2007 Mazda CX-7 Road Test
Filed under: Mazda, Road Tests, SUVs
At first, we weren’t particularly interested in the announcement of an all-new crossover SUV–the 2007 Mazda CX-7. A new car-based ‘ute is about as rare as a Hollywood wedding. Mostly, they’re ungainly, unexciting vehicles that trade the stability and light weight of a car for extra cargo room and ground clearance that nobody uses. A few high-end crossovers do emphasize the Sport in SUV–Range Rover Sport, ML55, X5, etc.–but in the meat of the market, there’s not much to get our blood boiling.
When we heard the CX-7 would be powered by a 244-horse turbo, however, our ears perked up. After all, Mazda is known for injecting a bit of “Zoom-zoom” philosophy into nearly every vehicle they build. And when we saw that curvy body, we relented, and decided to take a look at what we fervently hoped would not turn out to be just another family hauler with no soul.
Click here to read full review: 2007 Mazda CX-7 Road Test
2007 Hyundai Elantra
Filed under: Economy, Hyundai, New York International Auto Show
At the 2006 New York Auto Show, Hyundai, the Korean automaker that’s become the industry poster-child for the term ’successful turnaround’ introduced an all-new iteration of the car that, 20-plus year ago, originally brought the brand to the States — The Hyundai Elantra.
That original Hyundai Elantra was plagued with build quality and reliability problems, but by the time the most recent generation was introduced a few years back, Hyundai had shed that perception completely, thanks in part to a competition-beating warranty. In fact, the current Elantra was one of our favorite choices in the compact segment, especially in five-door GT guise. Some reviewers claimed it lacked in refinement, but we found it to be more fun, better-equipped, and in many cases a lot better-looking than the average Corolla, Civic or (eep) Cavalier. And the price, plus the 10-year, 100,000-mile warranty, made it easy for us to recommend it.
From what we’ve seen, there will be a lot to recommend the all-new 2007 Elantra, too. The exterior design has certainly grown up; the Elantra now evinces a rounder, softer, more contemporary look. The interior has gone a bit upscale, too, with softer shapes and nicer-looking materials. Passenger space is now up to 98 cubic feet, in the four-door sedan, which is the only body style yet released.
Carried over is the 138-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, which seemed plenty peppy in the old Elantra (which was admittedly smaller and probably lighter). We’d again recommend the five-speed manual transmission here, which, along with the optional four-speed automatic, too returns for duty in the new model. The new chassis is said to be significantly stiffer, and the suspension now features anti-roll bars at both ends.
Six airbags and antilock brakes now come standard and yet Hyundai says pricing should remain similar to the outgoing Elantras, at $14,000 or so to start.
LotusSport Elise and LotusSport Exige US Introduction
Filed under: Lotus, New York International Auto Show, Sports/GT
Lotus chose the 2006 New York Auto Show to debut the LotusSport line to the US market. LotusSport will focus on three main business models; building short runs of limited-edition street-legal cars, track-only cars, and providing aftermarket parts. The idea is to replicate in an official offering what a lot of Lotus customers have been doing with their cars already. Two LotusSport models were on display, a street-legal LotusSport Elise, and race-only LotusSport Exige. On the Elise, the LotusSport treatment starts with the addition of two regular option packages. The adjustable suspension from the Track Pack gives an extra measure of tenability, while a limited-slip differential lends extra traction. The Yokohama a048 tires of the Sport Pack-hefty meats with solid tread blocks-add even more grip over the stock Elise. Ohlins-brand shocks, with remote reservoirs, round out the suspension goodies. Stainless steel brake lines are also fitted, along with a heavy-duty clutch. LotusSport also fits special seats with fittings for four- or six-point harnesses. Instead of the usual leather, these chairs are covered in a grippy suede-like microfiber. The LotusSport Elise will sell for $54,995-they’ve allocated approximately one per US dealer. For the track only, LotusSport offers a supercharged Exige, with 243 horsepower. This model features aero tricks like a front-end splitter, huge spoiler, and functional roof scoop-all good for 100 pounds of downforce at 100 m.p.h. The lightweight alloy rims on the LotusSport Exige are even wider than the Elise’s, while niceties such as a/c, stereo, and even headlights are left out. The LotusSport Exige retails for $78,990; the initial production run of 15 has already been spoken for, but the suits promise to build more if demand warrants it.
2007 Suzuki XL7
Filed under: New York International Auto Show, SUVs, Suzuki
Upstart Japanese brand Suzuki brought out the big guns for their press conference at the 2006 New York International Auto Show. Actually, we’re not sure if he’s related at all, but the first speaker was Toshihiro Suzuki.
The first major debut by Mr. Suzuki was the all-new XL-7 midsize SUV. Replacing the old, Tracker-based seven-seat SUV from a decade ago, this new model looks absolutely more modern. The front end styling is bold, and we think it’s attractive all around.
The new XL-7 is powered by a 3.6-liter V6, which they claim makes 65 more horsepower than the outgoing model. Features such as a DVD player and a navigation system bring the truck in line with the competition, and we expect the ride and handling to eclipse the old XL-7 by a mile.
2007 Suzuki SX4
Filed under: Economy, New York International Auto Show, Suzuki
Suzuki also showed yet another all-new vehicle in New York. The SX4 is a small sport crossover, with clean styling and a motorcycle-inspired feel. Power is provided by a 2-liter four-banger, and all-wheel-drive is standard.
2007 Mitsubishi Outlander
Filed under: Mitsubishi, New York International Auto Show, SUVs
Struggling Japanese brand Mitsubishi shrugged off all profitability concerns for a very upbeat press conference at the 2006 New York International Auto Show. The big news was the debut of the all-new Outlander SUV. It looks like nothing so much as a Grand Vitara from the front end, but Mitsubishi stylists really went wild with the rear, where clear-les LED tail-lights set off a clean, angular design theme. Billed as a “driver’s SUV,” the new Outlander features motorcycle-inspired gauges and a lightweight alloy roof panel for an improved center of gravity.
The new Outlander is larger than the outgoing model, but its V6 still qualifies for PZEV status. Power is rated at 220hp and 202 lb.-ft., from 3 liters of displacement. A three-mode all-wheel-drive system is also offered, which can be set to front-drive for economy, all-wheel-drive for traction, or true locked four-wheel-drive for the real rough stuff. A six-speed automatic is standard.
The Outlander’s interior is modern and attractive, and options such as a satellite nav system with 10 gigabytes of mp3 storage and a 650-watt Rockford Fosgate stereo should appeal to modern consumers. There’s also an available rear-seat DVD player with a nine-inch screen, and a FastKey keyless entry system.
Mazdaspeed3
Filed under: Economy Sport/GT, Mazda, New York International Auto Show
Also on the Mazda stand was the long-awaited hot-rod Mazdaspeed version of the compact Mazda3. More than 250 horsepower is promised, from a turbocharged version of Mazda’s excellent 2.3-liter four-cylinder. The Mazda3 is itself a blast; this new Mazdaspeed version should be a real stormer.
2007 Kia Sorrento
Filed under: Economy, Kia, New York International Auto Show, SUVs
As usual, Korean brand Kia put on one of the best shows at the New York Auto Show. Although their charismatic President is gone, the PR flaks still livened the event up by bringing out that wacky “power to the people” spokesperson from the Kia commercials. This is a guy who’s seemingly able to get excited about almost anything, and his introduction of the all-new 2007 Sorento SUV was no exception.
As befits a bargain-priced midsize SUV, the Sorento is cleanly if blandly styled. Fortunately, there’s nothing ugly about it. The real news, however, is under the hood, where a new V6 resides. Kia has upped the motor’s power output by 36 percent over the last model, for a total of 262 horsepower-more than a V8 4Runner. The Sorento can now tow 5,000 pounds, and is sad to return better fuel economy than before, too. Safety equipment is loaded onto this truck as well; for 2007 Kia has added stability control, traction control, knee airbags, active headrests ad a tire-pressure monitoring system. Projector-beam headlamps and available 17-inch rims round out the additions. Kia now has the youngest model lineup in the industry, and this new, more powerful Sorento should help the brand continue its growth.
