Mazda's CX-7 is a pretty impressive crossover vehicle, even with only one engine option, writes Michael McAleer, Motoring Editor
When Mazda's engineers announced plans to produce a crossover vehicle targeting the likes of Honda's CR-V and Toyota's Rav4, its European dealers must have rubbed their hands with glee. With a strong reputation for reliability and residuals, Mazda seemed perfectly placed to take a decent share of the soft-road market.
For several years now the Japanese marque missed out on European sales in this ever-growing segment, and clearly lost some loyal customers to rival brands. It was time to make amends.
Then, as the details emerged, hearts sank. The new car would come with only one engine option: the 2.3-litre 260bhp petrol unit that features in MPS performance versions of the Mazda3 and Mazda6. No diesel option, no seven-seat format, and only manual transmission for Europe. The laughter from rivals could be heard back in Tokyo.
For all their initial disappointment, European dealers can take heart, however. Despite its limited appeal, the end result is a car Mazda can be very proud of. From its exterior looks through to its performance, the engineers have met the brief of coming up with a very impressive crossover vehicle, even if it's one not ideally suited to European market trends.
What they've created is a car that also challenges our preconceptions of Mazda's natural position in the market. While badge snobbery may deter many premium buyers from entering a Mazda showroom, the CX-7 does more to raise the pitch for Mazda than any model to date. It's a niche player within a niche, but pitted against similar rivals there are few cars to match it.
And unlike most other firms that enter the "soft roader" market, Mazda refrained from overplaying the SUV credentials. This is, after all, merely a high-set family car, not a mountain conquering work vehicle, so you get a front nose that wouldn't look out of place on the new Mazda6, and exterior lines more in keeping with coupé or hatchback formats.
The interior is also designed more like a sporting saloon than rugged off-roader. There's none of the "Tonka toy" plastic you find in some of these vehicles: instead you get heated leather seats, a Bose stereo, cruise control, deepset dials and a comfort level that's equal to many premium saloons.
The desire to tread a different route than the competition is also apparent when you turn the key and push down on the right pedal.
The idea of putting a 260bhp performance engine in a 1.6 metre-high crossover is like getting Tyson Gay, the world champion 100m runner, to compete in a pair of high heels.
However, the engineers at Mazda have worked magic in overcoming the higher centre of gravity. The end result is a high-set car that sticks tight to the desired line through corners with little or no bodyroll. That could have meant a rock-hard suspension that knocks your fillings out over bumps, but the Mazda still manages to cushion out the worst excesses of Irish roads. The ability to do both well is a very impressive engineering feat.
The best example of the CX-7's handling car occurred on a stretch of winding rural road in Co Meath, with a Mitsubishi Pajero following us through a series of tight bends. Neither of us were pushing along particularly hard, but by the time we exited the final corner the CX-7 had opened a gap of about 150 metres on the Pajero. The Mazda felt perfectly at ease working through the corners while in the rearview mirror it was apparent the Pajero was leaning to and fro. In its defence, the Pajero would have whipped the CX-7 if we wandered off the tarmac. But how many owners will ever do that?
There's no escaping the fact that crossover owners have little or no interest in off-roading and much of the advanced four-wheel-drive technology you find on these vehicles goes unused.
If you were to justify the engineering time spent on these cars, surely it's better to master on-road ability than spend time, money and effort enabling them to cross rivers and climb muddy hills, knowing full well that the wildest off-roading most of these vehicles experience is conquering a gravel driveway.
Mazda's priorities are probably closer to the profile of soft-roader owners. It's on-road handling would be impressive in a saloon car. That's not to say this Mazda is anything like a sports car. The turbocharged engine may have orginated in Mazda's performance range, but it's obviously not as peppy when encased in 1.6 tonnes of metal as it is here.
That's not a complaint, however, for when combined with the CX-7's all-wheel-drive system and extra weight it actually becomes a more manageable package. In the Mazda3 MPS it's guilty of shoulder wrenching torque steer, but that has been smoothed out by the active torque split system that can send up to 50 per cent of power to the rear axle. And for all that extra weight, it still manages a pretty impressive 0-100km/h time of just 8.1 seconds.
While you can't fault the engine for performance, it does fall foul of the pre-conceptions of many anti-SUV lobbyists. While the 2.3-litre engine offers plenty of fun for the driver, its fuel consumption figures - 10.2 L/100km (27.7mpg) - is not something to boast about, and it will hurt the pocket of owners. Neither is its emissions level of 243g/km anything to write home about.
Where the CX-7 excels is in on-road handling and performance. In terms of practicality, the CX-7 loses out on a third-row of seats - as in the Hyundai Santa Fe - but it is capable of transporting five adults in comfort.
Rear seat legroom can amply cope with six-footers, 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 in the boot.
UP FRONT, AND THE LAYOUT is atypical of the SUV class, with a relatively low seating position, deepset binnacles and a short, stubby gearlever. Seats are comfortable and offer adjustable lumbar support.
There are, of course, a few disappointments inside. For a start, the handbrake position and audio controls were clearly laid out with only left-hand-drive models in mind. In our right-hand-drive versions, the handbrake is located under the driver's elbow. while tuning controls for the radio are at the far side of a rather wide central console. In its defence, the CX-7 does have steering wheel audio controls as standard, so it's hardly a deal breaker. Minor quibbles like these are outweighed by the overall quality of the finish.
As for the standard features, they combine with a price of €49,995 to make the CX-7 a very attractive proposition. True it may not have the cachet of the BMW X3, but with a price difference of nearly €17,000 for an equivalently powered and specified model, that's a lot of cash for a bit more cachet.
Standard features include the usual array of safety features along with leather seats, air-conditioning, a nine-speaker Bose stereo system, cruise control and 18" alloys.
The sales limitations of CX-7 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.
Yet its likely target market will not only be the growing number of families looking for a more rugged alternative to the boxy people carriers.
It will also appeal to owners of petrol saloons who want to add a little height to their motoring life while retaining the performance and handling characteristics of a saloon.
That may not mean long queues outside Mazda dealerships, but it will do wonders for improving the brand's image and fulfilling the sometimes questionable "zoom zoom" marketing slogan that often seems a difficult fit with some of the model line-up.
It's certainly worth a test drive if you've €50,000 to spend.
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:A very high standard 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)
L/100km (MPG):
Urban: 13.8 (20.5)
Extra-urban: 8.1 (34.9)
Combined: 10.2 (27.7)
CO2 emissions: 243g/km
Annual road tax:€755
PRICE:€49,995