Although Ford’s stake in the Mazda Motor Corporation now stands at as little as 3,5 per cent and the potential for future platform-sharing ventures between the once closely aligned brands seems limited, the BT-50 stands as a shining example of what can be achieved if the underpinnings of an acclaimed product, the Ford Ranger, is transferred to a distinctive design that’s unashamedly endowed with the personality of a passenger car.
In announcing the Ranger as one of CAR’s Top 12 Best Buys for 2012 in the annual awards issue, we recognised that, in the double-cab segment of the market, products are purchased by motorists who seek the performance, safety and creature comforts of a passenger vehicle with the modicum of practicality offered by the dimensions and configuration of a bakkie. And whereas manufacturers of double cabs have refined their products to suit the prevailing buying trend in the market to some degree, the BT-50 is a bold move into uncharted territory: it was conceived as an “active lifestyle vehicle” concept right from the onset.
The BT-50 will be produced alongside its Ranger cousin, with which it shares its platform, suspension, powertrains and electronic framework, at FMCSA’s Silverton plant but, unlike its predecessor, this newcomer is no-badge engineered product with spunky add-on detailing. Although the BT-50 will reach showrooms in the near future, Mazda graciously availed a Thailand-built pre-production model to CAR magazine at the Pecanwood Golf and Country Club on the banks of Hartbeespoort Dam for this photoshoot.
Even from first glance it was evident that the new BT-50 represents a significant stylistic departure from not only other double cabs on the market, but its Ranger cousin in the main.
The Ford is all square-jawed and blocky in appearance, but the BT-50 was ostensibly designed to look like a contemporary Mazda saloon – okay, a saloon with a load box instead of a boot – and, boy, does it show. The bold front-end features a five-point grille and extended swept-back headlamps cupped by a chrome-look bumper garnish that lend the BT-50 a pointy, smiley-face appearance. The flared fenders flow into pronounced feature lines that stretch to the rear and accentuate the Mazda’s wedge-shaped profile.
That brings us to the most controversial aspects of the newcomer – those white-backed wraparound trapezoidal tail lights and chromed rear bumper with a recessed back step. The cartoonish rear aspect has been the most talked-about view in the opinions of our online readers but, in the metal, the BT-50 cuts a purposeful pose; it’s a handsome bakkie. The 17-inch alloy rims and running boards will be carried over to the production model, as well as the chrome-look handles and side mirrors.
However, the model shown here, which is equipped to the level that the SLE-specification 3,2 CRDi double-cab 4×4 automatic model is expected to be at launch (at least from an exterior point of view), will have two notable additions. The South African specification BT-50 at this trim level will have a sliding rear window (sans demister) and an OEM towbar, which is significant because, in conjunction with a payload of 1 049 kg, this model has a homologated tow rating of 750 kg for an unbraked trailer and 3 350 kg for a braked trailer.
It comes with a trailer-sway-control safety system as standard. That would certainly add to the vehicle’s appeal for those who want to lug caravans or trailers for their motorboats or dirt bikes and, according to Mazda’s local brand manager, Wayne Eaglestone, a range of accessories – including a tonneau cover, nudge and roll bars, as well as a spare-wheel lock will be offered.
The sporty passenger-car feel continues in the Mazda’s futuristic interior, which is arguably the most progressive design ever seen on a double cab in the South African market. The attractive and solidly finished facia has an asymmetric layout and the centre stack, which is flanked by metallic-looking panel strips, slopes downward into the raised centre console to contribute to a wraparound sensation for the driver and front passenger.
Although ingress to the cabin requires a bigger one-legged hop than for most bakkies, the driver is immediately greeted by tangibly upmarket finishes and a variety of convenience items that seem initially incongruous with the BT-50’s chassis-cab underpinnings: a multi-function steering wheel with menu, audio and cruise-control buttons, an infoscreen augmented with menu buttons on the dash and the capability to display a read-out for the rear park-distance-control system and auxiliary and USB input sockets in the glovebox. Although the Thailand-specced vehicle had a full-colour display screen and built-in navigation system, which won’t be offered in South Africa, it did have the high-end dual-zone climate control knobs with integrated digital displays that will distinguish the SLE model when it goes on sale.
When climbing aboard the BT-50, the capacious levels of head-, shoulder- and legroom afforded by the Mazda’s leather-clad cabin are immediately obvious. In the spirit of the lifestyle activity theme, there are storage spaces throughout the cabin such as a convenience box on the driver’s side and an overhead console; the centre console has two cupholders, an armrest and double-decker storage compart-ment; and the front door pockets can accommodate one-litre bottles.
Three body types will ultimately be available: the five-seater double cab, two-seater single cab and the Freestyle Cab with its characteristic clamshell doors on either side of the cabin. The engine line-up will consist of 2,2- and 3,2-litre turbodiesels, and a 2,5-litre petrol engine with sequential valve-timing technology, mated with five- and six-speed manual transmissions or a six-speed automatic transmission.
All four-wheel-drive models allow shift-on-the-fly switching between two- and all-wheel drive and hill-descent control, while the six-speed automatic transmission optimises gearshift control in accordance with the driver’s style and driving conditions, as well as offering a manual mode that allows for driver-initiated gearshifts.
During our brief stint behind the wheel of the new BT-50, it was apparent that the newcomer has made significant strides in terms of tractability, on-road ride comfort, responsive, linear reactions to steering inputs and gained confidence-inspiring braking performance on par with those of passenger vehicles.
The introduction of the slick six-speed automatic transmission, in particular, has added a measure of long-haul driving refinement to a package that lends itself to utilisation for leisure activities. Of course, an extensive array of safety equipment is standard on the SLE, including four-wheel ABS with brake assist and an emergency stop signal, integrated traction-, load-adaptive, dynamic- and roll-stability control systems, hill-launch assist, as well as front-, side- and curtain airbags.
In conclusion, market demand for the arrestingly designed BT-50 looks set to easily outstrip that of its predecessor by virtue of the quantum leap that Mazda’s self-styled “active lifestyle vehicle” has taken in this iteration. The love-it-or-loathe-it exterior treatment of the BT-50 may see the Blue Oval outsell its cousin in this segment but, with projected specification levels said to be very competitive with that of corresponding Ranger models, let alone those of other double-cab contenders, this Mazda makes an indelible impression.
Look out for a full local launch report on Mazda BT-50 range on CARmag.co.za soon
