Crossover & SUV both possible on Marazzo's platform, says M&M's Rajan Wadhera

In an interview with Autocar Professional, Rajan Wadhera, President, Automotive Sector, Mahindra & Mahindra revealed that the recently launched Marazzo MPV's platform could be used for underpinning a crossover and an SUV. It's worth a mention here that the Marazzo's patented architecture is the world's first ladder-frame platform with a transversely mounted engine and Front Wheel Drive (FWD) layout.

In response to a question related to the upcoming models that will be built on the new MPV's platform, Rajan Wadhera said:

It can take a seven- to an eight-seater product, be it a crossover or a typical blue-blooded SUV. The lines between a car, hatchback, SUV or MPV are very blurred these days and not as deep as they used to be. Customers are now willing to change over which is why you see a lot of them moving from hatchbacks to SUVs. It’s a platform of a C-sized segment, typically seven- to eight-seater, which can be scaled up or down to even a compact segment car.

Models spawned by the Mahindra Marazzo's platform are likely to get the new-age 1.5-litre turbocharged diesel engine. For the company's latest MPV, the oil burner outputs 123 hp and a peak torque of 300 Nm. The motor comes mated to a six-speed manual transmission. As per the manufacturer, the new platform enjoys a 160% higher stiffness than its earlier architectures. The Marazzo also benefits from an improved body in white rigidity by 2.3 times.

Staying with platforms, M&M and Ford have signed a MoU to co-develop a C-Segment SUV for India. A media report said that the second generation XUV500's platform (codename: Mahindra W601) would be leveraged by the Blue Oval to introduce its Jeep Compass challenger.

The Mahindra Marazzo has several firsts to its credit. It's the first-ever jointly designed model by renowned design house Pininfarina and the company's Mumbai-based design centre. Moreover, it's the first product to be developed in a cooperation between Mahindra North American Technical Centre (MNATC) in Troy, USA and Mahindra Research Valley (MRV) in Chennai, India.

Also Read: M&M looks to unlock 8,500 cars/month sales with Mahindra Marazzo, S201 & Y400 - Report

The Mahindra Marazzo is on sale in a price bracket of INR 9.99 lakh to INR 13.90 lakh (Ex-showroom, Pan India). The eight-seat layout costs INR 5,000 higher. The new MPV is available with a three years/100,000 km warranty.

[Source - autocarpro.in]