Sleek and assertive outside…

The athletic character is the first thing you notice. A front windshield more raked than many out-and-out sports cars. The aggressively styled lower air intake. A compact upper grille.

The front end is strong and sophisticated; the bonnet well-defined. You’ll then notice the flat roofline, an upward sweeping belt line and muscular bumpers guarding 18” wheels. At the back, the sporty theme continues with two large tailpipes and detailed round tail lights.

It all adds to the Mazda CX-7’s assertive road presence.

…sporty and stylish inside

Inside, the sports car-inspired cockpit shows the Mazda CX-7's keen sense of detail. The dashboard is pleasing and functional, set with an ergonomic and easy-to-read three-pod gauge cluster, which has red illuminated black-out meters and indirect blue ambient illumination for the centre console. Silver-finish trim frames the instruments, centre console and armrests.

Showing further sporty sophistication, the three-spoke, Mazda MX-5-inspired steering wheel and the gear knob of the six-speed manual transmission are covered in leather. The gear knob is positioned high to allow for sportier, quick-shift gear changes.

In short, this is a car to be admired – whether you’re looking in or out.