Mazda reckons its new sporty SUV looks like “an RX-8 on steroids”.

We reckon it’s a very welcome addition to a competitive marketplace – giving buyers even more choice of great vehicles.

Web Editor Adrian Higgins drove the new 4x4 kid on the block at its UK launch in Scotland.

UK car buyers shopping for an SUV have a huge range of quality vehicles to choose from.

And you can now add the Mazda CX-7 to that list.

It won’t be for everyone, and Mazda is the first to admit that it is a niche car, or more accurately, it claims to have created a niche within a niche – the sports car SUV.

It’s a bold statement, but luckily for Mazda, it’s a compelling case. The car looks great.

There are styling cues from other models from the Mazda range including the RX-8 and MX-5. Crucially this is done in a cohesive way which and the danger of looking like a hotchpotch of other cars has been avoided.

It looks like a premium SUV with hints of Lexus’ RX and Porsche’s Cayenne contributing to the impression. The windscreen is raked back at such a sharp angle (66 degrees) that it slopes back more fiercely than the RX-8.

Other nice touches include 18-inch alloy wheels, twin exhausts and modern rear light clusters.

The luxury feel continues inside where the focus is more on traditional SUV strengths, good driving position and space. Materials have a quality feel and the design process has seen them laid out functionally and stylishly.

However, the MX-5 steering wheel ensures the sporty part of the equation is also present.

SUV practicality comes in the shape of a 455 litre boot which can be expanded to 1,348 litres by flattening the rear seats and loading to the brim.

It may be a nice-looking car but the “sporty” credentials would be fairly meaningless if the drive didn’t support the image.

It does. The 0-62mph time is eight seconds – but brings a smile to your face even quicker - and the top speed is 130mph.

Only one engine was made available at launch, and that’s the same 2.3-litre turbo petrol engine found in Mazda’s MPS performance versions of its Mazda 3 and Mazda 6 cars.

Some will bemoan the lack of a diesel option, the most popular choice in this market, but it has been hinted this is a situation which could well change in the future.

The CX-7 has the looks and power of a sporty SUV, and on our test drive along winding Scottish country roads it proved it also has the handling to complete the package.

Mazda is the first to admit the CX-7 is not an off-roader, but all-wheel drive helps supply the traction which keep it glued to the roads, and fulfil the promise of an involving drive.

Despite this we found it a very comfortable environment with the car easily able to deal with cattle grids and other lumps and bumps.

Its luxury feel also comes from the quality and amount of kit you get, including a BOSE stereo with 6 CD changer and nine speakers, air-conditioning, parking sensors and cruise control. Satellite navigation is an option.

Safety features include front, side and curtain airbags as standard as well as a comprehensive selection of driver aids including: anti-lock brakes, electronic brake force distribution and emergency brake assist.

The only downside, until Mazda increase the model range, is that the model will not be the cheapest to run.

The car’s CO2 emissions place it in tax band G, the highest car tax band, while insurance falls into group 15E the CX-7 returns an average 27.7mpg.

However industry experts have identified the car as one which is likely to hold its value very well, meaning sell-on prices should be good.

Mazda aimed to create a convincing sporty SUV and a combination of great looks, high specification materials and features and performance means they’ve very nearly cracked it at the first attempt.

Rivals
Hyundai Santa Fe
Nissan X-Trail
Jeep Patriot
Toyota RAV4
Honda CR-V