The Star: July 15, 2021

Thursday July 15 2021 The Star 41
Mazda BT-50 an SUV in disguise
I READ recently that Mazda’s
new BT-50 pick-up could well be
marketed as an alternative sport
utility vehicle.
Compelled to test that theory,
I asked Mazda New Zealand if I
could take the double cab utility
on a long South Island road trip,
leaving the vehicle in secured
parking at Bluff while my wife
and I took in a couple of days
on Stewart Island, one of our
favourite holiday destinations.
It was an unusual choice of
vehicle to travel such a distance
in but it was a good choice, it was
comfortable on that journey and
easily met our needs.
The evaluation ute was the
base model variant, although it
must be said GSX specification is
not bare, there are high comfort
levels, plenty of specification and
enough kit to satisfy. Certainly,
during our road trip there was
nothing we felt it needed.
Sure, there’s just cloth trim, no
keyless entry or ignition and no
satellite navigation; however, I
could easily live without those
items, and elsewhere there are all
of the ingredients a modern ute
owner would be satisfied with.
Safety hasn’t been
compromised either, all BT-50s
get a five-star Australasian New
Car Assessment Program rating,
and for the those who would
use the ute as a daily driver it
is manageable and enjoyable to
drive, I certainly felt at home
in it during the 1200km return
journey.
Regular readers will recall
my previous evaluations of the
new BT-50, and it is all-new.
The Mazda Motor Corporation
joined forces with the giant Isuzu
conglomerate to develop the
latest generation model. It shares
many components with the Isuzu
D-Max, notably the driveline.
The BT-50 here is available in
both two and four-wheel-drive,
and all have six-speed automatic
transmissions. There are six BT-
50 variants starting at $47,490
for the base model (2WD) and
ending at $60,990 for Limited
specification. The base model
four-wheel-drive I took south
lists at $54,490, if you do want a
few extra goodies but don’t want
Limited specification, a mid-spec
GTX lists at $58,490 ($51,490,
2WD).
Under the bonnet sits Isuzu’s
four-cylinder turbocharged diesel
engine. It’s a 3-litre unit and is
rated with 140kW and 450Nm.
There are no surprises here, this
engine has been around for a few
years but it has been the subject
of a long and steady refinement
process.
Today, it is smooth and
sophisticated, and the areas where
power and torque are developed
are low in the rev band so it’s a
happy low down hauler. During
my journey the rev counter was
constantly sitting at 1400rpm in
CRUISER: High levels of comfort on a highway haul.
MAZDA BT-50 GSX: According to the signwriting – five-year fixed price servicing, five-year
warranty and five-year roadside assistance .
at 100km/h, it is relaxed at that
speed and is quiet. It also returns
an 8l/100km instantaneous rating
(converted from a km/l readout).
I took the evaluation car back
to the dealership with a 9l/100km
combined average usage that
fits well with Mazda’s claim of
8l/100km, proving relaxed long
distance cruising is beneficial to
economy.
Our long trip wasn’t the only
use I put the evaluation car to,
it arrived at a very opportune
time. The recent weather bomb
that hit Canterbury took its toll
on the Kiddie-home. It exposed
three sheets of leaky corrugated
roofing iron that necessitated a
quick repair. Thankfully, a young
builder who is familiar with
the renovation process on our
home came at short notice and
he immediately replaced some
rusty sections. I used the BT-
50 to dispose of the waste, also
taking the opportunity to buy a
new locally-manufactured ladder
to replace an old one I had been
using at home that had become
dangerous.
It’s these kinds of tasks that
make today’s double-cab so
versatile, you can throw anything
on the deck and yet it still has the
family-friendly in-cabin structure
that works in the everyday role.
While most of our road trip
was on the fabulous undulating
• Price – Mazda BT-50 GSX,
$54,490
• Dimensions – Length,
5280mm; width, 1870mm;
height, 1790mm
• Configuration – Fourcylinder,
four-wheel-drive,
2999cc, 140kW, 450Nm,
six-speed automatic
• Performance – 0-100km/h,
10.5sec
• Fuel usage – 8l/100km
roads the South Island has to
offer, the few handling challenges
were met with dignity and
aplomb. The BT-50 has definite
steering feel and composure in a
corner.
It’s fair to say the ladder chassis
and rear live axle set-up aren’t
conducive to handling prowess,
but the BT-50 isn’t awkward, it
feels balanced and controlled,
which just serves to prove if you
have a live rear axle and leaf
springs located well then the ride
and control in a corner is well
organised.
That is something the tyre
manufactures have also kept in
mind over the years, Dunlop
has developed its Grandtrek
compound to the extent where
grip is high and travel is quiet,
the big 255/65 x 17in tyres are
informative and contribute to the
balance and feel of the ute in all
conditions.
Our road trip was on a mix
of wet and dry roads, and never
at any point did I feel the BT-50
lacked ability, it feels well attached
to the road.
Route closures due to the big
South Canterbury flooding events
meant short distances on broken
and unsealed roads, the spring
and damper rates of the BT-50
have been chosen so that comfort
levels aren’t jeopardised, yet
they don’t compromise the load
bearing ability of the ute. On that
subject, the BT-50 is a genuine
one-tonner and has a 3500kg tow
rating.
My time in the evaluation car
was as far from its design role
as you could get, however, I was
exploring the claim that utes are
manufactured for all purposes,
and the BT-50 certainly ticked
one of the boxes – it’s a genuine
open-road traveller that will
whisk the family to holiday
destinations with ease. If you
want a working ute that doubles
as family transport for the
weekend, don’t be put off with the
base model BT-50, it still has the
goods.
Signwriting on the evaluation
car pointed to the after-sale
MazdaCare programme – fiveyear
fixed price servicing,
five-year warranty and five-year
roadside assistance. All in all, that
makes for a worry-free purchase.
The souTh island lifesTyle magazine
July 2021
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