The design brief for Iwao Koizumithe and his design team for the Mazda CX7 was to deliver a ‘sports crossover with SUV-style functionality’. The team began by consolidating the definition and image of a true sports car. Koizumi gathered Mazda’s designers together and brainstormed all the design themes that make a driver feel ’this is a sports car’. It is interesting to note that the thoughts and images produced by the designers clearly drew a lot of influence from Europe, where there is a vibrant and enduring sports car tradition.
“There are so many genres, traditions and conventions that the image of a sports car can vary greatly from person to person. I believe that through our research we managed to come up with a universal definition of a sports car that would be loved by drivers all around the world. I believe this process was fundamental to the successful design of the Mazda CX7 production car,” added Koizumi.
Sporty design cues include a kick-up beltline in the profile and deep character lines over the bonnet, placed slightly inward to make room for muscular front fenders, echoing a theme used in the design of the Mazda RX8 and new Mazda 2. At the rear, round elements (lamps and large tailpipes) pay homage to a visual theme that has been admired by automotive fans for more than three decades on glamorous Italian sports cars.
The driving position, with a wrap-around cockpit and a high mounted gear shift, was inspired by studies of modern European sports car interiors. Additional sporty touches include a large rev-counter and a speedometer scaled to 150mph, a leather steering wheel that replicates the wheel of the iconic Mazda MX5 sports car and a six-speed gear shift.
The Mazda CX7 ‘sports crossover’ is a new Mazda model that combines elements of European sports car design that have a timeless appeal, with the interior roominess, comfort and quality of a sports utility vehicle. Add Mazda’s 260ps high-performance DISI turbocharged engine and superior build quality and you have Mazda entering a new market segment at its innovative best.
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