First drive review: Mazda BT-50

Thursday, 26 November 2020

Watch as Mazda Australia reveals the all-new BT-50 ute.

MAZDA BT-50
Price range: $47,490 to $53,990
Powertrains: 3.0-litre turbo diesel inline inline-four with 140kW/450Nm, 8.0L/100km, six-speed automatic, 2WD/4WD

This Mazda’s all-new BT-50. Well, sort of all-new. It’s based on the actually all-new D-Max.

Body style: Double cab only (at first)
On sale: Now

Ford is out and Isuzu is in for Mazda, with the latest incarnation of its BT-50 ute abandoning its previous Ford Ranger underpinnings for an all-new set of mechanical and structural bits developed with Isuzu, which also happens to use them under its recently-launched D-Max. We head out on a rainy Auckland day to check out the new ute from Hiroshima way.

Make me an instant expert: what do I need to know?

The front end might look gorgeous but it has resulted in a very slight drop in safety ratings. The BT-50 is still a five-star ute, though.

Mazda has, as mentioned, partnered up with Isuzu for its ute offering this time around, the BT-50 now based around the D-Max. Mazda officials told us that its ute is completely new, compared to the old BT-50, aside from the badge on the steering wheel.

**READ MORE:

The only external indication this is based off the new D-Max are the taillights.

* Mazda comes out swinging with BT-50 ute pricing

* First drive review: Isuzu D-Max

* Mazda BT-50 grabs 5 star ANCAP rating

The start of the off-road excursion. All the utes here are 4x4 models.

* Mazda ute to the D-max

A kitted Limited with extra racks on the roof and tray. Other accessories include bolt-on arch flares and a sports bar.

That means power comes from a 3.0-litre turbodiesel inline four making a respectable 140kW/450Nm, sent through a six-speed automatic. No manual option here. Nor are there any single cabs or cab/chassis options in the initial line-up. Mazda mentioned it would consider adding more body styles if there is enough demand, however.

According to Mazda’s figures, double-cab utes make up 94 per cent of the ute market. Within that, 86 per cent are automatics (and climbing) and within that, 59 per cent are 4x4 models. Mazda does offer a 2x4 selection for less money but the aggressive pricing means there is some overlap with higher-end 2x4 models and lower-specced 4x4s.

The BT-50 should prove popular with those wanting a do-it-all sort of truck, one that can handle the nine-to-five and the odd dinner out.

Mazda’s offering pulls a five-star ANCAP rating, like the D-Max, but gets a slightly lower overall percentage score thanks to its sharper styling. The BT-50 earned 67 per cent (36.62 out of 54) in the vulnerable road user assessment, compared to 69 per cent (37.63 out of 54) for the Isuzu D-Max due to its different nose.

The crisp nose also scored slightly lower than the Isuzu D-Max in terms of pedestrian head protection (16.98 out of 24 compared to 17.78 out of 24 for the Isuzu) and upper leg impacts (4.80 out of 6 versus 5.01 out of 6 for the Isuzu). Not much less, then, but still less. In all other areas of assessment, Mazda and Isuzu are identical.

Personally, I reckon the tiny drop in safety is worth it because man, this is one good looking ute. Mazda’s Kodo design language looks right at home on a truck and while the local pricing and specifications may push out those wanting an honest, humble workhorse in favour of the ‘lifestyle’ sort of buyer, it’s hard to argue with the quality on offer.

Mention pricing, the 2WD BT-50 range starting at $47,490 for the double cab GSX, rising to $51,490 for the GTX and topping out with the $53,990 Limited model.

The 4WD range is similarly structured with the GSX opening the line up at $54,490, while the GTX lands at $58,490 and the Limited at $60,990.

I should also say that the ZoomZoom company has made an effort to keep the BT-50 relevant for those wanting to use it as a working truck. The D-Max underpinnings means the BT-50 will be happy on a farm and it’s tough enough to handle an active building site, bumps and scrapes included.

Mazda also offers its Mazdacare programme on the BT-50, which includes five-year/150,000km fixed price servicing set at $250 per service, a five-year/150,000km warranty and five years of Mazda roadside assistance.

Where did you drive it?

We started the drive at Mazda HQ, driving south through Clevedon out to an off-road experience at Pukerau Farm. It might not surprise you to learn the BT-50 is more or less identical to the D-Max in terms of driving dynamics, both are composed on sealed and unsealed roads and have great off-road capabilities. It was a drizzly, slippery drive up some mountainous terrain and the BT-50s handled it easily on the standard Dueler all-terrain rubber.

We only had 4x4 versions of the ute on offer, which are projected to be the biggest sellers. No one had any issues with the articulation, hill descent or hill hold challenges, except for perhaps Tim Nalden, manager of product and sales planning for Mazda who drew the short straw and rode with me for the off-road part of the drive. We both agreed it was less stressful being on whichever side was higher when doing the articulation part. There’s something unsettling about staring at the ground about a foot away from your window…

I drove the top-spec Limited for the first part of the journey and the base GSX for the return. In a nutshell, the Limited adds leather seats and a general uptick in interior quality for the better part of $60k while the GSX is the entry point, making do with cloth seats, a lesser stereo and a smaller touchscreen. The Limited was, unsurprisingly, a nicer ute to live in but the GSX is hardly poor. While the screen is a bit piddly, the seats aren’t heated and the steering wheel isn’t quite as nice, overall comfort levels are high. Though you might expect as much for $54,490.

There was one Limited on show with some of Mazda’s genuine accessories stuck on, and it looked great. A BT-50 with all the boxes ticked would probably come in lower than a D-Max X-Terrain. The only things it was missing were the bolt-on arch flares and sports bar. Mazda also confirmed that all of the genuine accessories work with the various safety systems. Apparently, some third-party accessories can interfere with the safety gubbins, so it's best to buy from Mazda itself.

What’s the pick of the range?

Tough question. It really depends on what you want out of a ute. I’d probably say, given Mazda is targeting the lifestyle buyer over those wanting a rubber-matted, plastic-covered workhorse, the Limited is the one to get. It adds just enough creature comforts to put it above the rest. But the whole range is worth considering, really.

Why would I buy it?

You want the (subjectively) best looking ute on the market that can also do the nine-to-five working day. You also don’t mind paying a bit more for it.

Why wouldn’t I buy it?

You don’t want to spend too much on a workhorse and want something that can take heavier knocks. The BT-50 only has carpeted floors, for instance, there’s no stripped-out model with rubber mats, although I was told buyers can select those as an optional accessory.