The writing was on the wall when the US importer axed the CX-7 in early 2012. Mazda has now stopped building this crossover after fewer than six years of production.
This former rival for the Nissan Murano had been popular for a time in North America, the region where Mazda had hoped it would be most successful. One of its downfalls was the lack of a six-cylinder engine in a region where turbocharged four-cylinder engines are not considered mainstream. Another was its model name, which confused some buyers who were cross-shopping the only slightly larger Mazda CX-9.
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In Europe, Mazda (eventually) fitted the right engine for buyers’ preferences, a 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel. However, by that stage the market was turning against pricey crossovers that did not have a premium brand badge on the tailgate.
Production, which was at the Ujina Number 2 plant in Hiroshima, has just ceased. As the new CX-5 is not that much smaller, Mazda decided that retaining the CX-7 was an unnecessary expense.
Author: Glenn Brooks
