Update: The Mahindra Marazzo has been launched in India at an introductory starting price of Rs 9.99 lakh (ex-showroom). It's available in 4 variants, powered by a diesel engine only. Click here to know more about the Marazzo. Planning to book the Marazzo? Find out which variant of the Marazzo offers the best value for money here.



One is the current segment leader and the other promises a value for money package. Which one should you go for?





Despite being priced at a premium, the Toyota Innova Crysta has been dominating the MPV segment, which has just seen a drop in options in recent times. But come Diwali 2018, the Japanese MPV will have a new competitor in the form of the Mahindra Marazzo. Mahindra has promised some unique features and a premium touch at a competitive price. So, should you wait for the Marazzo’s entry or just go ahead and pick up the popular MPV? We find out.



Cabin Space





The Innova Crysta is available with either seven or eight seats in the base G variant. But as you move towards the higher V and Z variants, the seating space gets limited to just seven due to these variants being offered with captain seats for the second row. Mahindra is expected to follow a similar seating approach for the Marazzo as well.





At 2750mm, the Innova Crysta’s wheelbase is just 50mm shy of the biggest model in Mahindra’s existing lineup, the XUV500 (2700mm). And Mahindra should manage to eke out a little extra wheelbase for the Marazzo with an addition of nearly 50mm. The carmaker has also said that the Marazzo will have the biggest footprint among all its stablemates, which should translate into the most spacious Mahindra so far. But it remains to be seen, who comes out on top.



Engine Options



The Toyota Innova Crysta set a precedent for full-blown seven seater MPVs when it brought with it a 2.7-litre, 4-cylinder petrol engine along with two diesel engines. So if a petrol engine scores high on your list, then it’s the Toyota which you should be picking up. That’s because the Marazzo is only going to be available with a diesel engine initially. However, the carmaker has confirmed that a  petrol is currently under development.



When it comes to the diesel engine options, the Innova Crysta comes with two - a 2.4-litre and a 2.8-litre unit. The Marazzo, on the other hand, is expected to get a smaller 1.5-litre diesel engine. So expect it to lag behind the Toyota in terms of power and torque output. But given the MPV’s monocoque construction, it’s kerb weight should be lower than the old-school ladder frame-based Toyota, which weighs between 1720kg to 1790kg, depending on the variant. So, it’s quite possible that the Mahindra might not feel underpowered despite a smaller engine.





Features Count



The Toyota Innova Crysta is packed with features, including auto LED headlamps, auto climate control, leather seats, a 7-inch touchscreen with DVD playback, Bluetooth, USB and AUX-in connectivity as well. The Toyota scores high on safety features too with ABS, EBD, hill start assist, vehicle stability control and three airbags (including one for the driver’s knee) as standard across the range. Meanwhile, the top-end variant gets a total of seven airbags!





In comparison, the Marazzo isn’t going to be a slouch either. It will be packed with projector headlamps, LED daytime running lamps, perforated leatherette seats, a large MID (multi-info display) and a bus-like roof-integrated cooling system. In terms of entertainment systems, expect it to be offered with a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment screen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, similar to the one on the XUV500. As far as safety features are concerned, the Marazzo is expected to pack a tyre pressure monitoring system and six airbags, among others. The standard safety kit could include dual airbags and ABS with EBD, among others.





So when it comes to equipment, it’s neck and neck between the two. Thus, it will all boil down to the pricing of the two MPVs to determine which one offers better value.





Pricing



The Toyota Innova Crysta is currently priced within the range of Rs 14.34 lakh to Rs 22.70 lakh. As for the Mahindra Marazzo, it is going to be a lot more affordable with an expected price starting from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 15 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) for the top-spec variant.



The price difference will be considerable between the two and if the anticipated pricing is correct, then Toyota’s base variant will be at par with the top-spec variant of the Marazzo, which will make the latter a lot of car for your money. For now, though, we will have to wait for a few weeks.



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