Part of the crossover concept necessitates combining sporty design with sports utility comfort and practicality, and the new Mazda CX7 has plenty of both. There is ample space for five occupants to travel in comfort and sports utility style rear seat functionality and boot space, which makes it an ideal vehicle for multi-activity lifestyles.
The 260ps turbocharged, four-wheel drive Mazda CX7, priced from £23,960 (on‑the‑road), will be available in the UK as a single, highly-specified model. Standard equipment will include leather seats, 18 inch alloy wheels, Xenon headlights, climate control air-conditioning, cruise control, and a BOSE premium audio system.
Each Mazda CX7 is mechanically identical, with a 2.3 litre turbocharged four cylinder petrol engine producing up to 380Nm of torque at just 3000rpm, a six-speed manual transmission and Mazda’s unique Active Torque-Split 4WD system.
This new Mazda combines sensationally spirited performance, top speed is 130mph and 0‑62mph which takes 8.0 seconds with exhilarating dynamics and genuine everyday practicality (with a 455-litre cargo bay, all seats upright), and remarkable refinement. It is the ultimate expression of ‘Zoom-Zoom’ driving excitement in a sophisticated four-wheel drive crossover vehicle.
“British motorists are presented with a huge range of SUV-type vehicles to choose from so we need to offer something different and the CX7 fits the bill,” comments Mazda UK’s marketing director Mark Cameron.
“Some sports utility vehicles major on their 4x4 credentials, their ability off road or to carry people, maybe up to seven passengers. Others are more ‘soft roaders’, which have the look and attitude of a 4x4 but are rarely taken off tarmac.
“Our new Mazda CX7 is different because it is more heavily oriented towards a sports car in its styling and driving dynamics, while retaining the commanding driving position, presence and stature of an off road vehicle.”
Mazda CX7’s boot is large, flexible and rugged. With the rear seats up, the boot is more than 100cm long, large enough to carry three golf bags, and has a load volume of 455 litres (to the belt line). The split rear seats can be folded 60:40 using Mazda’s unique Karakuri system with a one-touch rear seat back release located in the boot trim. With the back seats folded, load space is increased to 774 litres. The boot floor has a reversible water-proof trunk board made of robust plastic so soiled items can be transported without staining the carpet.
Customers can choose between five exterior colours (solid Brilliant Black, metallic Graphite Silver and three Mica colours, Aurora Blue, Copper Red, Galaxy Grey. Two interior colours with Black or Stone leather upholstery, plus a range of options such as front and rear parking sensors, satellite navigation, a roof carrier and detachable tow-bar.
Mazda UK expects to sell between 1,000 and 1,500 CX7s in the UK over a full year. “There is a market out there for a real sports utility vehicle, with room for five adults, a versatile interior, great performance and the assurance and safety that an intelligent four-wheel drive system provides,” asserts Cameron.
“I am convinced that there is still plenty of growth in the SUV segment as long as vehicles are sensibly developed and marketed. The Mazda CX7 is not a huge vehicle designed for the country that will be brought into town – it is an urban soft-roader with plenty of attitude and great dynamics,” concludes Cameron.
Available to preorder now via a dedicated Mazda CX7 Pre-Order Website www.cx‑7order.co.uk, and with first deliveries scheduled for September, the CX7 is expected to define its own market, just as the Mazda RX8 sports coupe did in the sports car segment following its launch in 2003.
For more informaion call Mazda Darlington on 0845 112 5008 or Mazda Durham on 0845 112 5009 (local rate)