The crossover category is in full effect. The 2011 and 2012 model years have seen numerous new additions and many existing players have been given the once-over. It's no secret: this is the segment of today and, more likely than not, the future.
The CX-7 is a proper sport-utility crossover if ever there was such a thing. (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour/Auto123.com)
This should at least be the case for the North American markets where consumers continue to downsize to right-sized vehicles. It pains me to say it, but station wagons are officially out and (no pain at all) minivans are hanging on by a thread. Although, there will always be members of these categories on our roads, they have and will realistically always be far outnumbered by CUVs.
As far as a definition is concerned, a CUV is a blend of numerous other segments rolled into one versatile, useful, one-stop-shop vehicle. The CUV recipe is always the same, but it's the dosing of the ingredients that wholly define the final product. Case in point: The Mazda CX-7.
From any angle, it is quite obvious that the CX-7's influences were not the Tribute, but the Mazda3 and RX-8. Herein lies the most appealing aspect of the CX-7: its styling. The CUV's profile is sculpted where barely a straight line can be found. The tester's 19" wheels are the best way to do the wonderfully flared arches any justice. The base 17" and 18" wheels are fine design-wise, but nothing says "dynamic" like 19s.
In GT trim, the CX-7 gains a few pieces of chrome, fog lights and HID headlamps. Trivial as some of these features may be, they help elevate the physical appearance of what is, one way or another, a handsome and uniquely designed CUV.
I never contradict myself, so I might as well do so now, as we should never say never. The CX-7's exterior is surpassed only in attractiveness by its cabin. Much like its big brother, the CX-9, Mazda has gone to great lengths to make passengers appreciate their surroundings. Without trying to reinvent the dashboard with funky, out-of-this-world shapes, the CX-7's user interface is elegant, functional and almost refreshingly simple.
