Mazda recalls 12,000 over bad airbags

Better late than never, so the saying goes, and this is the case with Mazda and its first foray into the SUV segment in Singapore. Getting in later allowed Mazda to find out what people really wanted from their SUVs, and the conclusion is quite clear with the stylish CX-7. “No” to bulky, truck-like 4x4s, and “yes” to sleek, stylish SUVs, that are as fun to drive as sports cars. This very much sums up the CX-7 – it really looks good, and going by its reception at the car’s launch last Friday, it will be a hit in the marketplace as well. Under the bonnet there is a turbocharged 2.3-litre 4-cylinder engine that puts out an impressive 174kW and 350Nm of torque. The only transmission available is a 6-speed automatic and permanent all-wheel drive. Looking more like a raised 5-door coupé than an SUV, the CX-7 will definitely send all other 4x4s back to the drawing board. The CX-7 will be up against the new Honda CR-V and Nissan’s new Qashqai in the 5-seater SUV category at the upcoming Singapore Motorshow. Look out for Oneshift.com’s review of the show, and the opportunity to vote for your favourite new models - including the new Mazda CX-7.

One would think that a lithe and weight-conscious roadster like the Mazda MX-5 would be the last candidate for a folding metal roof, but its happened! Thankfully, the fabric roof version is still available. Even with this concession to marketing demands, a spokesman for Mazda told oneshift.com that the roof is extremely light, and that it collapses within the wheelbase. It also does not eat into the MX-5's petite boot, and it is one of the fastest to collapse and come up. So the MX-5 RC - for Roadster-Coupe - is more than just a marketing exercise. The people that have driven it say that it feels tighter than the standard roadster.

Making its premier debut at Geneva 2006 is the new facelift version of the highly acclaimed Mazda 3 line up, which introduced exhilarating driving performance, emotional styling and high levels of craftsmanship to the global C-segment when it was launched in 2003. Read [URL=http://www.worldcarfans.com/news.cfm/newsid/2060307.009/country/jcf/mazda/20]more[/URL]