things from getting boring on the passenger's side. The detailing on the surface is similar to the detailing on top of the dashboard (check it out):


White insert between the black and beige surfaces looks out of place. It also gives the impression that there is too much going on. As much as Mahindra has restrained itself on the Marazzo, I guess they couldn't completely stop overdoing the design in some places:


Glovebox is smaller than you would expect in such a large MPV...


...but it is illuminated and has a cooling function...


...along with a pen holder:


Open storage compartment above the dashboard can be used to store items the size of a wallet. Don't keep your wallet out here though (for obvious visibility reasons) and neither should you park your smartphone here (risk of overheating & theft). Can't even keep keys here as they would rattle, so we're trying to figure out how to use this spot:


Thick sunvisors feel nice & premium. They have the same material as the roof liner. Both sunvisors get extenders. You can use these on the side windows when the sun gets too harsh. Slide in your toll tickets / parking slips into that slot (we prefer a flap or clip though):


Passenger's sunvisor gets a vanity mirror with a cover, and a light right above. The light starts automatically when you slide open the mirror:


Roof bezel consists of the cabin lamp, Bluetooth mic, sunglass holder and conversation mirror:


Sunglass holder has a soft lining to reduce the odds of scratching your shades:


Conversation mirror is nifty when having a talk with rear passengers or keeping an eye on the kids:


While dual airbags are standard on all variants of the Marazzo, we feel Mahindra should have given the top variant 6 airbags. There are many cheaper cars that are now offering 6 airbags:


Disable the front passenger's airbag from the side of the dashboard. You shouldn’t though – children should always be placed on the rear seat:


Exposed screws & bolts under the dashboard on the driver's side look ugly! Further, they could hurt you if driving bare feet (I know many people who prefer to do so on the highway):


Things are tidier on the passenger's side (some exposed bits are there though):

Last edited by Aditya : 11th May 2019 at 16:09.
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Old 6th November 2018, 15:30   #5
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Interior - Rear

The rear doors of the Mahindra Marazzo open and close in a triple stage action. The doors open wide enough and ingress + egress are relatively easy. However, being a body-on-frame vehicle, it is higher than the monocoque MPVs. GTO's senior-citizen mother could not get in easily:


There is ample space between the seat and B-pillar to move your feet when getting in or out:


The door sill is not excessively wide either. Like the front, no scuff plates provided:


Mahindra claims that the Marazzo's step-in height of 465 mm is convenient for a woman in a saree or an elderly person without the use of a footboard. However, as we have mentioned earlier, that is not the case for senior-citizens:


Like the front doorpads, the ones at the rear have a black & beige theme with a white insert. The rear speakers are housed in them, while the l-o-n-g armrest area gets a soft leatherette surface:


The M8 variant of the Marazzo gets sunshades for the second row windows!


With sunfilms banned, it proves to be an effective way to protect yourself from the harsh sun. Yep, they do make a difference:


Doorpads are wide & get bottle + cupholders - just like the units at the front. No umbrella holders here though:


Leatherette-upholstered captain seats are terrific! They have sufficient cushioning & most people will find the seat height fine. The 8-seater bench seat version (unavailable in the M8 variant) gets a 60:40 split folding middle row. While the bench seat Marazzo can hold 3 here, the captain seats are superb - go for the former only if you absolutely need to carry 3 here. Mahindra claims that the Marazzo has 1,488 mm of shoulder room in the second row:


Legroom is healthy. At 5'10", I could sit here, even with the front seat pushed all the way behind. There's a good amount of foot room as well:


Second row seats get foldable individual armrests which are comfy. Headrests are removable (don't ever do it), but not adjustable:


Captain seats get fore & aft adjustment. You'll obviously push it all the way behind, unless there is a big guy on the 3rd row seat:


The travel range is limited though, and the difference between the two seats in extreme positions is ~3 inches only (shown here). With the front seat in my sitting position, even if I take the second row seat all the way in the front, I have enough kneeroom. The seatback can be folded forward (for access to the 3rd row), but it strangely doesn't get recline-adjustment which is a big draw of captain seats. Nevertheless, its angle is just enough to keep passengers comfortable. Headroom is ample. At 5'10", I had about 3.5" of clearance. Lastly, I found the neck restraints to be comfortable:


Front seats get scooped out seatbacks, which help in freeing up some more knee room:


Long wheelbase shows its benefits here. With the driver's seat in my position (5'10"), I have ~4 inches of knee room to spare. However, with the front seat in full back position, my knees almost touch the seatback. The scooped-out seatbacks help greatly over here:


There is enough space under the front seats to slide your feet under. The area where your foot would meet the front seat is soft too. All in all, the captain seats + comfy ride quality ensure that your passengers will be kept happy:


Isofix child seat anchors have been provided on both captain seats. This is a standard feature in all variants of the Marazzo:


Individual armrests are useful. They can be folded up when required:


Roof bezel is placed just behind the front seats. It consists of a single cabin lamp - the front & second row lights go out with a theatre dimming effect. Roof bezel also holds the controls for the rear air-con:


Long rear air-conditioner stretches over the second and third row of seats. In the bench seat variant, it will lessen the available headroom for the person in the middle:


Air-conditioner has a 5-speed blower and two modes of operation. It can give you a direct blast of air through the smaller vents at the two ends of the system, or blows out diffused air through the larger vents in the middle. The diffused settings works very well! The air-conditioner can be used even if the front climate control system is off. You just need to press the "Rear A/C" button on the climate control. Cooling performance is good. However, the blower gets noisy at higher speeds:


Window is large and allows a good deal of light to enter the cabin:


Window rolls almost all the way in:


Seatback pockets provided on both seats. They are not deep, but adequately wide:


Storage space at the end of the center console can be used by second row passengers as a bottle / cup holder or to keep their mobile phones:


Rear passengers get a USB charging port for their smartphones:


Spring-loaded grab handles. Both rear units get useful coat / bag hooks:


Seatbelts can be parked using these slots when not in use or while folding the captain seat forward:


Short floor hump doesn't cause any inconvenience:

Last edited by GTO : 14th November 2018 at 08:45.
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Old 6th November 2018, 15:31   #6
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Interior - 3rd Row

Using this lever, you can flip the left seat of the 2nd row forward in a single, continuous motion. The flip & tumble operation is so intuitive to use that even a layman could pull it off, without asking for instructions. We're pleasantly surprised that Mahindra has accomplished this. Do note that only the left seat can be tumbled forward which we agree with as it's the non-traffic side on Indian roads:


While this one-touch tumble makes it easy to fold the seat, and the gap to get in is sufficient, ingress & egress are definitely not a job for the elderly. You still need to climb & crouch to get in. That said, it's easier to get in here than say, a Hexa:


The right side seatback can be folded down for cargo, but no tumbling of the seat:


A 3rd row which can actually be used by adults! Supposed to take 3 passengers, but we'll say it's just 2. Hence, IMHO, the captain seat variant is a 6-seater & the bench seat variant a 7-seater. Side passengers get 3-point seatbelts, while the middle one (child at best) gets just a lap belt. The side passengers get adjustable headrests too:


A look at the maximum & minimum legroom available in the third row. You had better maintain good relations with the person sitting in front of you. 2nd row occupants have healthy legroom available, so they won't mind taking their seat forward:


There's enough headroom in the third row for a 5'10"passenger. However, the seat is on the lower side and an adult will sit in a knees-up position. Like most other 3rd-row seats, thigh support is almost non-existent:


There's enough room below the 2nd-row seat to slide one's aisle-side foot under. However, a hump on the window side (under the captain seats) will prevent the other foot from being slid under it. Mahindra should have paid more attention to this problem. Check out this pic shared by BHPian Karpusv:


Anchor points for child seats in the second row:


Sticker on the seatback of the LHS second row seat explains how to fold + tumble it forward:


You have to be careful while putting the seat back into place from its tumbled position, so that it doesn't land on your feet. Warning sticker on the underside:


Second row seats can be folded almost flat. Third row passengers can comfortably stretch & chill. Now, if only we had such cars available in our college days in the 90s


When not in use, the seatbelt buckles can be tucked away into these cut-outs. Cut-outs even get belts to hold the buckles in place!


Third row window is small. Yet, due to the light coloured interiors, one does not feel claustrophobic:


Spring-loaded grab handles on both sides:


3rd-row passengers get lights on both sides too. These have only two positions - on and off - and aren't connected to the doors:


A cup / bottle holder on either side. In terms of the armrest length, the RHS one is shorter:


Boot's mouth is wide, but loading lip is high:


With the third row seats in place, there is 190 liters of luggage space available. Enough only for some small to medium-sized bags. It's just as limited as the Ertiga's, despite the difference in rating (check out the Ertiga's 135L boot here):


White boot light is located on the right:


Jack is stored behind a plastic cover on the LHS:


Kit consists of the usual stuff, a tow hook, screwdriver & spanner. Notice the bag for storing them:


To access the spare wheel, this cap needs to be removed. It is tight-fitting and removing it is a pain, unless you have a coin on you:


Lower or raise the spare wheel using the wheel spanner:


Third row seats get a 60:40 split. You can fold them selectively if you need to carry a combination of cargo + passengers. This is especially important if you have 4 passengers in the captain seat variant & their luggage to carry (boot won't otherwise hold luggage for 4):


If you need to haul more stuff, fold the entire third row down:


Cargo capacity is greatly increased with both rows folded down. Here, you get 1,055 liters of luggage space:


Tailgate gets a full cover on the inside. No ugly bits sticking out anywhere:

Last edited by GTO : 6th November 2018 at 15:35.
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Old 6th November 2018, 15:31   #7
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In-Car Entertainment

M8 variants get a 7.0-inch touchscreen system with a haptic touch interface and Capsense technology. It gets Bluetooth, USB & AUX, along with an image viewer and navigation. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay have been provided as well. It also features Ecosense (which shows you how economically you have been driving), the Mahindra Blue Sense App connectivity and Emergency Call function.

The touchscreen has a little lag, but it's not annoyingly slow. Screen resolution and clarity are good, although visibility is mediocre under direct sunlight:


Music is played through 6 speakers, including one on each of the front doors...


...a speaker on each of the rear doors...


...and a tweeter on each of the A-Pillars. Sound quality is average for an OEM system. Mahindra ought to tie up with an audio company as Tata has with Harman:


This is the home screen. The date and time, outside temperature, climate control temperature, blower level and connected smartphone status are displayed at the bottom. What is very annoying is that the ICE restarts only in FM mode. We used the system via Bluetooth and yet, every time we restarted the car, it went to the radio. The ICE should remember your last chosen source:


A variety of settings can be altered to suit the owner's preferences:


You get the usual equaliser settings and fader / balance adjustments. The sound from the OEM system is decent, except for the bass. If you turn up the bass, it sucks. Mahindra has got to learn a thing or two from Tata about audio systems. Notice how the icons for the most used functions (including a home button) appear on every screen for convenience:


You can turn off the startup audio...


...adjust the sensitivity of the speed dependent volume control...


...and adjust the DTS surround sound to your liking (stage or studio):


Wallpaper choice? You bet:


Settings for Ecosense can be altered from here as well. You can reset the Ecosense trip meter...


...turn vehicle tracking on or off (might be important for cabbies)...


...and sync the system with the Mahindra Blue Sense App on your smartphone:


You can alter the brightness level of the instrument cluster & backlight of the buttons in the cabin...


...or turn the DRLs on / off:


In the Car Info section, you get information about the average fuel consumption and distance to empty. Alerts are displayed along with sound warnings for an open door, low fuel / oil, handbrake engaged, seatbelt unbuckled etc. However, there is no TPMS which is a big safety miss. One can also switch to the reverse camera view and access the e-manual of the car from here:


You can select which phone should be used for telephony and which one for streaming music:


You can have text messages read out if you wish:


Ecosense allows smartphone connectivity. In turn, the app has smartwatch compatibility! The latter seems to be a hurried implementation; we tried it on an Apple watch and the app kept crashing (on the watch). We visited 4 Mahindra dealerships for a smartwatch demo and no one could show it to us (most salesmen didn't even know about this smartwatch thingie!!):


Ecosense provides average and instant scores for your driving based on various parameters such as speed, gear selection, acceleration and idling. It also takes into consideration traffic conditions and the gradient of the road. The score starts from 100 when you start driving. At the end of the trip, the higher the score, the more economically you have driven. Further, you can share your score on social media (the Facebook, WhatsApp & Twitter icons):


The trip history is stored:


The score for each individual trip can be viewed:


E-Call feature connects you to the Emergency Services in case the car meets with an accident (similar to Ford's system). If the airbags are deployed, this feature automatically calls the emergency services number 108:


Inbuilt navigation with maps provided by MapMyIndia. Navigation accuracy is impressive, although most folk will prefer Google Maps. Google also gives you real-time traffic updates:


One can choose from multiple regional languages:


The usual list of POIs and services is provided:


System incorporates a compass as well (pointless in a 2WD car):


Every time the air-con settings are changed, it is displayed on the infotainment system:


The Marazzo gets Android Auto in the M6 and M8 variants. We love it!


Navigation via Google Maps is obviously superb:


In October 2018, Mahindra introduced Apple CarPlay in the Marazzo. Here's a video demonstrating the feature:


Touchscreen system comes with an internal storage of 8 GB. Owners can copy audio / image files to the inbuilt memory. This can be useful at times - just wish that Mahindra had given more than 8 GB. Storage is anyway so cheap today:


Touchscreen doubles up as a display for the reversing camera. Resolution is ordinary and there's a lag of up to 1 second! You get dynamic grid lines as well as angled park + parallel park assist:


You can zoom in when maneuvering into tight spots:


In the dark, the display quality is mediocre. We are disappointed that Mahindra has skimped here - there are hatchbacks with a superior camera + display. The parking sensors detect an object up to 120 cm away and indicate how far it is:


As mentioned earlier, the infotainment system can be synced with Mahindra's BlueSense app on your smartphone. The app gives you lots of info including a fuel log, average FE & DTE, lamp status, e-manual etc. "Cluster info" tells you what all the warning lights in the instrument cluster stand for:


Through the Blue Sense app, one can use the smartphone as a remote control for the infotainment system. Useful for chauffeur-driven owners. "My Drive" denotes the onboard storage of 8 GB:


Chauffeur-driven owners can control the air-con as well:

Last edited by GTO : 6th November 2018 at 15:35.
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Old 6th November 2018, 15:31   #8
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Driving the 1.5L Diesel MT

New D15 diesel engine and 6-speed manual transmission have been developed in-house by Mahindra. That sure is a small & tight engine bay:


Mated to a 6-speed gearbox, the engine has a variable geometry turbocharger and develops 121 BHP @ 3,500 rpm & 300 Nm @ 1,750 - 2,500 rpm. Like some other Mahindra vehicles, this one has an ECO mode and (thankfully), no idling start/stop system. While the 1.5L engine might sound too small for a car weighing 1,600 kg & capable of carrying 7 adults, it must be noted that the Marazzo has a power-to-weight ratio of 76 BHP / ton, which is better than the Tata Hexa & Maruti Ertiga. It falls short of the Innova 2.4L's figure by 6 BHP / ton. The Marazzo's torque-to-weight ratio of 188 Nm / ton is almost on par with the Innova's and again better than the Hexa & Ertiga. That said, it doesn't have that bottom-end grunt of the larger Toyota & Tata engines, which can come in handy with a full load of passengers.

There is no petrol or CNG option available on the Marazzo. With the diesel, no Automatic is offered either. The lack of an AT is a big, big missed opportunity. This car needs a good 6-speed torque converter (Innova and Hexa both have AT variants, as does the smaller Ertiga).

The Marazzo isn't equipped with keyless entry & go. You have to turn a key the conventional way. The engine fires up with very little noise, and without transmitting any noticeable vibrations to the cabin. At idle, this Mahindra is impressively refined. You will be pleasantly surprised .

The clutch is light to press, but it has an annoyingly long travel range - real bummer in traffic. The gear shifter is also light, yet like most body-on-frame UVs, it has long throws. What is pleasantly surprising is that the gear shifter is smooth and its gates are well-defined. The usual rubbery feel that you find in Mahindra gearboxes isn't there. Release the clutch gradually and the car moves forward without any throttle input. In fact, with mild accelerator inputs, you can even move off from a standstill in 2nd gear.

Throttle response is satisfactory and the power delivery is acceptable. However, there is some lag at the absolute bottom end. Mahindra says that 170 Nm of torque is available at 1,500 rpm, and as we found out, it is best to keep the engine spinning above this mark. Let the revvs drop too low, and the engine stalls. There is no anti-stall feature and the engine dies out abruptly (me, GTO, Blackwasp & ChiragM, all stalled it). You can't be careless with your accelerator & clutch co-ordination as it's unforgiving. Other than this, the engine's driveability is satisfactory. The Marazzo pulls well once the revvs cross 1,500 rpm. When the turbo spools at 2,000 rpm, you'll experience a mild surge of power. Understand the power delivery & you'll find the Marazzo to be easy to use in the city. It is very car-like to drive, and doesn't require as much effort as say - the Innova or Hexa. The light controls, tall seating position, good visibility & short turning radius also help.

On the open road, the Marazzo's performance feels 'adequate', but not explosive. Power delivery is linear and there is enough grunt available. Work the Marazzo hard on the expressway and you can make good progress; it never feels under-powered.

On the highway, the mid-range is where the Marazzo is at its best. This 1.5L starts feels strong in the 2,000 - 3,500 rpm range. When pushed, the engine will revv to 4,500 rpm. However, there is no point taking it beyond 4,000 rpm as power delivery tapers off. The top-end isn't strong, with the engine getting noisy above 3,500 rpm too. In terms of cruiseability, the Marazzo will do 100 km/h & 120 km/h in 6th gear at 2,000 rpm & 2,400 rpm respectively. And even in 6th gear, the motor feels tractable. If you want to overtake say from 100 km/h on the expressway, you don't even need to downshift. It can be done in 6th gear itself.

Economy mode works by shifting the engine over to a different map, with the push of the ECO button (located near the driver's right knee). In ECO mode, power is limited to 81% of normal mode (hence 98 BHP), while torque is limited to 67% (hence 201 Nm). The map is economy-focused & blunts the Mazarro's performance. Throttle response becomes duller and there's a noticeable difference in acceleration. This mode can be used in the city and for cruising on the expressway. It's a bit weird that ECO mode is available only on the top variant. For one, cabbies love it and they never buy the top variant. Second, it is the base & mid-variant customers who are more cost-sensitive.

The M8 variant is equipped with cruise control, while all variants get ABS + EBD. All variants also get an acoustic speed warning, which sounds for 3 seconds once you cross 80 km/h.

Coming to NVH levels, the Marazzo's cabin is nicely insulated & the car is surprisingly refined (especially for a Mahindra!). At idle, Mahindra claims that the noise measured at the driver's ear is just 43 decibels. Even the insulation from exterior / traffic sounds is good. Wind & tyre noise are both well-controlled at 100 km/h. The engine feels superbly refined and under regular driving conditions, it can hardly be heard inside the cabin. The motor starts getting loud only above 3,500 rpm. Another positive = the gear lever doesn't dance around at idle like in almost all diesel body-on-frame UVs. However, you will observe some back and forth movement of the gear lever when you press & release the accelerator.

The Marazzo has an ARAI-certified fuel efficiency rating of 17.3 km/l. Because of the smaller motor & lighter weight than the Innova, the Marazzo's FE will be noticeably higher than the Toyota's (ARAI = 15.10 kmpl). This might be an important consideration for taxis & fleet owners. Of course, there's no comparison to the Ertiga's ARAI rating of 24.52 kmpl.

Transverse-mounted 1.5L diesel makes 121 BHP & 300 Nm. Mahindra sure knows how to build good diesel engines:


Insulation sheet under the bonnet:


Small engine cover has soft, insulating foam on its underside:


Removing the engine cover reveals the turbocharger:


Underbody protection is satisfactory. Along with the high ground clearance, the chances of damage are reduced:


Engine bay is short and even the 1.5L unit is a tight fit. There is incredibly little space to work. Mahindra technicians won't have it easy:


Long intercooler is placed right at the front, above the radiator:


Adequate insulation is present on the firewall. Notice how the engine extends inside. The small bonnet opening makes it terribly difficult to access parts. Even disconnecting and taking out the battery is impossible without removing many other parts. At least the battery should've been easier to access - this is a design failure that will unnecessarily inconvenience owners:


Things are so cramped that even the fuse box cover cannot be easily taken off (I didn't want to break anything):


ECU is bolted on to the firewall. Forget reaching it without professional help:


6-speed gear knob is among the best we've seen on a Mahindra. It has a glossy black top with some chrome around it:


Gear lever gets a leather boot. Throws are on the longer side, but the shift action is smooth. Before engaging reverse, you need to lift the collar up:


MID prompts upon engaging / disengaging ECO mode. This sign even appears when you start the car. A small ECO indicator stays on at the top of the instrument cluster, while...


...another one appears at the bottom of the MID. Overdose of ECO, no?


Gear position is indicated at the bottom left of the MID. Gearshift suggesting tool shows when & which gear to shift to. Newbies will appreciate this:


The cruise control sign appears momentarily when the feature is activated or deactivated:


Cruise control icon in the tachometer stays on as long as the feature is activated. It works at 25 km/h and up:

Last edited by Aditya : 26th March 2019 at 06:12.
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Old 6th November 2018, 15:31   #9
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Ride & Handling

The Marazzo uses an aluminium-intensive double wishbone suspension at the front and a twist beam at the rear, which Mahindra claims has a travel range of 245 mm. Low speed ride quality is compliant & a lot superior to other Mahindra body-on-frame UVs (which somehow have never ridden well). The Marazzo is a stark contrast to them. It doesn't even have the excessive side-to-side swaying that we usually see in the brand's UVs. However, on imperfect roads, the Mahindra can get jiggly and can't be compared to monocoques like the Lodgy.

The ride improves as the speedometer climbs. It is comfortable on the expressway. Even so, at speed, the suspension is busy and you are aware of the surface you are travelling on. It's compliant, but not in the league of say, a Tata Hexa. Must be noted that our test vehicle was running on 17" wheels, while lesser variants get 16" rims with taller rubber. The ride quality on those will be cushier. The suspension hardware functions silently at all times. Even while tackling large bumps or potholes, there are no unpleasant noises heard.

As mentioned in the previous post, the Marazzo is a lot more car-like to drive than the Innova & Hexa. Owners will appreciate this in the city & on long journeys alike. Out on the highway, straight line stability is satisfactory at 120 km/h. Still, on some joints of the Mumbai-Pune expressway, the Marazzo's rear end did tend to bounce. Where the suspension impresses, is its ability to tackle poor roads. You won't see yourself slowing down for rough patches, broken bits of road and dirt tracks. Like all Mahindras, the car feels abuse-friendly and there's a certain ruggedness evident when tackling rural roads.

The grip provided by the 215/60 Bridgestone Dueler tyres is good. Cornering ability is par for the course by MPV standards & the handling is neutral. Unless it hits a bump midway, the car will not lose composure. Of course, you must always keep its height in mind. This is a tall ladder-frame vehicle and behaves like one. Push a little hard and body roll sets in, even with the front and rear anti-roll bars, but it's not excessive as in the Scorpio. We recommend that you drive the Marazzo like a people mover and not a sedan or crossover.

The Marazzo gets an electric power steering. The steering is one-finger-light at parking speeds and does not require any effort to turn! The EPS weighs up adequately at speed as well. The MPV has a turning radius of 5.25 m, which is smaller than the Innova's 5.4 m and only slightly wider than the Ertiga's 5.2 m.

Laden ground clearance is rated at 165 mm (200 mm unladen). We didn't scrape the undercarriage over any bumps or have any trouble while taking the car offroad for photography.

All variants of the Marazzo come with all-wheel disc brakes & ABS + EBD. The stopping power is adequate for regular driving. It is not convincing when slowing down from high speeds though and if you have a full load of passengers onboard, you must maintain safe distances from the vehicles ahead. While the brake pedal travels very little before the pads start biting, it feels spongy. And yes, there is nosedive under braking.

Last edited by GTO : 6th November 2018 at 15:34.
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Old 6th November 2018, 15:31   #10
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Other Points

• Thanks to BHPian Fusionbang for bringing us the first undisguised images of the Marazzo!

• Wonder if the low rpm stalling problem (mentioned in the engine post) has anything to do with the dual-mass flywheel? That was the cause in the Skoda Yeti.

• Built at Mahindra's Nashik production facility and not at the more modern Chakan factory. Surprising. Rs. 1,400 crore has been invested in the Marazzo, including the expansion of its manufacturing plants.

• Mahindra claims that it received 10,000 bookings within 45 days of launch.

• We reiterate that Mahindra has missed an opportunity by not offering a true top-end variant with 6 airbags, sunroof, ESP etc. Yes, it would overlap with the XUV500 - big deal!! If you don't cannibalise your own products, someone else will gladly do it for you.

• The Marazzo is a solid upgrade option for Ertiga owners who don't want to spend big bucks on the Innova Crysta and / or prefer a more "car-like" driving experience.

• Apart from the Mariner Maroon colour of our test car, it's available in 5 more shades - Iceberg White, Oceanic Black, Simmering Silver, Aqua Marine & Poseidon Purple.

• The number of missing features is alarming! For an MPV that costs 16 big ones on the road, there is simply no excuse to skip on a leather-wrapped steering wheel, telescopic steering adjustment, auto-dimming IRVM, auto wipers & headlights, passive keyless entry & go etc. Cars that are priced much cheaper get these features.

• Even the base M2 variant gets the rear air-con. We expect cabbies to rush to it!

• This U321 platform isn't designed to accommodate a 4x4 / AWD.

• The company claims to have tested the Marazzo in 5 countries and 3 continents, covering 21 lakh km of real-world driving conditions...from high altitudes and cold temperatures to hot plains. It also claims to have conducted thousands of hours of virtual simulation.

• Mahindra won't introduce a petrol or automatic variant before 2020, which is when the BS-VI emission norms are enforced. The type of transmission (AMT / CVT / torque converter) has not been decided, though media reports claim the gearbox to be an AMT. An AMT would be a terrible choice at this price point.

• Under panic braking conditions, the hazard lamps will start flashing to warn those behind.

• Available in 4 trim levels - M2, M4, M6 & M8. The first 2 are low on equipment and will appeal only to cabbies.

• Service interval = 10,000 km. Labour-free services are at 1,000 km (just a checkup I'm guessing), 10,000 km and 20,000 km. Yes, the Marazzo's MID will remind you when the service is due.

• Standard warranty coverage is for 3 years / 100,000 km (just like the Innova). Extended warranty available up to 5 years / 150,000 km. Don't even think twice; considering that the car, engine & transmission are all new, just go ahead & pick up the extended warranty with your eyes shut. If still in doubt, read this 300-page thread.

• When you lock the car, the indicators blink once. Strangely, when you unlock, they don’t blink at all! I would've expected them to blink twice upon unlocking (as is the case with most cars).

• Nifty = Try to lock the car with any of the doors open and you'll hear 5 beeps from the alarm system, warning you about the open door.

• The doors auto-lock at 20 km/h. When the engine is switched off, they unlock automatically. We appreciate auto-locking, but hate auto-unlocking. Manufacturers should never forget our crime-infested living conditions.

• Got cash to splurge on your Marazzo? DC Designs has an offering that chauffeur-driven owners will find very tempting - click here.

• M8 variant gets the ICE that is covered in this review. The M6 variant gets a 7" touchscreen audio system with resistive feather touch, while the M4 gets a regular head-unit (no touchscreen). As if to be inspired by the Toyota Innova, the M2 does not get an audio system at all, even though it'll cost you almost 12 lakh rupees on the road!

• Mahindra & Eram Motors, Kozhikode gifted a Marazzo - the first one in the district - to Jaisal KP, a heroic fisherman who rescued people in the recent Kerala floods .

• Thanks to BHPian Behemoth for sharing this link to accessories on the M2All website. Big shoutout also to BHPian AdityaDeane for sharing the full accessory brochure here.

• Apart from India, Mahindra plans to sell the Marazzo in its current export markets including Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, along with some African & South American countries.

• The Mahindra Marazzo brochure can be viewed here - Mahindra Marazzo.pdf. We will now attach a brochure in every Official Review, based on a suggestion made in this thread. Having the original brochure handy will help us catch manufacturers who slyly delete features later.

• For owners, there are 2 financial benefits to the Marazzo's 1.5L engine size. One, it's cheaper to buy due to the lower excise duty slab (compared to the 2.2L). Second, insurance premiums will be lower.

• We found this ad to be incredibly stupid & dumb:

Last edited by GTO : 6th November 2018 at 15:33.
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Old 6th November 2018, 15:31   #11
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The Smaller yet Significant Things

A look at the 8-seater version with a bench seat in the 2nd row. Available on the M2, M4 & M6 trims; some M8 customers will be peeved at the lack of choice. You get a 60:40 split folding bench seat. Captain seat version is cheaper by Rs. 5,000. Because the last row is good for 2 adults, we'll say that the bench seat variant is a 7-seater (not 8 as per Mahindra) and the captain seat version is a 6-seater (not 7 as per Mahindra):


Full cladding in the front wheel well…


…as well as the rear:


Rear air-con's AHU (Air Handling Unit) is located at the rear right corner of the car. Don't be surprised or worried if you see water on the ground below it:


45-liter fuel tank (same size as the Ertiga) is too small for this class of car. We would've preferred a 55-liter tank like the Innova:


While the headlamps are regular halogen units, they provide good illumination:


With high beam engaged, their throw is fantastic:


Recommended tyre pressure is 35 PSI all-round for the M8, which is on the higher side:


The rubber beading on the doors, body & pillars is of satisfactory quality:


All interior switches are backlit in white:


Rubber boot covers up the gap between the instrument cluster & steering wheel:


Front seatbelt buckles get soft felt lining to prevent them from rubbing against and damaging the seat upholstery, or scratching the center console:


Bonnet release lever feels economy-grade:


Fit & finish of some parts could be better. The plastic at the corners of the dashboard appears to be haphazardly cut:


A look at the ribbed detailing inside the door handle (no, the base is not rubberised):


Floor mats have Velcro strips on the backside to help them cling on to the carpet. No sliding around:


Black flippy key with chrome inserts looks and feels premium. Long-pressing the button in the center opens the tailgate:


Rubber pieces on the body to prevent rattles from the tailgate (there's an identical one on the left as well):


Owner's manual comes with separate booklets for a quick start guide (like electronic appliances) and a warranty + maintenance guide:

Last edited by GTO : 6th November 2018 at 15:41.
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Old 6th November 2018, 15:53   #12
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Re: Mahindra Marazzo : Official Review

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to Official Reviews. Thanks for sharing! What better way to bring in Diwali than a cracker of a review . Happy Diwali to all BHPians.

Drive the TUV300 Plus & the Marazzo back to back (as I did for the reviews) and it’s hard to believe that the two cars are built by the same company. One feels like it was built by a truck manufacturer, the other by a car manufacturer. Equally, drive the Scorpio & Marazzo back to back and you’ll see how Mahindra has progressed in 2 decades. The Marazzo impressed me as much as the XUV500 did in 2011. It’s a fantastic all-rounder & will do well in the market. Mahindra has pulled out all the stops into delivering an excellent MPV.

On the same Saturday that I drove the Marazzo, I’d also driven a tricked out Nexon. Both rides left me feeling proud of our 2 homegrown car companies. They’ve come a long way .

Last edited by GTO : 6th November 2018 at 15:54.
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Old 6th November 2018, 17:40   #13
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Re: Mahindra Marazzo : Official Review

I test-drove Marazzo about two weeks back at G3 Kandivali and since my present car is TUV300, I can safely vouch for every word of GTO.
The engine is definitely more sprightly than TUV, even with ECO mode ON and I loved it.
The steering responds well & you don't feel like you are maneuvering a BIG car.
The large windshield allows lots of sunlight and become uncomfortable on thighs, around afternoons. I test drove around 2-3 PM & this was noted by wife.
I felt that interiors should have been soft brown, as beige will get dirty very soon.
The only color that suits Marazzo is Maroon.
We also saw Powder Blue which is just OK but black plastic sections stand-out in contrast, Purple is yuck. I would love to see her in steel grey.

Would I upgrade to Marazzo, from TUV? - Yes I will.

Regards-Sonu

Last edited by ariesonu : 6th November 2018 at 17:44. Reason: Adding content
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Old 6th November 2018, 18:31   #14
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Re: Mahindra Marazzo : Official Review

Excellent and exhaustive review! Thanks again Aditya for yet another detailed report.

Marazzo is an excellent package from Mahindra. Pricing it between the Eritiga and Innova Crysta might just do the trick for Mahindra this time. A beautiful looking MPV from the Mahindra stable in the end.

On another note, is that rust already under the front passenger side dashboard?

Mahindra Marazzo : Official Review-marazzorust.jpg
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Old 6th November 2018, 19:34   #15
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Re: Mahindra Marazzo : Official Review

Fantastic review. Rated five stars.

Finished reading it in one go.

Normally seen many vehicles, where the front passenger side seat is folded completely, so that the second row passenger can rest the foot there. This is the first vehicle, I have noticed, where the second row can be folded completely so that the third row passenger can stretch his legs.

The things I miss most are :

1. ESP.

2. Curtain Airbags. Dare I say this under current controversy of whether airbag deploys at all in a Mahindra vehicle.

2. Keyless entry & go.

3. Sunroof.

4. Bootspace. C'mon Mahindra, if you want to use people mover tag, then boot space needs to be increased.
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