The Mazda B-Series has always been a keystone of the Japanese company’s vehicle lineup, establishing for itself an enviable reputation for reliability and toughness. But not a lot for style and sex appeal.
And that’s perhaps why the B-Series name has been abandoned and replaced, in the latest incarnation of Mazda’s one-ton Ute, by the much more modern BT-50 nomenclature. Sounds like something special, and on the whole it is, as we found when we tested one of the more significant models in the range, the 3.0 DI turbo-diesel 4WD double cab.
But before we do that, let’s have a look at the BT-50 range, as just launched.
At the heart of the BT-50 is a newly developed 3.0-litre MZR Common-Rail Direct-Injection turbo inter-cooled diesel engine on which Mazda’s design engineers have invested a lot of time and money to create what Mazda says is one of the quietest engines in its class.
Of course, silence may be golden, but you have to talk the torque when it comes to a working Ute, and the BT-50 is far from a shrinking violet in this regard. With 380 Nm on tap the BT-50 offers 36 percent more torque than the outgoing Bounty and at 115 kW of power, about 33 percent more in that department.
BT buyers get the option of a five-speed manual or five-speed automatic transmission and two different types of 4WD system – manual shift or electric shift – the latter being standard on automatic models.
All 4WD versions come as standard with a limited slip differential.
Double wishbone suspension holds the front end together while the rear end is leaf sprung.
As to safety, the BT-50 offers four-wheel Anti-Lock Braking (ABS) and Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD), along with dual front SRS airbags standard on all models.
Additionally, the BT-50 is the first in its class to introduce side airbags for head and chest protection as standard on the Double Cab SDX models. 
The BT-50 is available now in three body styles: Standard Cab, Cab Plus and Double Cab.  It is priced from just $34,095 including Mazda’s 3 year, 100,000km warranty and Mazda On-call round-the-clock roadside assist, rising to $53,495 for the top-of-the-range 4WD Double Cab SDX 5-speed auto.
Right, back to the test. We got a brand-new 4WD Double Cab DX 5-speed manual almost straight from the launch, shining new in dark blue with grey wheel arches and silver-painted steel wheels shod with 235/75 R15 Michelin rubber.
Styling
Mazda has gone a long way to accentuate the positives with the BT-50, giving it a much more masculine, even athletic, appearance with those great big grey plastic wheel arch extensions, high-rise suspension which leaves lots of space between the wheels and the bodywork, but more importantly by the brand new front.
Nothing wishy-washy about this one. The grille is bold and eye-catching, with two wide heavily-chromed horizontal strips most prominent – one of them is actually on the bonnet – set in a U-shaped enclosure with “egg-crate” dividers.
Very big almost-oblong headlights flank the grille, with indicators built-in on the outside, while there’s another intake under the heavy body-coloured bumpers to allow air into the turbo-charger intercooler. Air intakes for the brakes, plus fog lights, complete the front picture.
Flowing backwards styling is simple and straightforward – with the obvious exception of the wheel arches. There are very big mirrors and the load area is mounted separately on the chassis from the passenger bodywork.
Big side rails and hooks are prominent along the sides of the working area, while at the back there’s a vertical stack of lights, an attractive rubber-topped rear step, and a one-handed tailgate.
A great feature is the rear window guard with pop-up ladder restraints.
Inside
The interior has also come in for a complete re-jig. The dashboard is car-like, and is essentially divided into three components. From the left there’s a plain but heavily-padded “crash panel” in front of the passenger, with a smallish dropdown glove box which is, thankfully, lockable (though we’d be happier if it could hold more.)
Then there’s a dominant centre console section. This is very prominent, being made of aluminium-look plastic, with its main feature the built-in radio/CD player and its LCD display – which also includes a digital clock. There are large vertical stack adjustable air outlets each side, and a space on top which will hold small objects such as a packet of cigarettes.
There are three rotary switches at the bottom for heating and ventilation, and an oddments bin below, forward of the gear lever. There are a couple of power outlets there, too, one doubling up as a cigarette lighter.
Then in front of the driver is a recessed panel with big silver-trimmed triple overlapping dials, the left one for the revcounter – redlined at 4,250 rpm, with max at 5,000. Then there’s the speedo, reading to 180 km/h, and with inset trip meter, and over on the right water temperature and fuel gauges.
Wipers are controlled by a stalk on the left of the steering column, lights and indicators on the right (hoorah) and there’s a thumb-operated rotary switch to adjust dash light levels.
The steering wheel has four spokes, with a perforated soft-feel rim and a large silver Mazda badge in the centre.
The gearlevers (yes, there are two) sit in a plastic between-seats console panel, with cup holders built-in, and there’s a double layer box for oddments, CDs and so-on, which also does service as a centre armrest, and has a rearward extension with cup holders for the backseat passengers.
And where’s the handbrake, you ask? Can you believe, in this day and age, it’s still an umbrella-type abomination under the dash? Really, these went out with the ark, and have no place in a modern motor vehicle. They’re awkward to get at, and even more awkward to use.
Backseat passengers have a bench seat, and the backrest flops forward to allow access to the tools kept behind it, but it’s not possible to fold it flat as there are built-in head restraints which touch on the front seats.
Features
This is the “entry-level” version of the BT-50 double cabs, and as such falls a bit short in the features department. But in addition to those features we’ve already mentioned we still see wind-up windows, manual air-con, big side pockets in the front doors that can take a water bottle, tilt steering, height-adjustable seatbelts, and remote central locking. The outside mirrors are adjusted manually.
Airbags are provided for both front seat occupants, as are height-adjustable seat belts. Rear seats get two 3-point belts and one lap strap in the middle.
One feature we particularly like is the remote freewheeling hubs. These are controlled by a switch labeled RFW (remote free wheel) to the right of the steering column, and this feature gives better economy when not using the vehicle off-road.
You need to push the button in to get the front wheels to drive when you select 4WD.
The cargo bed is limited by the double cab configuration, but comes out high in class with a length of 1,530 mm, width of 1,456 mm and depth of 465 mm.
Unbraked towing capacity is 750 kg, and braked 3,000 kg.
As mentioned power plant is the latest 3-litre inter-cooled turbo-diesel, and it’s a beaut!
This is connected to a 5-speed manual gearbox plus a high/low range transfer box.  The rear axle has a limited slip differential – of which more anon.
There are ABS brakes with electronic brake force distribution (EBD), the latter especially useful as it compensates for an unladen vehicle. There are big ventilated discs at the front and drums rear.
Like its predecessors the BT-50 is built on a strong ladder chassis, with the cab and load deck firmly attached. Suspension is independent at the front, with double wishbones and torsion bars, while there are simple, but effective, leaf springs at the back.
Driving it
It was easy to settle comfortably into the BT-50, with the well-bolstered seats comfortable and easy to (manually) adjust, and with plenty of legroom and more than enough headroom for farmers to keep their hats on!
Starting uses an ordinary key, and once settled the engine doesn’t overly impinge. Yes, you know it’s a diesel at idle, but once rolling the sound disappears into the background.
And in any case, you’re so excited by all that torque! Wow, this one really gets up and goes, and you’ll give many a Mighty Mouse hatchback a fright if you decided to rush away from the lights – especially since the limited slip differential ensures you get the power down.
Similarly, when pressing on along a tight and twisty road you’ll be amazed at the way this truck handles. Not exactly a sports car, but, again mainly thanks to the LSD, you don’t get any loss of traction at the back even if a wheel lifts, which means you maintain your poise.
Naturally there’s a lot of understeer at first when you enter a corner fast, but the mere fact of slightly lifting off the power counteracts this.
Ride quality, however, is very much Ute, a bit harsh at low speeds, less as you go faster. As with many of its ilk, better with a load than without.
Off-road, though, is where this one shows its mettle. That high bodywork means you can commit to some fairly serious lumps without getting stuck, while a total cross-axle situation sees the BT-50 just shrug it off and carry on as if nothing has happened. This is one time where LSD is legal, and still gives you a high!
And oh, the joy of having proper 4WD, with total manual control - and even ABS if you have to touch the anchors on a long descent.
So where’s the rub, you ask? Well, it’s in the back. First up entry into the backseats is not as easy as it might be. The doors are quite small, and it’s a (relatively) long way up. Then, once you’re in, you sit on a seat that has a short squab, an upright backrest, and not a lot of legroom.
Wouldn’t like any of our nearest and dearest to sit there for too long.
Summing up
As the entry level 4WD double cab the BT-50 DX offers a lot of value. However, it’s really more of a workhorse than a family car substitute, that uncomfortable rear seat likely to put off family members who want to take it on a trek from one island to the other.
On-road it’s a likeable package, able to hustle along windy secondary roads quickly and safety, while it proves more than capable when the going gets really tough off-road, only the compromise tyres, as always, becoming a limiting factor in mud or other really loose stuff.
And it comes with an enviable reputation, helped even more by that 3 year/100,000km warranty and Mazda On-call round-the-clock roadside assistance.
Price: $47,490 .: