Gangs in America are as old as the coming of the European settlers. You will remember Butch and Sundance’s Hole in the Wall Gang; Chicago had Capone, New York the (fictional) Sharks and Jets. But here in Washington DC I have just come face to face with the Metropolitan Hawks.

The Hawks are in the US capital to conduct a bit of business before returning to Japan. They’re not extorting anything, merely trying to convince old cynics like me that what you’re looking at is anything but just another mid-sized SUV. You guessed it: the self-styled Hawks are a bunch of mild-mannered car designers from Mazda.

So far has Mazda gone in its attempt to convince you and me that the CX-7 stands apart from the general run of on/off-roaders that it has given its designers a makeover. They even wear jackets with “Metropolitan Hawks” on the back.

You can see why. Whether you choose to call them “lifestyle vehicles”, “crossover cars” or, to choose one of Mazda’s favourites, an “advanced frontier design”, all such cars are created to make their owners look different. The fatal flaw is that their very success means nobody looks different. But at least the Hawks have made a car that looks good and they have found a niche within a niche — between small SUVs like the Honda CR-V and larger, more expensive ones like the Nissan Murano.

There is nothing innovative in its design and, in engineering terms, it is something of a patchwork quilt. It’s an SUV but one that relies on the platform of the Mazda5 MPV, the frontal structure of another Mazda MPV that’s sold only in Japan, and the engine from the Mazda6 MPS sports saloon. Yet it has all come together rather well, despite the fact that only American spec cars were available to drive, because while the car goes on sale in the US next month, the rest of the world is going to have to wait until next year.

There is one engine: the 2.3 litre turbo motor found in the Mazda6 MPS. In the US it’s tied to a rather unsatisfactory automatic gearbox and limited to 244bhp. By the time it reaches here, it’ll have six manual gears and the full 258bhp of the MPS. Mazda has not given figures, but this one felt like it would get to 60mph in about 9sec with a top speed of 125mph, so expect British versions to be substantially quicker. Diesel versions arrive in 2008.

They should handle well, too, for even this car on soggier American suspension was pretty damn good to drive. All of which supports Mazda’s contention that the CX-7 crosses the line between SUV and sports car. Unfortunately, it is also clear that anyone hoping it will be an alternative SUV is going to be sorely disappointed.

There are only two rows of seats, and while the rear bench folds, that is all it does. Its creator, Shunsuke Kawasaki, told me that those who travelled in the back “were at the bottom of our priorities”, and if you spend long on the rather flat rear seat and look at the cheap, hard plastic that surrounds you, you’ll believe him.

In fact the quality of its interior is the CX-7’s one serious flaw. “We hope our customers will agree that getting the way the car looks and drives was the most important thing,” Kawasaki said. We’ll see. When it goes on sale it should cost less than £25,000, giving it a healthy price advantage over its closest rivals, the BMW X3 and Nissan Murano, but it remains to be seen how the public will react to a car that looks so good on the outside and feels so cheap within.

Otherwise the CX-7 seems well judged. Even saddled with inappropriate gears, a down-on- power engine and US suspension, it was not difficult to enjoy. If these problems are resolved you could add another star to the three given. The Metropolitan Hawks may have a silly name, but they appear to have done their jobs well.

THE OPPOSITION

Model Nissan Murano £29,995
For Good distinctive looks, comfortable ride, well equipped
Against Not much fun to drive, seems a little expensive

Model BMW X3 3.0i SE £33,205
For Smooth six-cylinder engine, BMW image, interior room
Against Looks hideous, expensive, poor ride quality