Saar: Underpinned by an all-new platform, the ‘shark-inspired’ MPV will be offered in seven and eight seat configurations.

Are you the sort of person who thought Mahindra needs another three-row people carrier in its portfolio? And have you been waiting for something other than the XUV500, TUV300 Plus and the Xylo? Well, your waiting days are almost up. The homegrown automaker has announced that its latest, ‘shark-inspired’ MPV will launch on September 3, 2018. We did ring some dealers around Mumbai, Mahindra’s home ground, but none have yet started accepting bookings.

It was on July 31, 2018, when Mahindra formally announced that the name of its brand-new MPV, which was codenamed as the U321, will be called the Marazzo. As you might have guessed, it isn’t an English word. In fact, it has been gleaned from Basque – a sub-language of Spanish. When translated, it throws out the word shark. The Scorpio-maker is adamant that this name suits the people carrier as several of its design traits echo back to a shark’s shape. Since then, the company has been busy releasing teasers of the Marazzo – first unveiling its dashboard design and then the cabin layout.

The Mahindra Marazzo will be offered in two seating configurations – seven and eight. In the former setup, it will have captain seats in the second row, whereas if you opt for the latter layout, the second row will get a folding bench-type seat with 40:20:40 split ratio. Other features that the Mahindra Marazzo will have in its kitty includes an updated 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, projector headlamps, LED DRLs, leatherette seats and roof-mounted AC vents. Based on the instrument cluster’s image, the MPV will also get Mahindra Intelli-Hybrid technology, a coloured MID flanked by two analogue dials and possibly an optional 4WD.

The Mahindra Marazzo is also expected to debut a new 1.5-litre diesel engine with around 120PS/300Nm on tap. Mahindra said that the new model will be offered only with a diesel engine at the time of launch. Later in its lifecycle, the Marazzo can get a petrol engine as well but that will be demand dependent. As far as transmission options are concerned, the new MPV will be offered with manual and automatic units.

Mahindra said that the Marazzo isn’t a replacement to the ageing Xylo. The new car will actually sit above the old-timer. That means it will also be placed above the likes of the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga and the Renault Lodgy. However, it will undercut India’s favourite MPV – the Toyota Innova Crysta.