Mahindra Marazzo: New MUV By Mahindra


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Sep 22, 2014
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m'bai, lko, kolkata
There does not seem to be much difference in the dimensions, with the wheelbase remaining at 2760 mm. And assuming it to be a monocoque structure like its predecessor and carrying forward the same driveline of transverse engine/FWD, I fear it is destined to be another dud at the box-office.

As I have maintained earlier, FWD is fine for wheelbases around ~2400 mm and smaller, that is hatch back territory. But once you cross that fine line, the FWD layout progressively becomes a purely commercial exercise & to hell with good engineering practice! M&M have chosen the easy way out like the rest of the field - the manufacturing & packaging ease of a FWDer, while jettisoning good RWD engineering practice of more even dynamic stress distribution, adding significantly to robustness and durability.

The Marazzo with a W.B. of 2760 mm is well suited for RWD, as the segment leader Innova/Crysta (with its body-on-chassis structure) has demonstrated over the years. The folly of large FWDers was well demonstrated by the American goliaths of the 70's like the Oldsmobile Tornado and the Cadillac El Dorado - both around 20 ft in length, with kerb wt app 2 tons and driven by the laid back 7-litre V8s of the time. They both had mercifully short & dismal runs at the box-office.

The current leader of this brigade - large FWD sedans! - in our market is the Kia Carnival at a WB of 3060 mm & tipping the scale at over 1800 kgs and driven by a 2.2 L diesel. Its box office appeal (Aug 2020 sales of 190 units) can be gauged by the fact that it is already being offered with a discount of over 2 lakhs. As they say, you can fool all the people some of the time, some of the people all the time, but not all the people all the time![:D]
 
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