The CX-9 was Mazda's first vehicle designed specifically for US consumption, and one Motor TrendSUV of the year award later, Mazda may be on to something. Sales momentum has increased steadily for the seven-seat utility vehicle, with 3,000 units flying off dealer lots in October alone. Mazda's flexibility allowed the automaker to transform in 18 months a minivan that would likely retail for less than $30,000 into a hot CUV with a price tag reaching $40,000. The Hiroshima-based automaker will leverage those lightning-fast production capabilities and its Ford-shared global architecture bin to produce more vehicles for US tastes, and we're happy to hear it.
Since Mazda seems to have a handle on CUVs (it has four in the US already), we can only guess what exclusive product the development team in Irvine, CA will give us next. A zoom-zoom version of the Honda Ridgeline would be interesting, as would a US-unique Mazda2. We'd like to put in a vote for Mazda utilizing the RX-8 platform to create a sporty RWD sedan, but we're sure everyone the world over would want that.
click above image to view more pics of the 2007 Mazda CX-7 GT AWD
After a few days of driving the 2007 Mazda CX-7 GT AWD, I was reminded of a college buddy who had broken up with a girl he described as his ultimate dream date. She was good-looking, funny and even pleased his Mom. But my friend was tired of financing her $4-a-glass Zinfandel habit while he drank $2 draft. And that's kind of how we felt about the CX-7. Its beautiful design, high-quality interior, willingness to zoom-zoom all night long and actual usable utility is, unfortunately, totally overshadowed by its $4-a-premium-gallon gas habit.
So it was with mixed feelings we broke up with the copper red mica SUV. We're already missing its buttery-soft black leather seats, the kick-you-in-the-pants turbocharged four and the looks of incredulity from friends and family when they saw it. But we're not missing the costly gas pump visits.
Mazda made it clear at the beginning of this auto show season that each of the three concepts it debuted would be more production ready than the last. First there was the Nagare concept that debuted at the LA Auto Show, and then came the Ryuga concept that was shown at the Detroit Auto Show. The final concept, called the Hakaze, debuted this month in Geneva, and according to a report from Auto Express is destined to inspire the design of a production CUV called the CX-5.
The naming convention used here is apt, as the new ute will combine the utility of the CX-7 with the fun-to-drive nature of the MX-5. What's more, it appears the CX-5 will be the second vehicle in Mazda's lineup after the RX-8 to sport a pair of rear-hinged "suicide" doors that provide easier access to vehicle's second row of seats.
The rendering shown on Auto Express reveals the CX-5 will share a basic shape with the Hakaze concept, but many cues will be toned down on the production version. Considering that Mazda used an interesting ripple effect on the exterior sheetmetal of all three concepts, we were surpised to see the CX-5's sheetmetal is as smooth as a baby's butt. Regardless, the CX-5 could reach showrooms as early as 2010.
Some cloaked shots of the production version of Ford's newest cute ute have surfaced. First shown as the iosis-X concept in Paris, this C-segment crossover features that same "kinetic design language" we see in Ford of Europe's S-MAX and C-MAX, in a size that slots between the two. This small crossover would compete head-to-head with the Toyota RAV-4 and Honda CR-V, among others.
Just when we thought the CUV/SUV market couldn't get any more crowded, this would be the eleventieth UV in the Ford lineup alone. But it's a looker, this one. Using spy photos of a heavily disguised prototype, the artist created a rendering that looks athletic and stylish but functional, sort of like a scaled down Mazda CX-7, which is a good thing. Our previous spy shots of this productionized iosis-X looked markedly different, but it's likely the older pics were of a test mule. As this vehicle gets closer to it's early 2008 launch and Frankfurt debut, the shape seems to be taking its final, more stylish form.
When the Mazda CX-7 went on sale in Japan last month, the automaker set a modest monthly sales target for the CUV -- 380. It's safe to say that they may have (intentionally?) underestimated demand a bit, as around 1800 orders for the CX-7 were placed. Now, as casual observers of new vehicle launches in Japan, this isn't necessarily surprising, especially when you take the lowball projection number into account. Off the top of our heads, we can think of two keis -- the Subaru Stella and Daihatsu Sonica -- that easily passed sales projections at launch, and we're sure we could dig up plenty more stories like this if we wanted to.
Mazda offers up a number of reasons for why the car did so well, but they can basically be condensed to one: the CX-7 is pretty cool. Japanese consumers responded by pulling out their checkbooks. Make no mistake, Mazda also made certain people were aware of the car and its launch by creating a special CX-7 showroom in the swanky Ginza shopping district. That, in turn, has played home to numerous promotional events involving poplar Japanese publications.
In summary: Desirable product + low sales projection + lots of promotion = Big JDM launch for Mazda.
The official press release has been pasted after the jump.
Mazda just announced that it has decided to scrap all 4,703 vehicles that were aboard the Cougar Ace cargo vessel when it nearly capsized off the Aleutian Islands in Alaska back in late July. The shipping vessel sat listing to one side for over a month before it was towed to and repaired at a port in Oregon. During that time, the vehicles on board, comprised of the Mazda3 small car and CX-7 crossover, were tied down at severe angles. Mazda had previously told us it would inspect all the vehicles and sell most as used with full disclosure, considering that many showed little or no signs of damage. Regardless, Mazda reconsidered and the announcement that the entire shipment would be scrapped came today from Jim O'Sullivan, Mazda North America's President and CEO.
The decision not to sell any of the vehicles that were aboard the Cougar Ace must have been difficult to make, considering that we estimate the hull of the ship contained over $103 million worth of vehicles (60 percent of the vehicles on board were the more expensive CX-7, so we assumed a conservate per unit average MSRP of $22,000). Not that we're criticizing Mazda for scrapping the entire shipment, but the destruction of 4,703 vehicles, at least some if not most of which are salveagable, seems like a waste. We're sure there are plenty of non-profit organizations and charities that would be grateful to take these vehicles off of Mazda's hands.
You can read Mazda's full press release concerning the matter after the jump.
For those who haven't been following the story of the Cougar Ace, check out the post trail below.
Japan's 2007 Tokyo Auto Salon is approaching, and that means that manufacturers are in overdrive preparing a bevy of new production and concept vehicles, all of which are in keeping with the tunerrific flavor of the Salon. Mazda is the first to announce its seventeen-strong car lineup (details on each one in the PR after the jump), which is lead by the charmingly Japanese-sounding CX-7 Bright Stylish Concept. What is it? It's a CX7 with shiny rims, extra chrome, and some mild aero accents. We like.
Mazda also released pics of the Mazdaspeed Atenza (a.k.a. Mazda6) M'z Tune and Mazda RX-8 Mazdaspeed M'z Tune, production models that simply appear to be even-more-gussied-up versions of the existing cars. We're sure we'll learn a lot more as the show approaches. In the meantime, follow the jump to see the Atenza and RX-8 and read all about the ones we haven't seen yet.
Though you would think the MazdaSpeed booth would be filled with examples of the MazdaSpeed3 tuned to within an inch of its tires, the CX-7 was actually the darling of this display. No other CX-7 in the MazdaSpeed booth could come close to the Adrenaline concept in terms of presence, which sounds about right considering the design director in charge of its build was Frank von Holzhausen, the designer behind the amped up Kabura concept that debuted at the 2006 Detroit auto show. The Adenaline's exterior features a completely new front clip with a raised hood element containing two vents. The headlight clusters are all new, too. The CUV is droped on a JTC coil-over suspension setup that takes the lower front fascia with its two Modena-like air intakes and new chin spoiler right to the show floor. The whole exterior is awash in color shifting yellow paint from Nippon that fades to white in the light. MazdaSpeed brought the Zoom-Zoom too by dropping in a Rhys Millen-modified version of the CX-7's turbo-four that produces 300 horsepower, which we imagine is the bare min needed to twist those 22-inch EXE wheels. Brembo brakes take the edge off of when things get out of hand, and credit must be given for the installation of a six-speed manual transmission so you can row your own boat. Mazda Design North American also redid the interior with new leather seat coverings, a built-in iPod dock, DVD system, new gauges, and floor covering. The Adrenaline was a nice surprise from the boys and girls at MazdaSpeed, as the team hadn't released info on their plans prior to the event.
Follow the jump for more pics and a complete listing of modifications for the Mazda Adrenaline.
The next Mazda Tribute has been captured by the long lense of KGP Photography during some late-stage testing that affords us an uninhibited view of the next ZUV (Zoom Utility Vehicle) from Mazda. Clearly the overall shape of the Tribute's sister ute, the new 2008 Mercury Mariner, remains, but Mazda's version has a different front end that's decidely less adorned with filigree and chrome. In fact, it's downright staid next to the new Mariner and reminds us a little of the Honda Pilot, if only for its lack of interesting angles. But hey, some people like vanilla, we just don't usually expect that flavor from Mazda. It'd be nice if Mazda actually did inject the Tribute with a bit of sporting flair in the form of, say, a sport version carrying the turbo-four that appears in the new CX-7, but we aren't holding our breath. And just as Ford must deal with Edge and Escape sales cannibalizing each other, Mazda will likely face the same thing with CX-7 and Tribute sales. This leads us to believe that both the Escape and Tribute will likely be positioned as more utilitarian and dutiful than their brand new brethren. Seeing as how the new Mercury Mariner has already debuted, the new Tribute from Mazda shouldn't be far behind. We should it see it at the L.A. Auto Show in November, if not sooner.
The CX-7 is Mazda's new zoom-zoom CUV with the supposed soul of a sports car thanks to its taut handling and a powerful yet fuel efficient 244-hp, 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. After crashing the CX-7 into a fixed barrier at 35 mph and ramming it on the side with another barrier going 38.5 mph, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is giving the CUV a five-star rating for both frontal and side-impact crash tests. This means the NHTSA estimates that there's a 10 percent or less chance a front seat occupant will be injured in a head on crash at or below 35 mph and a 5 percent or less chance occupants will be injured in a side-impact crash.
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