Shootout: Maruti Ertiga vs Mahindra Marazzo
Shootout No. 208
Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 8.71 – 13.14 lakhs (Maruti Ertiga), Rs. 11.83 – 16.67 lakhs (Mahindra Marazzo)
The Maruti Ertiga offers tremendous value while the Mahindra Marazzo offers more practicality, space and performance
Despite the ever-growing SUV fanbase, MPVs still remain a popular choice amongst people who want a practical car to carry their family and luggage comfortably. Still dominated by the Toyota Innova, the MPV segment has seen quite a few new launches in recent years. After the lukewarm response to the Xylo, Mahindra has decided to re-enter this segment with the Marazzo. The company is betting big with this MPV. From style to refinement, Mahindra claims to have gotten it all right with the Marazzo.
On the other hand, Maruti Suzuki, which was a relatively late entrant into the MPV segment, saw great success with the Ertiga. More than 4 million units have been sold and Maruti, quick to update its products has launched the all-new second-generation Ertiga. Maruti says it is bigger, better, more fuel efficient and more premium than before. The question is can the radical new Marazzo finally be a worthy challenger to the Ertiga and can the Ertiga continue its success story with the Marazzo in the way? It is going to be a close battle!
Motor Quest: While the Maruti Ertiga has been on sale since 2012 with the second generation model being launched in 2018, the Mahindra Marazzo is in its first generation and is the spiritual successor of the Xylo which was launched in 2009.
[flickr size=”center” float=”medium”]http://www.flickr.com/photos/motorbeam/31702712747/[/flickr]
The Mahindra Marazzo looks off-beat and different
Exteriors – Mahindra designs have been a subject of criticism in recent times. Whether it’s their boxy TUV or the over-styled KUV, their vehicles have failed to garner any praise on the design front. But the Marazzo is a car that is going to make people sit back and take notice. The new Mahindra MPV has a strong and impactful design which is sure to get you noticed. The car carries a cab-forward design and it looks really good how the body subtly rises from the front to the rear. We love the toothed grille but we think a different grille design would’ve made it look even more unique.
[flickr size=”center” float=”medium”]http://www.flickr.com/photos/motorbeam/31702714687/[/flickr]
Both cars have good amount of chrome
The headlights of the Marazzo are sharp yet elegant and the pronounced fog-lights with the DRLs on them look really cool. The side is characterised by dominant lines and creases which appear at all the right places and merge beautifully into the body. The chrome line near below the windows and at the bottom make it look upmarket. The wheels have a different design and being 17-inch (on the top-spec M8), they look fit on the tall profile. The chrome door handle also looks nice. The rear features more chrome but it never feels too flashy. The tail-lights are also very dominant and we would’ve actually preferred them in a smaller size.
[flickr size=”center” float=”medium”]http://www.flickr.com/photos/motorbeam/31702712727/[/flickr]
The Marazzo looks fresh and modern as compared to the Ertiga
The Marazzo is much bigger than the Ertiga, both inside and outside
Mahindra says the design is inspired by a shark and we will take that. The road presence is immense and this car looks tough like all Mahindra models. But unlike many Mahindra SUVs, the Marazzo does not end up looking utilitarian. The design feels urbane and sophisticated and it is so refreshing to see a Mahindra with an upmarket design. We will go so far in saying that this is probably the best Mahindra we’ve ever seen. This is because Mahindra took inputs from the Italian design house Pininfarina while styling the Marazzo. However, it is weird to see that despite its shark-themed design, the Marazzo misses out on a shark-fin antenna!
[flickr size=”center” float=”medium”]http://www.flickr.com/photos/motorbeam/31702714327/[/flickr]
The generation change makes the Ertiga look more premium
The Maruti Ertiga looks less macho and more car-like in comparison. That is not to say that it looks bad. The new Ertiga looks quite grown up and certainly more premium than the older one. The front looks quite nice with angular headlights that merge into the grille and the detailed, almost triangular housing for the fog-lights. The new Ertiga, however, misses out on a pair of LED DRLs. The side looks plain and timid in comparison to the Marazzo with only a few sharp lines flowing across the body. The larger rear door looks a bit awkward and the 15-inch wheels look a tad too small on the Ertiga. The rear is the best angle with the Honda CR-V/Volvo XC60 like ‘L’ shaped tail-lights and the neat spoiler like crease on the hatch. The Ertiga won’t turn heads but it is a genuine improvement over the older car and we are sure many people prefer a toned down more car-like design.
