With Marazzo incoming, is Mahindra trying to pull off a 'Nexa' with the introduction of 'Prime'?

Maruti Suzuki saw a significant increase in its sales after it introduced a dedicated wing, Nexa, for the sale of its premium cars. But the question still remains if it would work out for other manufacturers as well? 

In a step towards giving its premium cars a superior recognition, Mahindra has now made a similar move as Maruti Suzuki. Unlike Maruti Suzuki, however, Mahindra has not opened new outlets for the sale of its premium models, but has revamped its existing outlets to sport a dedicated section for the same with a new name, 'Prime'. 

At the name reveal event of Marazzo, Mahindra's upcoming MPV (Multi-purpose Vehicle), Chief of Marketing & Sales (Automotive Division) of Mahindra & Mahindra Veejay Ram Nakra who spoke to a leading news agency revealed that the idea was to make the customers feel differently about buying an expensive car. 

'Prime' will have an elite look with a premium decor and different colour scheme that differentiates it from the standard showrooms. Additionally, 'Prime' outlets will also have a lounge area and a virtual reality zone which would likely be aimed at giving the customers a virtual tour of cars with specified features and colours.

Also differentiating the 'Prime' from the Nexa would be the availability of all the cars at the same location. The introduction of 'Prime' won't hinder the supply of cars to all the customers, considering that both Bolero as well as the Rexton will be sold at the same showroom, unlike Maruti Suzuki which failed to cater to the consumers in the initial stages of Nexa in certain parts of the country due to a limited number of showrooms. 

Christened as Marazzo, Mahindra's upcoming people carrier is expected to launch in 2019. The name is derived from the Basque (the language of a region in Spain) which means 'shark'. It will lock horns with the Toyota Innova and Maruti Suzuki Ertiga. 

Taking inspiration from its name, the car's design would be streamlined and aerodynamically enhanced in shape. In the overall silhouette and in the front grille, the car is expected to showcase features of a Shark. 

The company claims that the Marazzo is a globally developed product, that is engineered through a collaboration between Mahindra North America Technical Centre (MNATC) and Mahindra Research Valley (MRV) in Chennai.