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Sept piece. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.

Sept piece
Mazda moves into the SUV market with a sportier option than most. We went to France to try out the new CX-7.

   



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| First Drive | Paris, France | Mazda CX-7 |

There seemed to be a little confusion in the minds of some of the journalists at the launch of Mazda's new CX-7. They didn't seem to 'get' the naming of the new SUV. It really isn't all that difficult though, so let's make it clear from the start. The 'C' designates that the car is a crossover, the 'X' is Mazda's way of saying 'sport' and the 7 indicates that in the Mazda line-up, the new car sits between the Mazda6 and the RX-8. The jury's out on the exact meaning of the hyphen...

Marketing aside, a glance at the CX-7's specifications will tell you that it is a bigger car than the Mazda6 (though it is designed to seat five adults, no more), features four-wheel drive as standard and will cost about £23,960 on-the-road in the UK (or €49,995 if you live in VRT-lashed Ireland). Immediate rivals spring to mind, in the form of the fresh-faced Honda CR-V and Land Rover Freelander II, though you shouldn't discount the Toyota RAV4 either. For the Mazda's asking price you could afford a nicely specced CR-V or RAV4 (with either diesel or petrol power in both cases), but just one or two entry-level diesel models from the Freelander range.

However, we're not so sure the CX-7 competes directly with any of these models. Yes, it offers plenty of space for five adults, their luggage and their 'lifestyles', as with the competition, but its powertrain is a little different. Under the muscular bodywork sits the same direct-injection, turbocharged 2.3-litre engine found under the bonnets of the Mazda3 MPS and Mazda6 MPS, driven through the same six-speed manual gearbox. The four-wheel drive system is adopted from the Mazda6 MPS too, featuring Active Torque Split to enhance the car's on-road ability in slippery conditions, or indeed for 'spirited' driving. Mazda makes no mention of the car's off-road capability, as that is not its intended purpose in life.

Instead, Mazda wants its crossover to be seen in the same light as the MX-5 and RX-8 sportscars, offering something different to someone who might be considering an estate or SUV.

The new CX-7 borrows from its sportscar siblings in terms of styling and it's largely successful too, though we believe Mazda could have been ever more daring with this particular model. In spite of its size, the new car is well proportioned, thanks in part to a long wheelbase and short overhangs. The pronounced wheelarches also help to visually shrink the car.

Once inside though, you're aware of the size and the interior has been well executed. In comparison to the CX-7 sold in North America, the European model is more upmarket, thanks to the standard leather interior, which extends to the doors and steering wheel. It's of distinctly high quality, elevating the CX-7 way above comparison with most of the Korean offerings. The cockpit looks good too and all controls are well damped. There is oodles of leg and shoulder room, even in the rear and the split rear seat has a neat, one touch fold feature should you wish to slide in a snowboard or something else suitably lifestyle-like.

That's not all; the best seat in the house is undoubtedly behind the excellent three-spoke steering wheel, as Mazda has gone to a lot of effort to give the CX-7 a set of dynamics to match the image. Our first impressions were good, with excellent body control coupled with a perfectly comfortable ride. The test route was admittedly well surfaced and devoid of many interesting corners, but a few willing roundabouts volunteered to help us see what happened if you push the CX-7 a little and the results are promising. The four-wheel drive system moves the torque around (the clue is in the "Active Torque Split" name...) to the tyres with the most grip, which means you can drive straight through understeer for a little oversteer fun, just like the Mazda6 MPS really. Body roll is commendably kept in check too.

We look forward to trying the new CX-7 on our own, rather less well surfaced B-roads. However, you must admit that the market for an SUV that drives like a sports saloon must be quite a small one. The thing is, Mazda knows this and has not set any unrealistic sales targets, with just 7,000 units throughout Europe per year, about 1,600 of those spread between the UK and Ireland. Given the competitive pricing and a very generous standard specification, this figure may be a little pessimistic. Saying that, the one engine/one gearbox/one model strategy will restrict numbers and we've been told that there are no plans for either a diesel or an automatic at this stage. Just as well really; some people get confused very easily.
Mazda UK has set up a website dedicated to placing your CX-7 order. Go to www.cx-7order.co.uk for more information.

Shane O' Donoghue - 20 Jul 2007



  www.mazda.co.uk    - Mazda road tests
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2007 Mazda CX-7 specifications:
Price: £24,595 on-the-road (€49,995 in Ireland).
0-62mph: 8.0 seconds
Top speed: 130mph
Combined economy: 27.7mpg
Emissions: 243g/km
Kerb weight: 1770kg

2007 Mazda CX-7. Image by Mazda.2007 Mazda CX-7. Image by Mazda.2007 Mazda CX-7. Image by Mazda.2007 Mazda CX-7. Image by Mazda.2007 Mazda CX-7. Image by Mazda.

2007 Mazda CX-7. Image by Mazda.2007 Mazda CX-7. Image by Mazda.2007 Mazda CX-7. Image by Mazda.2007 Mazda CX-7. Image by Mazda.2007 Mazda CX-7. Image by Mazda.



2007 Mazda CX-7. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.
 

2007 Mazda CX-7. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.
 

2007 Mazda CX-7. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.
 

2007 Mazda CX-7. Image by Shane O' Donoghue.
 

2007 Mazda CX-7. Image by Mazda.
 

2007 Mazda CX-7. Image by Mazda.
 

2007 Mazda CX-7. Image by Mazda.
 






 

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