Paying homage to Mazda's Tribute

Once dominated by a breed of heavy diesel sluggers, the 4x4 market has splintered so often it has become a niche world where the new 'bits and bobs' are more often than not monocoque structures - and increasingly troublesome to classify.

More so since the new Mazda Tribute, 'an SUV with the soul of a sports car', broke cover in Northern Italy last week. Essentially, the Tribute is the ultimate urban lifestyle/cowboy vehicle with stress points centring on macho looks, mid-size, slick styling, interior roominess and overall versatility.

Buyers in this sector generally don't give a damn about 4x4 systems or off-road prowess - which is why Mazda' Tribute (Toyota's RAV4, Hyundai's Santa Fe and the Honda HR-V, too) will be offered in many markets with 2WD. The first global product to come from the Mazda-Ford strategic alliance, the stylish Tribute (a sister vehicle will be marketed as the Ford Maverick) is an outstanding example of a single platform/dual brand strategy working to everyone's satisfaction and benefit.

This isn't another Mazda 121/Ford Fiesta or Nissan Terrano/Ford Maverick wedding where only the badges differed. Mazda point to Mazda inputs, Ford to Ford’s. And rightly so!

Windshield and front door glass, the roof panel, A and B pillar trim, centre console and rear door trim are common. Otherwise, instrumentation, cluster design, package design, gear ratios, front, stabiliser bars, powertrain improvements, suspension and steering tuning are uniquely Mazda.

Engines are Ford power plants. Chassis and suspensions are designed and tuned by Mazda and the five-speed manual gearbox is a G5M affair from the Mazda parts bin. Initially, all Tribute models for the Irish market are to be front-wheel drive with on-demand four-wheel-drive. Employing a technologically-advanced rotary blade coupling system, it's said to offer several advantages over viscous coupling including: compactness, lightweight noise and vibration reduction.

Under normal circumstances, traction is transmitted only to the front wheels. When the front wheels begin to slip, traction - up to 50% or less as necessary - is automatically transferred to the rear wheels.

To maximise traction on slippery surfaces, snow, ice, mud, soft ground, etc, the driver can engage full 50/50 torque split 4WD by simply pushing a dashboard-mounted 'traction lock switch'.

Engine choice is provided by 124hp 2-litre four cylinder and 197hp 3-litre V6 plants, the latter offering more than 90 per cent of maximum torque at a low 2,000rpm for excellent flexibility. With diesel power accounting for a sizeable - though depreciating - SUV market share in Ireland, we guess Mazda Ireland might have wished for a diesel plant. As yet, however, there 'no plans' to provide the Tribute with a diesel option, according to Mazda Europe Director, Thomas Hajek .

While prices have not yet been finalised, we understand that the 2-litre will sell for something around £25,500 and the 3-litre for about £30,700. Some 400 Mazda Tributes will be sold in a full year after they go on sale in Ireland from February, according to Robbie Dunne, Sales manager of the Mazda Division of Motor Distributors Ltd. Specification packages for Ireland, he told will be superb.

The buyers of 2.0 litre five-door models can expect ABS, front and side airbags, roof rails, front fog lamps, 215/70R16 tyres, leather-trimmed steering wheel, air conditioning, remote control, immobiliser, power windows and mirrors, split rear seats, and alloy wheels.

The 3.0 litre V6 model add-ons are the automatic four speed transmission, wheel arch mouldings, leather seats, and larger 325/16 70R16 tyres to rim those trendy 16x7 alloy wheels.

Italian roads are generally well-manicured. Even the mountain tracks around Alba are better cambered than our national highways. Yet Mazda's selected on-road test circuit, over 500 kilometres, was tough, twisted, and ever-trying. The Tribute was certainly up to it. Steering is well-weighted and responsive. Handling, sporty but precise. But none of it came at the expense of ride comfort - or as Mazda tell us - of off-road capability.

We were driving pre-production models. Northern Italy had been hit by unseasonal monsoons. And Mazda didn't seem to want us off-road at all. But in the true adventurous spirit engendered by the 4x4 genre, we managed (as the pictures show) to slip away for a few furtive miles of mud-plugging and green laning. None of the chosen terrain proved troublesome for the Tribute's 4WD system. However, though we found it good, full judgement is reserved until a fuller test is done.