Mazda has improved on the BT-50 ute without making an significant price increases. And Damien O’Carroll is impressed!
With the recently facelift BT-50 Mazda New Zealand decided on a change of direction in where it wants to compete in the ute segment. The company has abandoned the high-end ute segment (an area where the Ford Ranger holds the high ground), making the $57,295 4WD automatic GSX you see here the top model in the BT-50 range.
The company reasons that it is easy enough to option a GSX up to Ranger Wildtrak-levels, so a fully-kitted model wasn’t necessary. Neither was the $70K price tag that the top spec utes are starting to exceed these days.
On the road, the GSX is, as you would expect, very much like the old model, as minimal changes have been made to its essential underpinnings. And neither did there need to be, as the BT-50 (alongside the Ranger) was easily one of the best in its segment for handling and ride quality.
And so that stays, with the BT-50 proving to still be a very comfortable ute that handles in a wholly unexpectedly nimble fashion when called upon to do so. Tipping the BT-50 into a corner a bit faster than you intended is handled with remarkable grace and ability by the well-sorted chassis, while it still somehow remains effortlessly good off the road as well.
The big 3.2-litre five-cylinder diesel engine is every bit as powerful and torquey as it is in rival Ford products, while the six-speed automatic transmission is equally excellent.
Inside the changes are subtle as well, meaning the BT-50 still has one of the best and most car-like interiors in the ute segment. The BT-50’s interior is comfortable, roomy and well laid-out, although the tiny colour screen for the infotainment system is starting to look a wee bit small and dated by today’s standards.
Then we come to how it looks. While still not to a lot of people’s tastes, Mazda has tidied up the nose, introducing stronger horizontal lines in order to reduce the worst of the swoopy, smiling face of the previous model. To our eye, it works well, bringing a strong, more masculine look to the nose, but it still lacks the square-jawed tough truck look of the Ranger.
Unfortunately, while Mazda has butched-up the nose rather well, the weird and awkward horizontal taillights still blight the rear. This is the single worst visual aspect of the BT-50, and I think it is best that we all agree that horizontal taillights just don’t work on utes and move on.
While Mazda hasn’t followed Ford’s lead and treated the BT-50 to a comprehensive mid-life update, what it has done has made significant improvements to an already-excellent ute. The fact that Mazda has done it without an equally significant price increase is particularly impressive. Just like the BT-50 itself, really.
Body type: Four-door ute
Drive Part: time 4WD
Engine type: Inline 5-cylinder diesel turbo
Engine capacity: 3,198cc
Max power: 147kW/3,000rpm
Max torque: 470Nm/1,750rpm
Fuel consumption: 8.9L/100km
C02 emissions: 235g/km
0-100km/h: N/A
Front suspension: Macpherson strut
Rear suspension: Leaf spring
Roof rack: No
ABS brakes: Yes
Air bags: Five
Stability programme: Yes
Air conditioning: Dual zone climate
Lap/diagonal belts: Five
Satellite navigation: No
Electric seats: No
Burglar alarm: No
Boot release: N/A
Cargo cover: N/A
Boot capacity: N/A
Wheel type: 17-inch alloy
Spare tyre: Full size
ANCAP rating: Five stars
Price: $55,295
