since 1976
since 1976
By Lee Pang Seng
THE Malaysian pickup market is just as diverse in model variants as that in the car and SUV (sport utility vehicle) market. There is the low rider two-wheel drive variant for those who prefer such a vehicle for urban use, the normal part-time 4x4 for more robust functions, special variants for the leisure segment and the well-equipped premium model for the bosses to survey their estates or development projects.
The last two variants are the ones with the higher prices on account of their better equipment and fittings to suit the respective role. As such, they appeal to a niche market and that means their numbers are smaller. Nevertheless, the consistent demand remains viable for the respective brands to continue with these ‘exclusive’ variants.
Mazda joined this exclusive circle late last year with the latest version of the BT-50 at a very competitive price against rivals. This strategy is made possible with Mazda Japan agreeing on supplying its range of vehicles at lower prices with a good level of equipment and features to hold a competitive stance.
It might have Isuzu roots but Mazda has applied its ‘Kodo or Soul of Motion’ approach in vehicle design upfront to carry its own brand image. The distinctive Mazda logo on the new signature wing grille combines well with the sleeker LED (light emitting diode) headlamps to give it a ‘commanding’ and trendy identity.
At the rear, the LED light clusters also come with a fresh design to add novelty to its updated standing. For those who prefer a more outdoorsy look, the flared ‘muscular’ wheel shoulders might do the trick, along with the jazzy alloy wheels fitted with 265/60 R18 Dunlop AT 25 Grand Trek all-terrain tyres.
A roof garnish with 100kg limit is another lifestyle complement that might come in useful for enjoying leisure off-road activities. The rugged visual aspect is further enhanced with the underspoiler front and rear as well as the skid plates that come part and parcel in the front, rear and side.
The roller shutter that comes standard for the rear deck gives the BT-50 a more complete look instead of a workhorse image that an open deck might invoke. This roller shutter is also easy to use as it rolls back automatically when the holding latch is released and we could use a firm strap that is attached to pull it back shut.
What’s more important is its interior features and fittings. Being a premium model, the BT-50 High Plus comes tailored for the job. The driver enjoys an eight-way electrically adjustable seat to find an ideal driving position, and the seats come wrapped in nothing less than leather, including the steering wheel and gearknob.
There is no lack of information or convenient, easy-to-use controls on the dashboard. It’s just as good as that in passenger cars and definitely a step up over that in our mid-spec Mazda CX-5, especially the relatively large nine-inch central info display. It comes with voice control and has Android and Apple Carplay connectivity.
An interesting display feature is the angle of the vehicle position from a front and lateral perspective. This is useful when going off-road, in particular when covering demanding and uneven terrain, as the information provided advise the driver on the surface gradient and whether it would be safe to drive over them without landing in undesirable situations.
In any case, the BT-50 is quite an off-roader with 30.4-degree approach angle and 24.2-degree departure angle to tackle undulating areas with relative ease. And if you feel like fording shallow streams with a firm base, this Mazda pickup is said to have a wading depth of 800mm.
The various controls are manually adjusted with turning knobs on the info display for hifi volume (the BT-50 High Plus comes with six speakers) and radio station selection. There is a row of toggle switches under the screen for the air-conditioning system as well as air flow control. Manual controls are more practical when driving off-road than using the touchscreen approach.
Rear passenger accommodation felt spacious with good leg, head and elbow room. This is expected as the BT-50 has a long wheelbase of 3125mm. That makes it a long vehicle too at 5280mm, which makes driving it in tight areas a bit of a hassle. Once you are used to its lengthy dimensions, you could make your way through tight carpark ramps in shopping malls and condos.
We made use of the various vehicle sensors located front and rear to tell us how close we were to the concrete walls during our weekend with the BT-50. We also had to adjust our turn angles slightly to ‘navigate’ in tight areas and at certainly lower speeds than we would have with our shorter CX-5.
It is with such a long vehicle that we appreciated the high-definition visual guide on the centre info display more during reverse and parallel parking. The 360-degree view camera was another useful guide. Its lengthy stature meant that its nose stuck out from a normal parking lot by at least 300mm (a foot). The more difficult part was finding a parallel parking space that was long enough in between cars for us to manoeuvre in.
Apart from this slight dimensional adjustment, driving the BT-50 High Plus was pretty cool. We like its high commanding drive position and in heavy traffic, its tough looking stance usually helped in merging in as most motorists would yield the space.
We didn’t like the video streaming rearview mirror though; we found it more of a distraction than similar systems found in some premium SUV brands. As it came into operation each time we started the BT-50, we turned it off using a button beneath the rearview mirror.
Powering the BT-50 is a 3.0-litre variable geometry (VGS) turbodiesel with common rail electronic direct injection. This is an undersquare engine with 95.4mm bore and 104.9mm stroke to displace an exact 2999cc. It delivers 138kW (188hp) at 3000rpm and a lot of torque at 450Nm coming in early at 1600rpm and plateaus till 2600rpm.
The six-speed automatic transmission makes driving the BT-50 High Plus easy and like a true pickup, it has a part-time four-wheel drive system. While we didn’t go beyond the two-wheel front drive system for normal urban driving, one could select four-wheel drive when going off-road via a button on the central console. The usual options are four-wheel drive high ratio for less demanding off-road terrain and four-wheel drive low ratio for more difficult ones.
It might weigh slightly above 2000kg (kerb) but the high low-end torque made initial acceleration effortless. And during the few instances of open highway driving, putting the foot down on the accelerator had the BT-50 going readily at good speeds, enough to fall foul of the speed camera.
Noise insulation into the passenger cabin was generally good all round as we heard little of the turbodiesel clatter in urban drives. And on the highway, its body design is sufficiently smoothened to reduce high air turbulence while driving along at legal speeds. The all-terrain tyres also ran quietly, even over less desirable road surfaces, allowing us to enjoy the music at a moderate volume.
We also like the BT-50 winding road manners as we enjoyed our drives through our favourite corners and bends. It didn’t lean too much for a tall vehicle when we pushed it a little but the typical understeer that came in early dampened our enthusiasm somewhat. Still, it would hold its own at a fairly fast pace along such areas.
It comes with a slew of active and passive safety systems to qualify as an ADAS (advance driver assistance system) vehicle. Among the full range are the Emergency Stop Signal, Auto Emergency Braking, six airbags (knee for driver only), Attention Assist, Forward Collision Warning and Rear Cross Traffic Alert.
For a vehicle with rear leaf-spring suspension and a double wishbone front, the BT-50 High Plus provided a reasonably comfortable ride at normal speeds. Our regular ‘test bed’ of bumps, potholes, poorly patched road surfaces, rumble strips and speedbumps didn’t unsettle our passengers. The ride was a bit firmer but the impacts were nicely dampened to make ride comfortable, especially for the rear passengers.
In its premium form, pickups are generally easy to live with in work or play and the Mazda BT-50 High Plus is no exception. At RM140,418 on the road without insurance, it is very attractively priced against established premium rivals that fetch higher prices. That makes the BT-50 High Plus a very good value-for-money pickup, given its strong product credentials and five-year/100,000km manufacturer’s warranty.
