Mazda CX-7

Mazda’s CX-7 is the Japanese marque’s latest foray in to the realm on the 4x4 and what a foray it is. At local dealership Brooklyn Mazda, they’re already receiving a great response to this purposeful off-roader that’s actually at its best on the tarmac.

Mazda isn’t interested in any of that flyweight nonsense. Yes, a diesel CX-7 will be available in due course but for the time being, you’ll just have to make do with 258bhp of all-wheel-drive power, courtesy of the 2.3-litre turbocharged engine lifted from the stealth bomber Mazda6 MPS. It’ll punt the CX-7 off the line with real verve, the sprint to 60mph being notched off in 7.8 seconds, while a top speed of 130mph is a testament to the muscle of this motor.

With a six-speed transmission and peak torque of 380Nm at just 3,000rpm, the CX-7 is quick off the mark and the soundtrack lets you know it means business. Most of the time, the CX-7 operates in front-wheel-drive mode but should you ladle on the power, the active torque-split four-wheel-drive system will divert drive to the rear wheels too. A taut suspension setup and decently weighted steering allow you to exploit the power on challenging roads.

The CX-7 will net a few sales purely on the basis of the way it looks. Probably the most striking aspect of the car is the steeply-raked windscreen. Most SUVs have a rather bluff frontal aspect but the CX-7 has the sort of screen angle that wouldn’t look out of place on a Lamborghini. The overall effect is to give the Mazda a very sleek, purposeful look and to distance it from the more agricultural 4x4s on the market.

The UK specification CX-7 comes absolutely dripping in standard equipment. Heated leather seats, 18-inch alloy wheels, stability control, traction control, xenon headlights, climate control and a Bose Premium audio system with six-CD auto changer, MP3 capability and no fewer than nine speakers are all on the team sheet. Options include parking sensors, an iPod adaptor, scuff plates and metallic paint.

The CX-7 is as good as it really could have been for the price Mazda charges. It’s quick and well screwed together, there are plenty of buttons to press and it even manages to be good-looking while remaining decently practical.