Mazda CX-7 2.2 diesel facelift

"It's another crossover, yes, but it certainly looks like nothing else"

What is it?

The Mazda CX-7 has been around for two years. But the quirky SUV’s appeal had been limited by the fact that it was only available with the 2.3-litre turbo petrol engine. But now it’s facelift time, so as of November 1st, the thoroughly revised CX-7 crossover will only be available in the UK with Mazda’s 2.2-litre diesel unit under its bonnet.

What’s it like on the outside?

The CX-7 was originally conceived for the American market. But now it’s armed with an oil burner, the crossover has been Europeanised. And from what I can tell, that means the CX-7 now has lots of nice chrome strips running along its quirky curved shoulderline, along its sills and across the new front bumper’s gaping five-point grille to make it look posher. To be honest, I’m pleased Mazda chose not to tweak the CX-7’s styling too much, as it looks compact, un-SUV-like and thus different enough to be desirable. Shame the twin exhausts got ditched, but that’s to accommodate an AdBlue tank. More of which later.

What’s it like on the inside?

Mazda has decided that simplicity is key for the CX-7. So in exchange for your £25,785 you get just one engine, one gearbox (a high-efficiency, low friction auto box is due late in 2010) and one spec level. And included in that spec is pretty much everything – you get heated leather seats, a decent Bose stereo, cruise control, climate control and dash top that’s been redesigned to accommodate a very clear but very small colour satnav screen.

I reckon the occupants of the CX7’s spacious, plush cabin will agree that the crossover feels posher than before. Admittedly, the front seat squabs are a bit short, and the rear seats don’t fold, slid and flip every which way like some rival crossover’s do, but it’s a good effort.

What’s it like to drive?

Mazda’s cars are often surprisingly good to drive. Despite weighing in a 1,800kg, the addition of no fewer than 31 extra spot welds in the door apertures, and more high tensile steel in the rear has increased the CX-7’s bodyshell stiffness by five percent. This has allowed the engineers to tune the car’s new dampers that bit more accurately, making the CX-7 really quite good to drive and ride very well indeed.

The diesel engine musters 400Nm of torque, making light work of what is a fairly heavy car. It can be a bit gruff when overworked, and the gearbox it’s attached too is a bit notchy. However, I reckon both the engine and transmission will free up with more miles as my test car had barely 1,000 clicks on the clock. Mazda has also added extra sound deadening, making motorway cruising very quiet and refined.

The diesel engine necessitated revising the steering, which is still numb and a touch over-assisted but it’s sharp and direct. There’s very little body roll too. All CX-7s come with a front-biased four-wheel-drive system, which can send up to 50% of the engine’s power rearwards if needs be. It’s very surefooted as a result, even on the sodden roads I drove the car on in the Alps.

But what is really impressive about the engine is that it’s fitted with a new NOx reducing selective catalytic reduction system. The system includes a 15.5-litre tank mounted at the rear of the car. The tank contains AdBlue aqueous urea which is squirted into the exhaust, causing it to heat up, decompose into ammonia, which then breaks down NOx gases into nitrogen and oxygen. So as well as managing 37.7mpg and emitting 199g/km of CO2, the engine comfortably exceeds 2011’s EURO 5 emissions regulations which see a greater emphasis on cutting NOx output too.

Verdict

The Mazda CX-7 is a very likable machine. From the outside it looks different, and more interesting than a Land Rover Freelander or Ford Kuga, while on the inside, the well-specced interior will win it some fans too.

The new diesel engine adds to the appeal, as it’s torquey, fairly frugal and well matched to the crossover’s likely school run, shopping trip etc duties. The impressive AdBlue system should be commended too, as it shows Mazda’s ability to produce a powerplant that goes above and beyond today’s legislation.

By Tom Phillips