FirstDrive: Mazda CX-7Mazda may miss its zoom-zoom-zoom marketing claims with some of its models, but the new CX-7 hits the spot, writes Michael McAleer, Motoring Editor
On paper, the CX-7 - sports car meets SUV - sounds like the end result of a rather serious car crash or a vehicle created by over-enthusiastic marketing folk who forgot to include any engineers in their deliberations.
Given that the CX-7 was first revealed at the Detroit motor show in 2005 - and was tested by this paper last year in the US - it was hard to get excited about the prospect of driving the supposedly "European-orientated" version some two years after its introduction.
And in most instances, vehicles aimed at US buyers, which are then brought to Europe as an afterthought, feature little more than stiffer springs and different bumpers.
And yet, after a few hours behind the wheel, the cynicism had passed, replaced by gratitude to the Japanese marque for bringing the CX-7 to these shores. The claim that accompanies most soft-roaders or crossovers is that you get a dollop of saloon car driving ability, a spoonful of SUV styling and a pinch of off-road ability. The recipe sounds good, but like food photos in supermarkets, it rarely delivers in real life. What's more likely is that you get saloon car spaciousness with a muscular, rugged look. For that, you sacrifice cornering ability, and in most instances, performance. And you are strongly advised to forget about any off-road sojourns.
Even at the premium end of the market, where models like the Lexus RX and the BMW X3 are on offer, the extra weight and higher centre of gravity detracts from any saloon car similarities when it comes to cornering and the like.
So for Mazda to claim it has come up with a sports car crossover seems to push all levels of credibility. And yet, somehow, Mazda's new CX-7 comes closer to meeting its goal than most of its rivals.
The first point to note is that its styling is better than virtually all of its rivals. While others oversell the SUV ability with beefy looks, Mazda has kept many of the sleeker lines of a sports hatchback, along with some smart styling features like circular rear lights and twin chrome exhausts.
The most rugged features on this vehicle are the slightly bulging wheel arches, but its designers have held back from squaring off the front nose or giving a solid boxy tailgate. Instead, you get premium styling and a quality finish.
Inside, the CX-7 is trimmed to a higher standard than any of its competitors, thanks partly to the fact that Mazda has opted to offer only a high specification on CX-7s coming to Europe. Rear seat legroom is well able for adults, while bootspace is adequate at 455 litres, rising to 1,348 litres with the back row folded down - a task made simple by a quick-pull lever on the top of the rear seats.
For all the sports styling, the CX-7 is also a sizeable vehicle. It's wider than the likes of the BMW X3, Lexus RX or Honda CR-V, and only slightly shorter in height.
Up front the CX-& is no tree-hugger with Mazda's 2.3-litre turbocharged petrol engine, the unit that already features in MPS performance versions of its Mazda3 and Mazda6 model ranges, powering you forward. Emissions levels of 243 g/km are also nothing to boast about.
Its potential is limited, given that it's towing 1.6 tonnes of metal: nevertheless there's a lovely responsiveness to the engine and it's well matched to the manual gearbox: much better than the automatic version that's on offer in the US market.
Perhaps the most impressive feature, however, is in terms of handling. While the ride can be quite stiff at slower speeds, on the open road the CX-7 offers the sort of handling that would impress when packaged in a saloon car.
In US versions there was a tendency to wallow in bends, but the European suspension settings let the CX-7 tuck nicely into corners, far better than anything on offer from competitors. Simply put: a car of this size and height is not meant to handle as well as this.
Another strong feature of the CX-7 is the price. At €49,995 you get a car that offers a sleek contemporary design to rival anything BMW or Lexus is offering, an impressive Japanese build quality, an engine putting out 260bhp, and a 0-100km/h time of just over 8 seconds.
Added to the mix is a list of standard features that includes leather seats, air-conditioning, a nine-speaker Bose stereo system, 18" alloys and perhaps the most important feature of all, a crossover vehicle that can finally boast truly enjoyable handling characteristics.
The limitations are obvious. With no diesel offering and only a six-speed manual transmission available, it's not going to overtake rivals like the Honda CR-V or Toyota RAV-4 in terms of sales. With a fuel consumption figure of 10.2 L/100km (27.7mpg) it's also going to prove costly on the pocket. Then there's the fact that, for the same price, you could get much more practicality from the likes of the Hyundai Santa Fe and other seven-seat options.
Nevertheless, when pitted against petrol competitors - and even some diesels - this is a remarkably good offering from Mazda. It's stylish, well-equipped and great fun to drive.
It's not going to suit most Irish soft-road buyers, seeking a rugged people carrier, but for those looking for something a little different from the usual array of premium saloons, then it's likely to hit the spot.
Factfile
ENGINE:2261cc 4-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine putting out 260bhp @ 5,500rpm and 380Nm of torque @ 3,000rpm. Six-speed manual tranmission
STANDARD FEATURES:High specification includes: six airbags; ESP with traction control; ABS with EBD; 18" alloys; Bose nine-speaker stereo; air-con; leather seats (heated front seats). Options are limited to metallic paint (€500) and sunroof (€1,000)
TOP SPEED:210km/h
0-100km/h: 8.1 secs
L/100km (MPG): 10.2 (27.7)
CO2 Emissions: 243 g/km
PRICE:€49,995