Utility vehicle specialist Mahindra & Mahindra today announced the name of their upcoming 7/8-seater model which was codename U321, and it is Marazzo. The new multi-purpose vehicle is expected to be launched before the end of this quarter. Earlier, the company released a teaser about the name on their Twitter page.

Marazzo, a basque word that translates to Shark in English, is built on a completely new platform. Mahindra claims to have designed and engineered Marazzo using M&M’s three resources based in India, the US (Mahindra Automotive North America) and Italy (Pininfarina). Autocar India quoted Ananthan Ramkripa, Chief Designer at Mahindra, saying the design of the Marazzo is inspired by a shark, with several elements – inside and out – styled to mimic certain aspects of a shark.

The Marazzo MPV will be offered in seven- and eight-seat configurations, and in line with Mahindra’s other offerings. The company categorically mentioned that Marazzo does not replace any of its existing products, and is not a successor to the Xylo.

The Marazzo is likely to debut with Mahindra’s new 1.5-litre diesel engine; however, Mahindra has chosen to stay tight-lipped on the matter. Marazzo has been positioned to go loggerheads against segment leaders the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga and the Toyota Innova Crysta. The company is targeting the young buyer with special emphasis on space and style. The market in which the Marazzo aims to compete clocks 9,000-10,000 units a month, Moneycontrol reported.