New BT-50

Overview

It’s been built to do everything you need. And even more than that. Mazda BT-50 gets behind you with strength and ability proven in the toughest tests Australia could throw at it.

So pack it full of tools or hook up a big load, and you know it’s going to come through. In fact with towing and payload capacities among the biggest around, you’ll feel like nothing can stop you.

But there’s much more to BT-50 than muscle. Because while sometimes there’s work to be done, there’s always life to be lived. So you get athletic design instead of boxy thinking. You access the latest entertainment and technology in a cabin that’s more car than truck.

And you feel like you’re driving a smoothly responsive SUV, thanks to handling that echoes our sports car DNA. Add the latest in safety and driver aids, and you’ve got anything but the usual ute.

Exterior

All the strength you need. And then some.

Taking on the big jobs or taking off for a long weekend, you shouldn’t have to compromise. Good thing BT-50 is built to go one better. Its ladder frame chassis is thoroughly beefed up to be one of the most rigid of any ute. As well as giving you accurate car-like handling, it enables BT-50 to perform feats of strength others struggle to match. Like towing up to a huge 3,350kg4 and making light work of payloads up to 1,508kg.7

Interior

You might not think you're in a ute

Wait a minute – is this really a ute? Mazda BT-50 welcomes you to the kind of comfort that’s all too rare in this class. The cabin wraps around you with a sense of sophistication and the latest tech, like displays detailing everything from audio to trip computer info. Right on the steering wheel you’ve got switches for cruise control, audio and the standard Bluetooth® functions. Pump up the volume and the MP3/WMA compatible CD player responds powerfully though 4 speakers in Single and Freestyle Cab, 6 in Dual Cab models. USB connectivity and Bluetooth® streaming complement the performance. Need to make a few calls? Every model allows hands-free phone use. Oh, you get air con as standard too.

Of course, being a BT-50 there’s more to come. Choose XTR and dual-zone climate control air conditioning caters to individual comfort down to the very last degree. Your steering wheel wears luxurious leather, while satellite navigation makes taking the wheel all the more enjoyable. Nice long drive or long day at work – you’ll appreciate comforting touches like chrome highlights, floor carpeting and trim that’s a cut above.

Still want more? Add the extras of the GT model and you’ve got luxury like you’ve never known in a ute. Its seats are trimmed in richly inviting black leather.6 Settle into them and it’s effortless indulgence, as auto on/off headlamps, rain-sensing wipers and even an auto dimming rear-view mirror are included.

Space. It's the ultimate extra

From the ground up, BT-50 has been created to be bigger, stronger, better.

You’ll feel it when you tow what you thought you couldn’t, or load up more than ever before. And you’ll defi nitely feel it when you jump inside. In every direction the spacious, sporty interior has been opened up to stretch comfort way beyond what you expect.

Dual Cab models can take on fi ve full-size adults with no fear of arguments over personal space. Single Cab models accommodate you generously too, with split bench seating that combines a driver’s bucket seat with room for two others.

Maybe you need something that’s somewhere in-between? The clever Freestyle Cab gives you extra interior practicality and seating for up to four, accessed by ingenious rear doors.

Sure you can carry heaps out back in BT-50’s cargo box, but you might be surprised at what there’s space for inside. Look beside you, above you and even under the rear seats in Freestyle and Dual Cab, and you’ll fi nd a handy place to store drinks, sunnies, a set of tools and more.

Performance

And then some.

You’ve also got more than most others under the bonnet. New generation turbo diesel engines use advanced common-rail direct injection to squeeze out more muscle from less fuel. Boosted by a lag-reducing variable geometry turbocharger, the punchy 2.2 litre gives you a smooth 110kW and 375Nm of torque to work with. Go for the 3.2 litre unit’s 147kW and massive 470Nm, and you’ll easily overpower any challenge.

So how do you prefer to put the power down? A tough 6-speed manual puts full control in your hands, while the smart 6-speed auto will happily do all the work or let you make slick manual shifts.

With either, you can take on the rough stuff without breaking your stride. In 4x4 models, you flick between 2-High and 4-High on the move via a handy switch.

Safety

You'll feel more than safe

Mazda BT-50 lets you do more. And it will let you enjoy more confidence too.

Its responsive handling and steering mean you’re well placed to avoid potential trouble – still an impressive safety arsenal is looking out for you. It begins with the superior occupant protection of a thoroughly reinforced body shell. Building your sense of safety are front airbags plus head-protecting curtain airbags in all models while Freestyle and Dual Cab models add side (front) airbags. All seats have three-position seatbelts, while front belts have pretensioners and load-limiters. Two child restraint anchor points in the rear of Dual Cab and Freestyle Cab look after the kids. Every BT-50 has Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) incorporating Traction Control System (TCS) as standard.

What’s more, the powerful brakes are backed up by ABS and Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), which optimises braking force according to vehicle load. On top of that Emergency Brake Assist (EBA) monitors pedal application to recognise emergency braking, adding stopping power right when it’s needed.