Mazda CX-7 finely tuned

Number crunching is one of those terms like business casual that is hard to define but often achieves the desired effect and a case in point is the 2010 Mazda CX-7 crossover utility vehicle.

The CX-7 was launched in 2007 aimed at the compact CUV buyer. With its turbocharged engine, it was (and remains) one of the fastest and best handling vehicles in the segment and sold well.

Mazda CX-7

But going through the sales data, Mazda realized it was losing out at the entry end against Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V because it didn’t have a similarly priced competitor.

That has now been addressed in 2010 by the addition of a 2.5-litre normally aspirated engine in addition to the turbo.

It has resulted in the GX model with front-wheel drive and five-speed automatic transmission, the only CX-7 with FWD offered.

The engine itself is a Mazda stalwart being also used extensively by Ford.

At 2.5-litres, it’s large for a four-cylinder so Mazda uses counter rotating balance shafts in the oil pan to quell the imbalance normally found in big fours. In this form it produces 161 hp and 161 lb/ft of torque.