Mahindra Marazzo Test Drive Review – Best Mahindra Yet?

Driving Dynamics – Mahindra thinks differently, their SUV uses a monocoque chassis, their MPV uses a ladder frame, bizarre. But the company believes the ruggedness and long term reliability of a ladder frame is unbeatable but this car is front wheel drive, bizzare once again. What Mahindra likes to boast off is, the Marazzo uses a hybrid chassis, that of a body on frame front wheel drive architecture and boy they have filed a patent for the same. In essence, front-wheel drive means ‘car-like’ handling (I am not saying this, Mahindra’s press release states this) and the Marazzo handles like everything but a car with all that roll.

Still, I will give it to Mahindra for the Marazzo has the best ride and handling balance of any Mahindra car yet (I know the benchmark is low but still). The steering is light at low speeds, a breeze to use when parking the car while it does weigh up decently well at higher speeds, I was shocked when giving the beans, it would remain communicative and maintain its line. But in spite of being an all new car with patented underpinnings and an all new development team, the Marazzo does exhibit typical Mahindra characteristics, that of body roll and a bouncy rear (the highest suspension travel of 245 mm in the segment line in the press release actually turned out to be a con, who would have thought that).

That said, I do love the ride at low speeds, it is just phenomenal, taking the worst of roads with such ease, it’s quite unbelievable to not having to drop pace on Mumbai roads when you encounter all the craters from the moon, that’s how good it rides and with a full load, the bounciness at the rear should be taken care off. Equipped with all wheel discs and of course ABS, stopping power is plenty but the sogginess from the brake pedal reminds me as to why I shouldn’t use words like brake feel in an MPV review.