It has finally arrived.........

It has finally arrived and joined the family fleet of '421' at Jerudong. Bearing the registration number of KP 421, the Icy Blue metallic Mazda CX-7 SUV looked impressive and was designed with distinctly sports-car-like cues and a distinctly sports-car-like attitude. Check out the aggressive front styling, the big 18" wheels, and the tall shoulders formed by the wheel wells. Cool, eh? Inside, it's trimmed out just as nicely; it includes air conditioning, power windows/locks/mirrors, six airbags, antilock brakes, and dynamic stability control, with goodies like a 9-speaker BOSE stereo and a proximity key system. Grown-up stuff.

Once you hop in and right away you'll start seeing the whole "SUV-meets-sports-car" thing in action. Note the windshield: It's steeply raked, just like a sports car. The shift lever is positioned in about the same place you'd find it in a sports car, too.  And the steering wheel is borrowed from the MX-5 Miata. The one un-sports-car-like feature is the tall SUV-like seating position, which I applaud - maybe it's 'cause I'm not that tall, but I like sitting up high. I found the CX-7 easy to see out of and quite comfy, though the cramped footwell could really use a sports-car-like footrest.

I liked that Mazda designed the rear suspension to minimize the intrusion of the rear fenderwells on cargo space. The rear seatback splits and folds, and the release mechanism rocks: Pull a handle in the trunk and the seatback on that side unlatches and folds down all by itself.

The CX-7's Zoom-Zoom factor comes from a four-cylinder engine with a turbocharger, intercooler, and direct fuel injection (which improves power, response and mileage). The good news: Power output (244 hp, 258 lb-ft of torque) is similar to a V6, and aside from a slight hesitation when floored from a standstill, the engine pulls like a V6. The bad news: It consumes fuel like a V6.  A new six-speed automatic with manual mode is the sole transmission offering.

Care for a ride with me....you're most welcome!!

- Pamit/Puda -