The Mahindra Marazzo Might Be The Best Car At Detroit

Look past the Roxors, though, and you'll find the strange and intriguing Marazzo; a front-wheel-drive, body-on-frame, minivan-like vehicle that's arguably the best thing taking up space in Cobo Center.

While the Indian company has no plans to sell the Marazzo in the United States, Mahindra brought the vehicle to the Detroit show to tout the fact that the majority of its engineering was done at the company's North American facilities in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It's a shame the Marazzo won't find its way to U.S. roads, either, as the MPV is a funky little thing that reminds us of a first-generation Honda Odyssey – provided it was designed to tackle rough Indian roads.

With three rows of seats, the high-riding Marazzo is motivated by a diesel-drinking 121-horsepower 1.5-liter inline-four that mates to a six-speed manual transmission. Speed, however, is not the Mahindra's forte, and the Marazzo is more adept at carrying than it is at hauling butt. With room for up to eight passengers, the MPV offers niceties such as roof-mounted air vents and controls for the rear seating area, an available 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment display with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility, and a 4.2-inch vehicle information display in the gauge cluster.

Although the Marazzo may not be the prettiest looking thing nor does it sport the highest quality interior, it is a relative value thanks to its base price of 999,000 rupees, or about $14,000.