Mazda"s engineers have...

Mazda"s engineers have borrowed the design from the RX-8 coupнѓ© to provide easy access to the rear of the new SUV, while practicality will be boosted further by the use of fold-flat rear seats.

Once inside, occupants are greeted by a luxury interior with a generous level of standard kit, including headrest-mounted DVD screens for rear passengers. Up front, the driver will enjoy a hi-tech digital dashboard.

The CX-7 follows on from the Crossport SUV seen at the Detroit Motor Show in January. It is built on the Mazda 6 platform, and is expected to be powered by a 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine which will drive all four wheels via an automatic gearbox.

Yet despite offering off-road capability, the CX-7 is aimed mainly at tarmac use - just check out the big alloys and low-profile tyres on the thinly disguised prototype! Tipped to debut in road-ready trim at the next Detroit expo in January, the new SUV draws heavily on the Crossport"s styling, with a bold chrome grille, flared wheelarches and panoramic glass roof.

The Japanese-built machine goes on sale in the US in 2006, but Mazda is still deciding whether to bring it to Europe. Given the success of the Nissan Murano and Lexus RX300, it"s likely to arrive here by 2007, priced around н‚бЈ28,000.