Mazda CX-7 News **Adrenaline Concept at SEMA (page 4)**

[gavriil]

Mazda makes it official, dubs new crossover model CX-7 - - Source: Autoweek Mazda has officially made it official: its MX-Crossport concept that bowed at last January’s Detroit auto show will become a production vehicle. The crossover sport ute will be named the Mazda CX-7, which the company says fits into its new worldwide naming strategy. The CX-7 is expected to enter the U.S. market in the spring of 2006, and will likely be based on the Mazda6 platform. “The addition of the CX-7 to the Mazda lineup is a critical step forward for us in terms of our ability to grow Mazda’s business in North America,” said Jim O’Sullivan, president and CEO for Mazda North America. “In order to succeed, we have to be true to our core values and for any vehicle to wear the Winged-M logo on the grille, it must have the soul of a sportscar.” In Mazda’s new naming conventions, crossover utes will carry the CX moniker. The majority of the company's vehicle lineup will continue on as Mazda followed by a number that relates to vehicle size, such as Mazda6. The automaker's rotary-powered sports will cars carry the RX designation, while other sport models will have the MX moniker. The company's upcoming, next-generation Miata will be promoted more heavily moving forward as the MX-5. Mazda's Tribute ute, MPV minivan and B-Series Truck will continue on with the same names for the time being. Mazda says the production Mazda CX-7 will carry many of the design cues of the concept and will be built solely at the automaker's facility in Hiroshima, Japan.

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[gavriil]

Mazda MX-Crossport Thread Located Here




Source Autoweek.com



Source: TechAutoCareers.com

[titan]

Slap a Mazda badge on the Murano and there ya go. Good looking SUV... will probably do well.

[Moog-Type-S]

The big black plastic grille in the front is a little much. Need to break up that grill a little with some other material.

[machination]

15000x times better looking the murano, highlander or rx.

[titan]

Originally Posted by machination

15000x times better looking the murano, highlander or rx.

Eehhh, I like the Murano's rear better. The CX's front is nicer (they need to tweek all of that black plastic though). Definitely killing the Highlander or the Pilot.

[Time For Sleeep]

Still waitin' for the RDX though.

[gavriil]

Originally Posted by machination

15000x times better looking the murano, highlander or rx.

So do you mean that it's better looking than the murano, highlander and rx?

[chungkopi]

rear looks like rx

[machination]

Originally Posted by titan

Eehhh, I like the Murano's rear better.

That full-and-drooping-baby-diaper read end look is what could use some tweaking.

[gavriil]

Spy Shots: ’07 Mazda CX-7 - - by Hans Lehmann/Hidden Image - - Source: The Car Connection

At last January's North American International Auto Show in Detroit , Mazda showed its MX-Crossport concept vehicle, and noted that such a sporty crossover vehicle was definitely headed to production. More recently, Mazda announced that the new SUV would be named the CX-7. Now these latest photos capture a prototype CX-7 undergoing testing in the U.S. southwest.


The test prototype, disguised as a minivan, was being driven in a convoy along with a BMW X5, Volkswagen Touareg, Toyota Highlander, and a Honda Pilot. This allowed the Mazda testers to thoroughly compare the performance, handling, and comfort of the new CX-7 against its competitors. It is interesting to note that Mazda would test its vehicle as compared to the BMW X5 and VW Touareg, vehicles that are notably more costly than the CX-7 will be.



Just one look at the big alloy wheels and low-profile tires is all it takes to know that this SUV is made to tear up twisty highways, not to go off-road climbing over boulders. Indeed Mazda has already made it clear that the CX-7 will have the utility of an SUV, but the handling dynamics of a sports sedan.



The size of the CX-7 will likely be similar to the MX-Crossport concept vehicle, which is 182.3 inches in length, 76.0 inches wide, and 64.2 inches high, riding on a wheelbase of 110.0 inches. The engine will likely be a 3.0- to 3.5-liter V-6.



The new CX-7 is expected to be introduced in late 2006 or early 2007.

[gavriil]

Zoom zoom SUV

[CGTSX2004]

Looks more like a minivan than an SUV...

[sipark]

The test prototype, disguised as a minivan, was being driven in a convoy along with a BMW X5, Volkswagen Touareg, Toyota Highlander, and a Honda Pilot. This allowed the Mazda testers to thoroughly compare the performance, handling, and comfort of the new CX-7 against its competitors...

camouflage

[Moog-Type-S]

So the whole minivan body is bogus? I hope so, because it looks nothing like the concept.

[youngTL]

The concept's grille is very...2004+ Chrysler Sebring without the wings.

[srika]

terrible..

they better fix it before releasing it...

if it looks like the Concept... fine that is not bad, at all. in fact I like it...

but that err umm.. minivan thing going on there??? no.. hell no. plz.

[sipark]

Look at post #14.

[srika]

looks terrible - just atrocious. I really don't see why they need 2 minivans, they already have the MPV.

[bl^5]

^ I think the Mazda5 will take the place of the MPV. I saw some today at the mazda dealer and they look pretty damn good!

[zeroday]

like the g6, the production vehicle looks nothing like the concept. n:

[bigman]

That thing looks like a small version of my Moms MPV. What the hell?

[heyitsme]

Originally Posted by zeroday

like the g6, the production vehicle looks nothing like the concept. n:

Bet it will look just like the concept.

[joerockt]

Isnt this just the Freestyle with the Mazda badge? Just like the Escape and Tribute. A few different styling cues, same crap underneath.

[youngTL]

Originally Posted by heyitsme

Bet it will look just like the concept.

Honda is one of the only companies that stays very true to the concept. I mean look at how the TL turned out. It's nearly identical to the concept.

I'm betting that it won't.

[srika]

sorry but I don't see how pics of this new Mazda with a minivan body on it are "spy shots" of the real car... that's what threw me off in the first place...

look I found a "spy shot" of the next Lamborghini supercar - dubbed the Ventiaolallardoileago.... which was an Italian bird from the early Stone Ages, made famous by its startling speed and color, the car is expected to have a twin-turbo V12 producing upwards of 1000hp and 1500 ft lbs of torque, packaged in the most beautiful body Lamborghini has ever produced...

you can't really tell this is the car by looking at it, but underneath the heavy cladding, its there.

[goldmemberer]

Originally Posted by srika

Those Indian trucks are so cool. They always have funny shit written on the back when you're driving behind em.

[gavriil]

Source: http://www.clublexus.com/ forums

[gavriil]

Spy Shots: ’07 Mazda CX-7 - - by Hans Lehmann/Hidden Image - - Source: The Car Connection

At last January's North American International Auto Show in Detroit , Mazda showed its MX-Crossport concept vehicle, and noted that such a sporty crossover vehicle was definitely headed to production. More recently, Mazda announced that the new SUV would be named the CX-7. Now these latest photos capture a prototype CX-7 undergoing testing in the U.S. southwest.




Unlike our previous photos, which caught a test mule vehicle, this prototype uses the final production body panels, wheels, etc. What is most surprising about the CX-7 is how very stylish and sporty-looking it is - just like the MX-Crossport at the auto show. Normally concept cars have futuristic styling that is greatly toned-down when the vehicle is redesigned for production. Not this time! The production CX-7 keeps the bold wheel arches, the upsweeping beltline, the steeply sloping windshield, in fact the entire style of the MX-Crossport intact. The only changes to be seen are minor ones like the absence of a clear plastic panel over the rear license plate.



Just one look at the big alloy wheels and low-profile tires is all it takes to know that this SUV is made to tear up twisty highways, not to go off-road climbing over boulders. Indeed Mazda has already made it clear that the CX-7 will have the utility of an SUV, but the handling dynamics of a sports sedan.



The size of the CX-7 will likely be similar to the MX-Crossport concept vehicle, which is 182.3 inches in length, 76.0 inches wide, and 64.2 inches high, riding on a wheelbase of 110.0 inches. The engine will likely be a 3.0- to 3.5-liter V-6. A late 2006 or early 2007 introduction is expected.

[stangg172004]

i like the unique lines of the car...

[joerockt]

So which one is it? The shot on the first page looks completly different from the one above...

[DownUnder]

Very nice, but it kinda looks like a Lexus which isn't bad.

[heyitsme]

Originally Posted by JapaneseCarFans

http://www.worldcarfans.com/news.cfm/newsid/2051213.001
All-New Mazda CX-7

The Mazda CX-7 crossover sport-utility vehicle (SUV) will make its public debut at the Greater Los Angeles Auto Show, and the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January 2006.

Arriving in the North American market in the first half of 2006 and in the Australian market a year later, the five-seat CX-7 embodies an astute blend of sports car verve and SUV practicality, resulting in a fun-to-drive SUV with Mazda’s trademark “Soul of a Sports car”. It is a vehicle that brings together performance and design like never before.

Prominent front fenders, A-pillars rooted at the body’s leading edge, and Mazda’s signature five-pointed grille clearly register this new model as a Mazda. Large eighteen-inch aluminum wheels proclaim CX-7’s Zoom-Zoom intentions.

The sporty interior fulfills every car enthusiast’s innate desire to jump in and drive. Along with this sporty overall image, high quality is achieved through detailed craftsmanship.

The Mazda CX-7 is powered by a turbocharged and intercooled 2.3-liter four-cylinder direct-injection gasoline engine, MZR 2.3L DISI TURBO that in North American tune produces a hearty 180 kilowatts at 5,000 rpm.

A High-Styled Crossover SUV With the Soul of a Sportscar

Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) today announced details of its much-anticipated upcoming 2007 Mazda CX-7 crossover sport-utility vehicle (SUV). The company also confirmed that the car will make its public debut at the upcoming Greater Los Angeles Auto Show here, and the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January 2006.

The Mazda CX-7 is the first of three all-new Mazda vehicles that are being designed and engineered specifically for the North American market.

Mazda's five-seat CX-7 is a refreshing departure from the fleet of traditional SUVs currently plying American roads. Produced on entirely Mazda- derived platform architecture, Mazda CX-7 embodies an astute blend of sports car verve and SUV practicality, resulting in a fun-to-drive SUV with Mazda's trademark "Soul of a Sportscar." It is a vehicle that brings together performance and design like never before. The Mazda CX-7 is just right for adventurous couples driven by the urge for discovery.

"The North American market continues to play a pivotal role in Mazda Motor Corporation's global future," said Jim O'Sullivan, president and CEO, MNAO. "Vehicles such as CX-7, designed and engineered specifically for the North American market, will make Mazda an important and influential force in the industry. This vehicle represents everything a Mazda SUV should be: powerful, great styling, detailed craftsmanship and fun to drive. Mazda at its finest."

The distinctive exterior design of the Mazda CX-7 is an extension of the sports car motif influenced by the 1995 RX-01 and 2005 MX-Crossport concept vehicles. In addition, CX-7's strong emotional styling shows its family resemblance to the RX-8 sports car. Prominent front fenders, A-pillars rooted at the body's leading edge, and Mazda's signature five-pointed grille clearly register this new model as a Mazda. The 18-inch aluminum wheels and tires proclaim Mazda CX-7's Zoom-Zoom intentions and immediately signal that this is a vehicle built for drivers.

An interior design, also previewed by the MX-Crossport concept, fulfills every car enthusiast's innate desire to jump in and drive. The three-dial instrument cluster, sports car inspired high-mounted shifter and form-fitting front bucket seats are configured for spirited motoring. The instrument panel consists of a unique 'double-roof' structure, in which a small 'roof' over the meter cluster is positioned just in front of a large 'roof' that extends across the entire instrument panel. The 60-40 split rear seat accommodates three adults in comfort and quickly converts to an extension of the 29.9-cu. ft. cargo hold, bringing total cargo capacity up to 58.6-cu. ft. The 39-inch-long rear compartment (seats up) offers more stowage space than some larger SUVs.

Matching the sporty appearance is Mazda CX-7's powerful and dynamic performance. Mazda CX-7 is powered by a turbocharged and intercooled 2.3-liter four-cylinder direct-injection gasoline engine that produces 244-horsepower at 5,000 rpm. While key powertrain features are shared with the recently launched MAZDASPEED6, the Mazda CX-7 is exclusively tuned to deliver 258 lb-ft of torque at a remarkably low 2,500 rpm, and at least 99-percent of the maximum torque available all the way to the 5,000 rpm horsepower peak. With Mazda's six-speed Sport AT transmission, CX-7 performs as if there's an engine twice the size under the hood. Furthermore, the Mazda CX-7 delivers an estimated 23 mpg in combined driving.

A sturdy unitized body structure, fully independent suspension, and four-wheel ventilated disc brakes with standard four-wheel anti-lock braking system (ABS), Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) and Traction Control System (TCS), underlie Mazda CX-7's athletic road manners. Customers may select the driveline best suited to their needs: Front-Wheel Drive or Mazda's Active Torque-Split All-Wheel Drive. With Active Torque-Split All-Wheel Drive, a computer-controlled coupling feeds up to 50-percent of the engine's torque to the rear wheels for exceptional handling whether the driving conditions are dry and fast or slippery and paced.

Mazda CX-7 arrives in the spring of 2006 as a 2007 model.

Mazda North American Operations is responsible for the sales and marketing, customer parts and service support of Mazda vehicles in the United States. Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., MNAO has more than 700 dealerships nationwide.

[Mizouse]

that front looks like an RX-8

[sdho]

v6 will be nice too...

[Ashburner]

I like it... Reminds me of the Infinity FX

[phile]

That looks great.

[1killercls]

sweet

[F23A4]

....looks like Mazda wants to grab some of the Murano's market.

[S A CHO]

Originally Posted by F23A4

....looks like Mazda wants to grab some of the Murano's market.

Excactly what I was thinking...Definatley looks like a Murano...I like it...