By Kyle KockMazda has replaced its long-standing Drifter range with the new BT-50 bakkie. A model Mazda claims to combine distinctive design and exhilarating performance.
The styling is certainly a leap forward from the outgoing Drifter model. With its imposing grill dominated by the Mazda badge on the crossbar and swept back headlamps, the family face is evident in the BT-50. The rest of the vehicle is a combination of rugged features such as the accented wheel arches and steel roll bars alongside the smooth surfaces and curved architecture associated with lifestyle vehicles.
Unladen the BT-50 is 1 762 mm tall, has an overall length of 5 076 mm and is 1 807 mm wide. The load box is 465 mm deep, 1 530 mm long and 1 458 mm wide.
Mazda has developed a potent 3,0-litre common-rail direct injection turbo diesel engine to join their already tried and tested 2,6-litre petrol and 2,5-litre turbo diesel units.
The new 3,0-litre CRDi turbo diesel engine features a four-cylinder d-o-h-c 16 valve set up with a larger intercooler for the variable geometry turbocharger. The change to 16 valves over the previous s-o-h-c 12 valve unit greatly improves intake and exhaust efficiency, not to mention improving power and torque, 115 kW at 3 200 r/min and 380 N.m at just 1 800r/min to be exact. Because of this, related parts are reduced in size and the cam’s swing arm followers are changed to a roller type that reduces resistance where they touch the cam, resulting in less mechanical loss and improving fuel economy.
The BT-50 is available with a choice of manual and automatic transmissions. According to Mazda, the electronically controlled, close ratio five-speed automatic offers smooth shifting and respectable fuel economy at highway speeds. The manual transmission comes with the manual 4WD transfer case shift lever, which allows quick selection from 2WD to 4WD High, 4WD Low and neutral drive modes. The 4WD’s make use of a limited-slip differential at the rear wheels that adjusts drive power to maintain traction, even when one wheel spins loosely in the mud or on rough surfaces with large potholes.
The braking system has been improved from the previous B-series. The four-wheel ABS with EBD system, while adopting the ventilated front disc and leading/trailing rear drum brake layout of its predecessor, has been improved upon by reducing lever ratio, roughly improving brake stroke by 10%. The caps for the wheel cylinders have been replaced by high efficiency parts that employ a tight rubber construction, suppresses unwanted play in the brake pedal and results in a solid feel when braking.
With a highly rigid ladder frame, impact bars built into the cabin and doors, front seatbelt pretensioners, dual front airbags and new side airbags for head and chest protection, the BT-50 double cab looks set to be one of the safest in its class.
The raised suspension offers a minimum unladen ground clearance of 207 mm. The double wishbone front suspension and rear leaf springs used on previous Mazda bakkies has been refined to offer a smoother, more comfortable ride. The rear suspension’s leaf springs, have been extended to 1,320mm further contributing to a more refined ride.
Creature comforts across the BT-50 range include standard leather interior for the double cab, radio with 6-cd changer and MP3 and RDS, chrome interior door handles, air conditioner, electric windows (front and rear for double cab) and a sliding rear window. Optional extras include metallic paint and leather trim (for the single cab).
Recommended retail price :
Single Cab:
Mazda BT-50 2500TDi SLX 4×2 R 204 990.00
Mazda BT-50 Drifter 3000CRDi SLX 4×2 R 223 990.00
Double Cab:
Mazda BT-50 2500TDi SLE 4×2 R 254 990.00
Mazda BT-50 Drifter 3000CRDi SLE 4×2 R 274 990.00
Mazda BT-50 Drifter 3000CRDi SLE 4×2 A/T R 284 990.00
Mazda BT-50 Drifter 3000CRDi SLE 4×4 R 311 990.00