It’s now slightly over a month from when Mazda first showed us sketches of the Koeru concept, but the actual concept is currently on public display at the ongoing Frankfurt Motor Show. What the Koeru is supposed to be remains a company secret, and judging from the actual size of this vehicle, it most likely won’t be a new model to which we thought could be the CX-4.
Instead, the sheer scale of this SUV hints at the possible and long overdue replacement of the CX-7 model, featuring Mazda’s famous KODO – Soul of Motion design language. The Koeru in Japanese stands for “to exceed” or “go beyond”, so whatever the guys at Hiroshima are working on, it’s going straight for the segment’s coveted top spot. 
In concept form, the Koeru measures at 4,600mm in overall length, 1,900mm wide and 1,500mm tall while the axles sit 2,700mm apart. The numbers are simply benchmarks at this point in time, but that’s more than enough to convince us that a new CX-7 is well in the works. The Koeru’s footprint match largely that of the old CX-7, which in its facelift guise measured at 4,669mm in length, 1,872mm wide, 1,645mm tall and 2,750mm wheelbase.
The previous CX-7 weighed from 1,673kg and was powered by a 2.3-litre DISI turbocharged four-cylinder engine shared with the Mazda3 MPS. Malaysian-spec CX-7 made 235 hp at 5,000 rpm and 350 Nm of torque from 2,500 rpm, and can be had with either two-wheel drive or four-wheel drive. Sole transmission is an Aisin-sourced six-speed torque converter. 
There’s no word on what the Koeru might carry underneath the hood, but the current 2.5-litre Skyactiv-G engine will most likely be on offer, that and their six-speed Skyactiv-Drive automatic as well. It’s a five-seater, not seven, and will come with Mazda’s i-Activsense safety technology and Mazda Connect. The ridiculous 21-inch wheels (shod with 265/45 series rubbers) on the other hand, won’t quite make it to production, but we can’t lie and say they don’t look good on the car.
What do you think? Will the KODO-fied CX-7 work in your favour?
IMAGE GALLERY
