New Mazda CX-7 gets diesel engine

Mazda's refreshed CX-7 SUV will go on sale in November for 25,785.

The revamped version of Mazda's popular 'sports crossover' now gets the diesel engine that the car has been crying out for. Previously it was available only with a 2.3-litre petrol.

New diesel option
The 175bhp 2.2-litre turbodiesel engine was first seen in the smaller Mazda 3.

The new diesel engine means the CX-7 is cleaner than many rivals, too, with CO2 emissions of 199g/km. It also gets a new Adblue exhaust injection system, which uses Urea to break down nitrogen oxides in the exhaust gas.

Average fuel economy is 37.7mpg, which compares well with rivals such as the BMX X3 and Land Rover Freelander.

The diesel-powered CX-7 comes with a six-speed manual gearbox; there are no immediate plans to produce an automatic version.

Classier look
Exterior updates are an RX-8-style front bumper, a new rear bumper and a splash of chrome detailing, to give the car a classier look than the version it replaces. There are also 19-inch alloy wheels and xenon headlights as standard.

In the cabin
The interior has been refreshed, too, with the dashboard reworked to make room for a new integrated sat-nav screen.

There's space for five occupants to travel in comfort, along with 455 litres of luggage space with the rear seats upright. The split rear seats can be folded 60/40 to create a total load space of 774 litres.