Mahindra Marrazo (U321) : AUTO NEWS

Hello everyone,

Today we will talk about newly launching Mahindra Marrazo mpv. The MPV, developed under the project name U321, gets its naming from Basque, a sub-language of Spanish, where the word Marazzo means shark and is linked to the vehicle's shark-inspired design. The Mahindra Marazzo is based on an all-new platform and does not replace anything that is on sale from the Mahindra portfolio, said Dr. Pawan Goenka, managing director, Mahindra and Mahindra. We believe this is to confirm that the Mahindra Marazzo is not a Xylo replacement, something that has been speculated for long now. The company mentions that the Mahindra Design Studio and Italian design house Pininfarina have collaborated closely during the design development process of the Mahindra Marazzo. The result of which can be seen in the MPV's global design. Mahindra has already confirmed that the Marazzo will be launched in India before the festive season. While there is still some time before we get to see the vehicle in flesh, here are some of the design and cabin features that the Marazzo MPV will come equipped with.

1.     Shark teeth inspired grille

 

What the Cheetah is to the Mahindra XUV500, the shark is to the Mahindra Marazzo. The front of the Mahindra Marazzo will come with a shark teeth inspired grille. As seen on the spied images of camouflaged test vehicles, the Mahindra Marazzo's front does look look imposing with the sharp headlights and the aggressively styled grille. We believe the grille will sport a combination of chrome and matte plastic.  It will also give the Mahindra u321 a wider profile that what it actually is.

2.     DRLs embedded in the fog lamps

 

As seen from this image, the fog lamps positioned on the bumper come with LED DRLs. We believe this will be offered only in the top-spec along with some of the mid-spec variants. The spied images of the Mahindra Marazzo MPV have also revealed that the headlight assembly too comes with integrated LED DRLs. We assume the base variants might be offered only with the LED DRLs integrated with the bumper to comply with the rules and the regulations of all new cars.

3.     Shark-tail inspired tail lights

 

Shark tail was an inspiration behind the to

The shark inspiration can be seen at different places on the Mahindra Marazzo and not just the front and the grille. The tail lights too take inspiration from the aquatic being, especially the tail part that lends its inspiration to the rear lights. While it does look premium and the chrome strip on the side tends to add on to the appeal, the overall design reminds us of the lights offered in the Renault Lodgy. We will reserve our comments on the overall design until we see the production model.

4.     Shark fin antenna

 

There is nothing unique about a shark fin antenna because it is a design that is seen in most of the offerings on sale in the Indian market.

5.     New instrument cluster

The instrument cluster layout in the Mahindra Marazzo will have a lucid and informative display

The interiors are expected to be feature loaded in a similar fashion to the XUV. It will be available in a 7-seater and 8-seater layout. Its dual-tone interior is expected to be equipped with a touchscreen infotainment system, automatic climate control, piano black paneling and a new steering wheel. What you see here is a much cleaner instrument cluster than what is offered on Mahindra vehicles. Also, did you notice the 4x4 / AWD drivetrain logo on the left of the instrument cluster.

6.     Leather wrapped seats

 

Leather wrapped seats to be offered in base and top-spec variants

The mid and top spec variants of the Mahindra Marazzo MPV will come equipped with premium leather drapes seats. Considering that Mahindra is aiming to take on the Toyota Innova Crysta MPV with the Marazzo, the latter will have one of the most comfortable seating in the segment. Also, the Mahindra Marazzo has the largest footprint (area) compared to any other Mahindra vehicle on sale.

7.     Roof mounted air-conditioner

 

Roof mounted AC unit will be offered as standard across all variants.

The Mahindra Marazzo will come with roof mounted air-conditioning. As seen from the images, the design of this unit will offer uniform cooling across the cabin and to the individual occupants. The image that was shared with us seems to be of the captain seat variant. The base variant might be offered with bench seats.

Besides all these features there are few more things you need to know about the Mahindra Marazzo-

1.     Marazzo will get cruise control

The Marazzo will have cruise control. This is going to a killer option for the car to have. The Maruti Ertiga and the Renault Lodgy both don’t get this option.

2.     Mahindra Marazzo will get AWD (all wheel drive)

From the teaser pictures shared by Mahindra we have made out that the instrument cluster has an AWD engaged icon. This will be a 1^st in class feature. It will make ride and handling very good. This feature will allow drivers to access full potential of their cars. If not in India, but in international markets for sure.

3.     Mahindra Marazzo to get Hill Descent

The Hill Descent feature is something we see on big off-roaders. The Marazzo will have this feature. The car will be able to tackle steep descents on bad roads really well. It will use the brakes to individually monitor wheels that have no traction and stop the vehicle from slipping.

4.     Mahindra Marazzo will get Petrol and Diesel engines

The Marazzo will get two engine options. At the time of launch there will be the 1.5 diesel engine which is going to make 122bhp and 300Nm of torque. The car is pegged to have great performance. The petrol engine is expected to come in later with the diesel automatic.

5.     Mahindra Marazzo will get AdBlue

 This is a great step forward in getting the car BS-6 ready. The Marazzo will have AdBlue which is an innovative technology that helps absorbing pollutants from the car into a tank. It has to be refilled periodically. Both the engines will be BS-6 ready and the diesel will need AdBlue for sure.

6.     Mahindra Marazzo will get ESP

ESP is a feature that should be there on all big MUVs, MPVs and SUVs. The feature helps in keeping the car stable and in check, avoiding rollovers and accidents while cornering.

7.     Mahindra Marazzo will get TC (Traction Control)

The traction control feature is a good feature to keep the cars tyres from slipping. The system enables the engine to send power to the wheel with the most traction and sorts the car out. I turned off, you could have some fun as you get to explore the cars caged performance or land our self in trouble.

8.     Mahindra Marazzo will get Dual Airbags as Standard

This will be another feather in the hat of the Mahindra Marazzo. This will add impressively to the multiple other safety features that are already in the car. Standard airbags are a great thing.

9.     Mahindra Marazzo will get Mahindra’s Patented Architecture Ride + Agile Handling

Mahindra has this new platform that they have patented and applied in the Marazzo. This will mean that the car is going to have very good handling and a comfortable ride.

10.                        Mahindra Marazzo will have largest footprint within all Mahindra cars

The Marazzo is going to have the largest footprint in all Mahindra cars. The car is going to be big on space. This also says a lot about the cars size compared to the Maruti Ertiga and the Renault Lodgy.

11.                        Mahindra Marazzo Tyre Pressure Monitoring System

This Marazzo like its SUV siblings has tyre pressure monitoring. The system allows the driver to check the air pressure of the tyres via the infotainment system.

12.                        Mahindra Marazzo will get Eco Mode

While we don’t know if the Marazzo is going to get any other or different modes, we do know by looking into the instrument cluster that the car does get an ECO mode setting. With the engine power in mind, we think it might be sensible.

13.                        Mahindra Marazzo will get BS-6 compliant engines

The engines that are going to come with the Marazzo are going to be all compliant with the new BS-6 norms. This is a very good move by the automaker. The Marazzo is going to turn out to be a very feature loaded car.

EXTERIOR

              

These images show the U321 to have larger, vertically stacked tail lamps. The car also gets a slight rake on the rear windscreen similar to what has been seen on the XUV500 and slim rear bumpers with integrated rear fog lamps. A notable feature of the tailgate is the relatively deep recess for the number plate housing. Other details seen in these images are substantially sized outside rear view mirrors with integrated turn indicators and what looks like 16 or 17-inch wheels.                             

The exterior of the car has been developed at Mahindra's North American Technical Centre in the US. The Mahindra U321's front features a black mesh grille with the chrome claw motifs that are becoming a Mahindra design staple. The projector headlamps are enclosed in a blacked-out housing with the LED DRLs being integrated into the fog lamps in the front bumper.

The overall design language of the car is quite similar to that of the XUV500 and KUV100 and is a mix of soft curves with a sharp character line running along the door handles on the side. The car is expected to be powered by Mahindra's new 1.6-litre diesel engine which should produce around 128PS and 305 Nm. A petrol engine might also be made available later in the car's production run. The MPV will share its monocoque construction with the XUV500 and KUV100.

INTERIOR

The interiors are expected to be feature loaded in a similar fashion to the XUV. It will be available in a 7-seater and 8-seater layout. Its dual-tone interior is expected to be equipped with a touchscreen infotainment system, automatic climate control, piano black paneling and a new steering wheel. The U231-codenamed MPV will be positioned as a value alternative to the Toyota Innova Crysta and be priced above the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga.

MANUFACTURING 

Mahindra and Mahindra has confirmed today that the upcoming U321 MPV will be manufactured at the company's Nashik plant. The Indian automobile manufacturer will be making an investment of Rs 1,500 crore in the Nashik and the Igatpuri plants.

The Nashik plant of Mahindra presently manufactures the Thar, Scorpio, Verito, Bolero, Xylo and the NuvoSport. If the U321 MPV is indeed a replacement of the Xylo, the company will use the same production line as that of the Xylo. The fresh investment that Mahindra has made will be used in further developing the manufacturing facility in Nashik while the Igatpuri plant will be used for manufacturing and supply of engines. Both these projects have been tagged as an ultra-mega project by the Maharashtra Government.

The upcoming Mahindra U321 MPV has been developed by the Mahindra's North American Technical Centre (MNATC) in Troy, Michigan, and will be the first vehicle to be designed here. The same centre will be responsible for the development of future Mahindra vehicles for both Indian and international markets. The Mahindra U321 has already been spotted testing in India and it looks near production ready. Considering that the U321 will be a premium offering, we expect feature like touchscreen infotainment and climate control to make it into the MPV as well. Additionally, it will help the Mahindra U321 take on the newly launched Tata Hexa.

Powering the Mahindra U321 MPV will be the 1.5 -litre diesel engine. This motor will make power of 120 PS/320 Nm can be optioned with either a 6-speed manual or automatic gearbox. We expect the transmission options to be retained in the new MPV as well.

The Mahindra U321 MPV is expected to be launched by the festive season of this year. We expect Mahindra to price this vehicle between Rs 8-12 lakh.