2006 Mazda CX-7

Production Version of Mazda MX-Crossport Concept SUV

Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) today announced that the vehicle shown as the MX-Crossport at January's North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Mich., will formally move from concept to production vehicle. Mazda also announced that the vehicle will be named Mazda CX-7, fitting into the company's global naming strategy.

"The addition of the CX-7 to the Mazda lineup is a critical step forward for us in terms of our ability to grow Mazda's business in North America," said Jim O'Sullivan, president and CEO, MNAO. "In order to succeed, we have to be true to our core values and for any vehicle to wear the Winged-M logo on the grille, it must have the soul of a sportscar."

In Mazda's new global naming strategy, crossover-type sport-utility vehicles (SUVs) will carry the CX designation (CX-7); core vehicles will continue to carry the name MAZDA and a number, based on vehicle size (MAZDA2, MAZDA3, MAZDA5, MAZDA6); rotary-engined sports cars carry the RX designation (RX-8) and piston-engined sports cars carry the MX designation (MX-5, as will be seen on the all-new Mazda MX-5 Miata in the United States). Tribute, MPV and B-Series Truck will continue with their current nomenclature.

The production Mazda CX-7 will pick up many of the design cues of the concept vehicle, and will be built solely in Hiroshima,

Japan

. More information about the vehicle will be available as the year progresses.