ONE OF THE SUCCESS stories resulting from the change in Australian buying habits towards crew cab utes has been Mazda’s long-running BT-50.
In June, an all-new model, rebuilt from the ground up, was unveiled.
The new Mazda BT-50 combines muscular proportions with Mazda’s iconic Kodo design language, conveying a sense of bold and powerful movement, never an easy thing to pull off when designing a crew cab ute.
Its three-dimensional signature wing establishes a commanding front view and dominating road presence, accentuated by sweeping crease lines running from the grille out towards the wing mirrors, paired with an unbroken centre line that flows from front to rear.
The design overhaul extends to the cabin, where Mazda claims its human-centred design ethos (which must be better than designing a cabin for sea creatures or quadrupeds) and pared back aesthetics achieve a spacious and comfortable cabin, designed for ease-of-use and to match driver needs.
Supportive seats wrap around the body to ensure comfort across any terrain, while a telescopic steering column makes light work of finding the perfect driving position. A large touchscreen infotainment system offers comprehensive functionality, including Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay.
The Mazda BT-50 blends rugged off-road performance with refined on-road driving, using a turbocharged 3.0-litre four-cylinder diesel engine.
Packing 140kW power and 450Nm torque, the ute’s reduced body weight and more efficient engine should deliver improved fuel economy, while ensuring capability and versatility for a variety of tasks with 3500kg towing capacity and over 1000kg payload.
Best-in-class safety carries over from passenger cars and SUVs to the Mazda BT-50, which brings new features to the segment to meet tougher safety standards.
For the first time Adaptive Cruise Control, Autonomous Emergency Braking, Lane Departure Warning, Blind Spot Monitor and Rear Cross Traffic Alert are all available as standard equipment.
Once we have tested and assessed the new Mazda BT-50 crew cab ute, seniordriveraus will bring you a comprehensive review, including everything the over-50 driver needs to know.