Road Test
Mazda CX-7
Test date 21 November 2007
Price as tested £24,595
For Strong performance, cabin layout, gearchange, agile handling, value for money
AgainstHeavy thirst, less load space than main rivals, no diesel option yet
The first signs of the CX-7 appeared with Mazda’s MX-Crossport concept at the 2005 Detroit motor show. The full production version was then shown the following year in Los Angeles, and together with the larger CX-9 (not destined for Europe), is Mazda’s first foray into the crossover SUV market.
That the name sounds familiar is no accident. Giving its new SUV an X-tag is a blatant effort by Mazda to convince that the CX-7 heralds from the same origins as the iconic MX-5 and innovative RX-8. Mazda claims, though, that the CX-7 represents a new niche in SUVs, delivering the advantages of an elevated cabin, but with the driver-focused dynamics of a smaller, more conventionally sporting car.
All very promising, but not exactly new. The Toyota RAV4, BMW’s X5 and Porsche’s Cayenne all, to varying degrees, deliver upon the promise of a sporting SUV. Look deeper, though, and the CX-7 does represent some originality, if not in its concept, but in positioning.
Its dimensions place it between a mid-size SUV and the X5 brigade, while the performance from its 256bhp turbocharged petrol engine – the only available option – outclasses any competitor at its £23,940 price and embarrasses some significantly more expensive rivals. For those convinced they need an SUV but are not yet prepared to stop having fun, the CX-7 could be worth a look.
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