Mahindra announced the name of its upcoming MPV in Mumbai yesterday. The Mahindra Marazzo, as it will be called, will launch in India first before the end of Q2 FY2019, prior to going on sale in global markets. Designed with inputs from Pininfarina, Mahindra says the people carrier is inspired by the Shark.
The Mahindra Marazzo (codename Mahindra U321) is the first passenger vehicle to be collaboratively engineered by Mahindra North American Technical Centre (MNATC) and Mahindra Research Valley (MRV) in Chennai, India. The design too is a collaboration between Pininfarina and Mahindra Design Center, Mumbai. The Marazzo, Dr. Pawan Goenka, Managing Director, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd, says is "born of a vision to design a global vehicle".
Europe, Australia, Middle East, Africa and South America could be the focus markets for the Mahindra Marazzo as the carmaker is already selling at least one product in these regions. Mahindra spokesmen said at the press conference that the Marazzo would "eventually probably (go) where the XUV500 is sold". However, the big question is, will the Marazzo unlock North America's 17.2 million unit strong car and truck market for the Mahindras.
In the domestic market, the Marazzo will be positioned above the Xylo and will rival entry-level variants of the Toyota Innova Crysta. Mahindra claims the Marazzo has the 'largest footprint' of any Mahindra vehicle, though detailed specifications are a secret.
Also read: Flagship Mahindra SUV set to launch in three months - Report
Mahindra’s new 1.5-liter diesel engine reportedly will have its debut on the Marazzo with expected power and torque outputs of 121 hp and 300 Nm respectively. It will be paired to a 6-speed manual gearbox.
