New Mazda CX-7 (2010) at Frankfurt

The Mazda CX-7 is another of those Mazdas that’s not really on car buyers’ radar. Which is a shame. It’s actually a pretty good crossover / SUV effort from Mazda. Sort of in the mould of a Nissan Qashqai, but with a decent dose of Mazda fun dialled in. But the drawback to the CX-7 was the less than frugal petrol engine (and a bit of a drab interior). But Mazda are fixing that, and are bringing the new Mazda CX-7 to Frankfurt next month.

The new Mazda CX-7 gets a nose-job to bring it in with the family feel – as seen on the new Mazda 3 – but with a smattering of chrome detailing. But the big news is on the engine front. In comes a MZR-CD 2.2 litre Turbo-Diesel engine, which should offer much better economy without sacrificing much in the way of performance. But for some reason Mazda hasn’t given us any figures, so it’s just an assumption.

But what Mazda has announced is that the new Mazda CX-7 will gets Mazda’s Selective Catalytic Reduction System (SCR). SCR reduces NOx and particulate emissions by around 40%, which is a big plus. The one real downside of diesel engines is in this area – which is far more important than CO2 emissions – so it’s good to see this system fitted on the CX-7. And it’s pretty maintenance free – it just needs a top-up of ad-blue fluid at service intervals.

In addition to the Mazda CX-7, Mazda will be bringing along the facelifted RX-8 and the Mazda MX-5 Superlight to Frankfurt.