Clash Of Segments: Mahindra Marazzo vs XUV500 – Which Car To Buy?

By : Agencies | Updated at : 11 Sep 2018 02:30 PM (IST)

It’s the battle between two Mahindra cars – one an MPV and the other a midsize SUV. Which one offers better value for money? We find out

The diesel-powered Mahindra Marazzo is priced between Rs 9.99 lakh and Rs 13.90 lakh (ex-showroom, pan India). It goes up against MPVs such as the Renault Lodgy and the upcoming second-gen Maruti Suzuki Ertiga. However, on the price chart, you will find a couple of Marazzo variants clashing with the XUV500, which is priced from Rs 12.55 lakh to Rs 19.26 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).

Let us dig deep to see which of the two Mahindra cars offers the best bang for your buck as far as features are concerned. But before jumping into the details, here are the basic differences between the two:

Mahindra Marazzo	Mahindra XUV500
An MPV: The Marazzo is an MPV, designed to haul maximum passengers in comfort	An SUV: The XUV500 is an SUV, designed to take on rough terrains. However, it can also seat 7 like the marazzo.
Body-on-frame: The Marazzo rides on a ladder frame setup. You can call it a bit old-school but this setup is best for large people-movers	Monocoque: The Mahindra XUV500 features a unibody construction, which aids handling
Spacious: The Marazzo offers better cabin space and cargo capacity compared to the XUV500. It is also available as an 8-seater unlike its SUV sibling	Cramped third-row: Compared to the Marazzo, the XUV500’s last row is cramped and is best suited for kids
Diesel-manual only: The Marazzo is only available with a 1.5-litre diesel engine coupled to a manual transmission till late 2020	Multiple powertrain options: The XUV500 is available with a petrol engine as well, along with a diesel-automatic powertrain. The diesel-powered XUV500 can also be had with an all-wheel-drive setup

Engine:

Dimensions

Price (ex-showroom, Delhi)

Mahindra Marazzo	Mahindra XUV500
M2 Rs 9.99 lakh
M4 Rs 10.95 lakh
M6 Rs 12.40 lakh	W5 Rs 12.55 lakh
M8 Rs 13.90 lakh	W7 Rs 13.81 lakh
	W7 AT Rs 15.01 lakh
	W9 Rs 15.47 lakh
	W9 AT Rs 16.67 lakh
	W11 Rs 16.71 lakh
	W11 AT Rs 17.91 lakh
	W11 (O) Rs 16.96 lakh
	W11 (O) AT Rs 18.16 lakh
	W11 (O) AWD Rs 18.06 lakh
	W11 (O) AWD AT Rs 19.26 lakh

Variants

It is only fair to compare similarly priced variants (price difference <Rs 50,000) of both the cars. So, we’ve compared the M6 and M8 variants of the Marazzo with the W5 and W7 variants of the XUV500.

Mahindra Marazzo M6 vs XUV500 W5

Mahindra Marazzo M6	Rs 12.40 lakh
Mahindra XUV500 W5	Rs 12.55 lakh
Difference	Rs 15,000 (XUV500 is more expensive)

Common features:

Lights: Dual-barrel projector headlamps (low-beam) and multi-reflector (high-beam) along with cornering lamps, follow me home headlamps
Audio: Audio system with Bluetooth phone integration
Comfort: Height adjustable driver’s seat, tilt-adjustable steering wheel, fabric upholstery, electrically adjustable ORVMs, manual air conditioning and rear air conditioning
Safety: Dual front airbags, ABS with EBD and all-four disc brakes, rear demister along with washer and wiper

What Marazzo gets over the XUV500: Reverse parking sensors, emergency assistance (automatically calls emergency services through the connected phone in case of any mishap when airbags are deployed), front and rear fog lamps, captain seats for the second-row, 8-seater option with additional Rs 5000, front and rear USB charger, multi-function steering wheel, Isofix child seat anchors, lumbar support for the driver’s seat, 7-inch resistive touchscreen infotainment system with built-in navigation, 1GB built-in memory and Mahindra Blue Sense app support, 4.2-inch colour driver multi-info display, alloy wheels

What XUV500 gets over the Marazzo: Micro-hybrid tech with engine start-stop

Verdict: The Mahindra Marazzo is our choice here as it is clearly the better equipped vehicle of the two. Being the base variant of the relatively expensive SUV, the XUV500 W5 misses out on some of the premium goodies that the Marazzo M6 packs.

Mahindra Marazzo M8 vs XUV500 W7

Mahindra Marazzo M8	Rs 13.90 lakh
Mahindra XUV500 W7	Rs 13.81 lakh
Difference	Rs 9000 (Marazzo is more expensive)

Common Features (over previous variants):

Light: Front fog lamps, daytime running LEDs
Audio: 7-inch capacitive touchscreen (smartphone-like) infotainment system with Android Auto connectivity and Mahindra Blue Sense app support and smartwatch connectivity
Comfort: Auto climate control air conditioning with manual rear air conditioning, cruise control, electrically foldable and adjustable outside rearview mirrors and entry assist lamps
Safety: Emergency assistance (automatically calls emergency services through the connected phone to report any mishap when airbags are deployed), reverse parking sensors

What Marazzo gets over the XUV500: Leather upholstery and rear window sunshade, machine-finished alloy wheels

What XUV500 gets over the Marazzo: Passive keyless entry with engine push button start-stop, Arkamys sound tuning, auto headlamps, rain-sensing wipers, glass antenna, built-in compass, conversation mirror

Verdict The Mahindra XUV500 W7 takes the lead here as it offers better value for money of the two. In the W7 variant, the XUV5OO offers more features than the top-spec Marazzo, and that too at a lower price point. Moreover, the Marazzo’s prices are introductory and will be hiked soon.