MAZDA has a decent track record for finding a niche in existing markets and filling it well. Take the Mazda3 MPS, for example, pitched into the bear bit dominated by the Golf GTi, but aimed at a slightly older buyer who wants to be more subtle about the need for speed. And it works.

But the CX-7 faces an altogether tougher test – creating a niche all of its own. So what exactly is a Sports Crossover SUV?

Given that the publicists would have you believe this is a whole new genre within the sports utility market, it’s a little difficult to pigeon hole it – but if you think of a Nissan Murano, that’s the sort of area we’re looking at. But with the turbocharged 2.3 litre petrol engine from the Mazda6 MPS under the hood, the CX-7 has some serious sports capability. Which is why Mazda has prefixed it CX. In the family tree it sits alongside the MX-5 and RX-8 firmly under the sports car umbrella.

So there you have it.

The CX-7 is the sort of car you need if you want to take your kite-powered dune buggy down to Camber Sands at the weekend but you want to get there really, really quickly.

And it does move quickly: 60mph can be reached in 7.8 seconds on the way to a top speed of 130mph – not bad for a vehicle which can seat five adults and has a boot space of 455 litres before you even think of putting any of the back seats down.

The CX-7 is already doing rather nicely in the US and when it is launched here next month, there will be just the single specification CX-7 – the petrol-engined manual.

Which seems a little strange, for while the engine is definitely sporty, it’s also thirsty, doing 27.7mpg in the combined cycle, or 34.9mpg on the extra urban cycle.

Ask the powers that be at Mazda whether diesel and auto versions are planned and you get a stock ‘‘We’ll see what the market demands’’ answer. If they stick by that, then expect to see both options before too long!

But for now, the CX-7 is a very acceptable machine.

Under normal driving conditions, it operates through front-wheel drive, but its four-wheel-drive system means that if you suddenly floor the accelerator or the road surface gets slippy, drive is directed to all four wheels.

It’s a confidence-inspiring car to drive too, with a nice tight suspension and responsive steering. You never feel anything other than in control. Find yourself some nice, sweeping country road, and it’s a lot of fun.

It is designed to look sporty and sexy, and in that it succeeds. Its most striking feature is a steeply-raked front windscreen.

Mazda has modest targets for the CX-7 – aiming to shift somewhere in the region of 1,500 a year here. That’s not entirely unreasonable given they are trying to create a small niche for themselves in an ultra competitive market.

It’s an intriguing car. When I first set eyes on it, I almost wanted to dislike it as I couldn’t pigeon-hole it. In the end, I liked it. A lot.

FACTFILE

Mazda CX-7

PRICE: £23,960 on the road

INSURANCE GROUP: 17 [est]

CO2 EMISSIONS: 243g/km

PERFORMANCE: 0-60 7.8s Max Speed 130mph

FUEL: (combined) 27.7mpg (extra urban) 34.9mpg

STANDARD SAFETY: Twin front and side airbags, front and rear side curtain airbags, stability control, traction control, anti-lock brakes