Mahindra's new MPV to be called Marazzo

Mahindra's long-awaited U321 MPV will be called Marazzo, and it'll go on sale in September 2018. 

Mahindra’s upcoming MPV has been christened Marazzo. The name, as Mahindra puts it, has been derived from a Spanish word, which translates to ‘shark’ in English.

Known by its codename U321 until now, the Marazzo will have a shark-inspired design, says Mahindra. While the vehicle hasn’t been revealed at the moment, the company says that it’s been designed in close collaboration with Italian design house Pininfarina and will showcase the brand’s bold new generation design. From what’s certain, the vehicle will have a front-grille with a jaw-like shape to resemble shark-teeth. Similarly, the tail-lamps are inspired by the tail of a shark, claims Mahindra. And in between both design details will sit an MPV body, which Mahindra hopes would be appreciated by car buyers in India.

Mahindra hasn’t divulged any technical details of the vehicle so far, but it’s reportedly going to be based on a new ladder-frame architecture. In addition to that, it’s also believed that Mahindra has developed a new 1.5-litre turbo diesel for the MPV with a power output ranging between 125 and 130bhp.  A six-speed transmission should be offered as standard, while an automatic version is also expected.

Inside, expect the Marazzo to come loaded with features, just like its bigger brother, the XUV500. The higher trim variants will get a dual-tone piano black finish, while a seven-inch touchscreen will be part of the kit as well. Leather seats, automatic climate control, projector lamps, tyre pressure monitoring system, etc. are also expected to be offered on range-topping variants.

The Mahindra Marazzo will be built at the company’s production unit in Nashik, Maharashtra. Mahindra has confirmed that it’ll be launched by the end of September 2018. Its prices are expected to hover between ₹10 and ₹15 lakh, meaning it’ll neatly slot between the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga and Toyota Innova Crysta.