Mazda CX-7 review

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Mazda CX-7 2.3 T Road Test

Test date 21 November 2007 Price as tested £24,086

For Strong performance, cabin layout, gearchange, agile handling, value for money

Against Heavy 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.