The new-generation Mazda BT-50 is the most Japanese that this Japanese bakkie has ever been; after decades of being a Ford Ranger clone, the Hiroshima-based marque’s double-cab is now based on the next iteration of the Isuzu D-Max. The previous version, which was built at Ford’s Silverton plant at the beginning of its product cycle (pre-facelift), never received substantial marketing support from the Blue Oval, largely because the global partnership between the US and Japanese brands dissolved in 2014 (which was when Mazda Southern Africa was established as an independent subsidiary).
As a Mazda-flavoured execution of the Isuzu D-Max, the BT-50 is handsome, upmarket and, importantly, sufficiently distinctive.
In the meantime, the Rangerfirmly established itself as South Africa’s 2nd-favourite bakkie. By virtue of being based on the Ford, the previous BT-50 should’ve sold in greater numbers than it did. But then, the BT-50 had a trio of impediments: Mazda SA focused its marketing efforts on newer, sharply-styled and smartly-packaged hatchbacks and SUVs; the bakkie’s styling was distinctive, yes, but utterly divisive (and thatmatters, even in the pick-upmarket), plusbuyers seemed to believe that if you want a square-jawed, designer-stubble-sporting Ranger, well, you’d buy one– not a reskinned copy.
Well, with the Ford Rangerabout a year away from being replaced, the new-gen BT-50, of which Mazda SA has now launched 4derivativesin the local market, offers something freshand eye-catching. Again, Mazda’s double cab is merely styled differently to its distant D-Max cousin, but, as we’ll explain later, its packaging suggests Mazda is all too aware the BT-50 needs to be more than a bakkie – rather think of it as a family-car substitute that offers reasonable refinement, luxury and practicality. What’s more, its character, if not the sheer embodiment of Zoom-Zoom, is more Mazda-like thanbefore.
Top-of-the-range BT-50s feature chrome-look detailing, silver-coloured running boards and bold 18-inch alloys.
There was a time when describing a bakkie as “handsome” or “striking” could get one banned from a braai, but the new Thai-made Mazda BT-50 undeniably cuts a fine figure. There are elements of the Mazda’s Kodo design language in the sweeping crease lines that flow from the grille to the side mirrors, as well as the pinched waistline (above the running boards), while the defined shoulder lines align with the load bed and the tops of the tail-light clusters feature the brand’s signature circular motif.
The bakkie shown here resembles the South African market’s 3.0TD double cab Dynamicand3.0TD double cab 4×4 Individualautomatic derivatives, which feature chrome-look grilles, -side mirrors (auto-folding and heated) and handles in combination with silver running boards and 18-inch alloys.That’s not to saythe entry-level 1.9-litre turbodiesel versions (1.9TD double cab Activeand1.9TD double cab Active auto– both 4×2) look like workhorse bakkies –they have black grilles, colour-coded mirrors and handles, plus 17-inch rims, but are also equipped withLED headlamps (with DRLs) and fog lamps.
The Mazda’s switchgear is identical to that of the new Isuzu D-Max(even the steering wheel design), but it’s undeniably smart.
The Isuzu underpinnings are particularly apparent in the Mazda’s spacious interior; the bakkies’ switchgear, instrumentation and steering wheels are identical, but their fascias are different, with the former having rectangular centre vents and the latter triangular ones. Nonetheless, the cabin execution is plain but smart, with a soft-touch finish to the edge of the dash’, as well as tasteful applications of piano black and chrome-look trim. Although electric windows, a 4.2-inch multi-info display and a reverse-view camera (includingrear PDC) are standard, the seats are trimmed in cloth – there’s no leather option.
The 1.9TD Activederivatives each features a polyurethane multifunction steering wheel, a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment and a 6-speaker audio system (with wireless Apple CarPlay-, but plug-in Android Auto compatibility),which sits in the same frame as the 9-inch one fitted to the3.0TD Dynamicand3.0TD 4×4 Individual, it just has a black border around it. The HVAC knobs and fresh air/recirculation slider in the 1.9TDs are also pure pick-up fair, but the higher-spec 3.0TD versions, by comparison, feature piano-key buttons for the dual-zoneclimate control console,keyless entry (with push-button start), rain-sensing wipers, auto headlamp levelling, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and -transmission lever, front parking sensors, 2 additional speakers and a rear centre armrest with cupholders.
In its most luxurious spec, the BT-50 features automatic climate control and a 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system.
The front seats are sufficiently comfy and supportive (the driver’s seat is 6-way adjustable – including lumbar onthe DynamicandIndividualspec), the steering column is reach- and rake adjustable and, to Mazda’s credit, most of the cabin’s finishes feel substantial and hard-wearing, plus the controls are well-weighted. The authordid find the driver’s footwell a bit cramped (on the manual version hedrove) and missed having a lined footrest, as opposed to the carpeted half-ledge in the leftmost corner of the ‘well. What’s more, the centre console’s cupholders were a little too deep for regular-sized cups of takeawaycoffee,the top glovebox lid didn’t click into place assuredlyand the front-door trims didn’t line up exactlywith the edge of the dashboard.That, however,concludes the interiorcritique…
And it gets better…The new BT-50 doesn’tsell its rear occupants short. Aft passengersusually need to endurea hard bench, abolt-upright backrest and minimum space in “double-cab land”, but the Mazda bakkie offers reasonable leg- and headroom; the 1.88-metre-tall tester could easily sit behind the driver’s seat (as it was set up for him).Other conveniences include separate ventilation outlets, a fast-charging USB port, a fold-out armrest (on the 3.0TD derivatives), 3 adjustable headrestsand a bottle holder in each of the rear-door linings.
The bench can also tumble forward in a 60:40 split if you’d like to free up more luggage capacity, plusthere’s a lidded hidey-hole in the carpeted underfloor.
For once, rear occupants aren’t shortchanged in a double cab, they’re afforded good leg- and headroom in the new BT-50.
In terms of practicality, the new BT-50 has a payload of just over 1tonne, while its load trayis 1 571-mm long, 1 530-mmwide (with 1 120 mm between the wheel wells) and 490-mm deep, plus it comes outfitted with a quartet of tie-down loops. Many buyers will undoubtedly specify arubber lining,tonneau cover and roll bar. The stated towing capacity is 750 kg and 3 500 kg (for braked trailers).
All of which brings us to the on-road refinement of the newcomer, whichis, in a word, admirable. At the national speed limit (110 kph in Australia), the Mazda’s cabin was virtually creak- and rattle-free, with just a slight flutter emanating from the side mirrors. The 3.0TD Dynamicand3.0TD 4×4 Individual‘s motor is said to be substantially reworked from the current D-Max’s 3.0-litre turbodiesel (including a revised block, head, internals and injection system) and slightly down on power and torque compared with the outgoing bakkie’s Ford-supplied 3.2-litre 5-cylinder powerplant. It still sounds like a pukka Isuzu mill – especially at startup– and the 140-kW motor remains a mite clattery up to the early 1 000-rpm range. As before, itdoesn’t like being revved hard.
Even if the new 3.0-litre turbodiesel motor is less powerful than its Ford-sourced predecessor, it’s refined and more efficient.
Bear in mind that, notwithstanding the fondness many in the bakkie fraternity have for that old 3.2-litre motor, we found it notably thirstier than its manufacturer’s claim during extended reviews (of the Ford Ranger Wildtrak, for example). The new 3.0-litre turbodieselengine, while no fireball, is reasonably tractable by comparison: peak torque of 450 Nm is available from 1 600 to 2 600 rpm, but 400 Nm of that between 1 400 and 3 250 rpm, and, best of all, we saw an encouraging indicated consumption figure of just over 9 L/100 km during our test drive (Mazda claims an average of 8.0L/100 km).
The ride quality was a bit of a mixed bag, butthe roads on our test route (a mix of rural, suburban and urban) were far from perfect. At freeway speeds,the Mazda has a relaxed, loping gait; the suspension suppresses bumps…but doesn’t quite neutralise them. Then, at lower speeds, the bakkie’s rear end can still feel a little jittery on rippled/uneven surfaces, but by double-cab standards, it’s quite fair.
What impressed usmost about the auto cruise control-equipped new Mazda BT-50’s demeanour was its sheer easy-to-drive nature, which is a happy coincidence for Mazda, which endeavours to offer driver engagement in all its products. The bakkie’s steering, for example, has improved by leaps and bounds. The ‘wheel is pleasantly weighted, but not vague; turn-in is true and positive, even if a bit slow by family-car standards, the high-riding bakkie eases into bends with a predictable amount of roll and stops sufficiently sharply too.
The ride quality of the BT-50 is on the firm side of pliant on dirt roads, but the bakkie’s steering and road-holding inspireconfidence.
Although the 1st gear on the manual-shift versionwas quite short, the ‘box shifted positively and the clutch was easy to modulate, even in thick Sydney traffic. Weanticipate most buyers will opt for the6-speed automatic transmission, which features in 3out of the 4 local derivatives.We traversed a short section of dirt road in the Royal National Park (on the outskirts of the city) and even tried out the hill-descent-control and shift-on-the-fly 4×4 on a slippery downhill slope, where the BT-50 behaved just as expected. However, while wewere drivingthe bakkieback to its depot, werealised something else…
Many of the BT-50’s most impressive features aren’t visible to the naked eye. The Mazda’s suite of safety systems, for example, moves the game forward for the bakkie segment; in an LCV-based vehicle that will be entrusted with transporting your precious family, that’s noteworthy.
The integral stereoscopic camera system enables a host of active safety features on the BT-50.
First,the good news…allMazda BT-50 derivatives in the South African market feature 7airbags(dual front-, -side, curtain‘bags, plus one for the driver’s knee),ISOfix child-seat anchor points, ABS with EBD, brake-override accelerator, hill descent control, hill launch assist and rollover mitigation systems. That’s a fair number offeatures, certainly, but the safety suite could have been more generous…
Because in Australia, all versions of the BT-50employsensors and a stereoscopic camera system to offer auto emergency braking (AEB), including pedestrian- and cyclist detection, speed-sign recognition turn assist (to dissuade you from turning into the path of oncoming traffic) and forward-collision warning, which is in addition to blind-spot monitoringand rear cross-traffic alert. Granted, if Mazda had opted to fit those features on the bakkies destined for the South African market (provided thegizmos were compatible with our road network, of course) it would have pushed up the new line-up’s asking prices.
As if having access to wireless Apple CarPlay in an otherwise humble bakkie wasn’t enough to blow your mind, wait until you feel the Mazda’s active lane-keeping assistance system make small course corrections through the steering wheel (it works between 60 kph and 130 kph). Oh well, fingers crossed that at least some of those driver-assist systems will feature in local-spec BT-50sone day!
As the double cabentrenches itself as a popular family carin the South African market, the Mazda’s sophistication is a big plus.
It’s no secret Isuzu SA had to delaythe launchof the next-gen D-Max until 2022. In the meantime, the Port Elizabeth-based subsidiary of the Japanese brand has conducteda development programme to tailor the new bakkie’s construction, suspension and other components for our market. Given that Isuzu will build the bakkie in several guises – for various types of customers – that stands to reason.
By virtue of arriving in Mzansi ahead of itsD-Maxcousin, the new BT-50 will certainly appeal to owners of olderIsuzu D-Max models, who feel they can no longer delay the replacement of their current bakkies. Some prospective buyers may also be wary of buying a bakkie that will be superseded in the next year or so (Ford Ranger and Volkswagen Amarok); they might consider the Mazda strongly.
Apart from being much more handsomely styled thanits predecessor, the new BT-50 offers appreciablymore appeal for buyers who want the practicality and looks of a bakkie, but ultimately utilise their vehicles as family cars.A 4-door pick-up will never be able to match the sophistication of a unibody SUV, butMazda’s newcomer demonstrates that“leisure double-cab” standards are rising rapidly.
We will soon pitthe flagship Mazda BT-50 3.0TD 4×4 Individualagainst a number of its (also top-spec) rivals in a multi-bakkie shootout to crown South Africa’s best bakkie. Watch this space.
ICYMI:Mazda BT-50 (2021) Specs & Price
| 1.9 Active Manual 4×2 | R611 900 |
| 1.9 Active Automatic 4×2 | R647 900 |
| 3.0 Dynamic Automatic 4×2 | R759 400 |
| 3.0 Individual Automatic 4×4 | R794 400 |
Prices include a 3-year/unlimited-kilometre service plan, 3-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty and 3-year/unlimited-kilometre roadside assistance.
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