Without base changes to keep it fresh, Mazda Australia has turned to window dressing to keep BT-50 sales buoyant. With a few more years to run before an all-new replacement arrives, Mazda’s ute gets a new face to help carry it through while the fundamentals fall into a holding pattern.
The 2018 Mazda BT-50 has been given a bolder front-end look, upgraded equipment and an improved cost of ownership. Can it still compete in the hard-fought ute segment?
The Mazda BT-50 XTR is a value packed alternative to those wanting to save a little bit of money over the most expensive dual-cab in the Japanese manufacturer's ute range.
I have to be honest. When I was asked to drive 636 kilometres on a dirt road to the middle of nowhere with, gasp, no phone service, I was hesitant. But after coming to the realisation I had never been to outback Australia before, I simply had to say yes. After all, a break from emails and social media might actually do me some good...
Dual-cab utes are expected to be more versatile today than ever before. Rough and tough is not enough. The flagship versions must be comfortable inside, safe, and look the part because people want show ponies as well as workhorses. Our team have tested eight key contenders (LDV wouldn't give us a T60, and the X-Class hadn't launched in time for this test), to see how they all stack up...
The destination? The most famous horse race on dirt, the Birdsville Races, and the drive to get there was along one of Australia's most most famous dirt roads, the Birdsville Track.
Read the full article here. In a dual cab ute market dominated by the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux, the Mazda BT-50 has long had a way of slipping through cracks. But as we’ve discussed many times over the years, it’s a worthy offering in upper-spec guise for weekend warriors...
Read the article here. We're all busy people — so it's important to take time out every now and then. Well, that's the excuse we came up with. Last year I had the chance to drive to the northernmost point of Australia with Volkswagen in the Amarok. With that trip a fond, but albeit distant memory, we conjured up a plan to drive another ute — a Mazda BT-50 to the southernmost point in Australia...
Dual-cab utes are expected to be more versatile today than ever before. Rough and tough is not enough. The flagship versions must be comfortable inside, safe, and look the part because people want show ponies as well as workhorses. Consider, for a moment, that the eight most popular dual-cab models managed 193,000 sales in Australia last year, which equals 16 per cent of the entire new vehicle market...
They’re more likely to carry dirty nappies and road bikes than a bale of hay, but all eight of the cars on our 2018 dual-cab mega test are, you know, dual-cab utes. That means they still need to be fit for hard work. Has the transition to a life of luxury undermined the inherent practicality of these one-time work vehicles? Here’s a look at how the tray on each stacks up...
In such a competitive segment, there can be a lot to take in when purchasing your next ute. As a result, Bluetooth user-friendliness and quality often gets overlooked, but generally, it is one of the most used features for drivers - especially tradies - as a lot of business calls are conducted while on the move...
Car companies have been sharing development costs for years, so it’s hardly shocking to see them doing the same with pickups/utes. For one, we’ve just seen Ford and Volkswagen announce the co-development of the next-generation Ranger and Amarok, due for market launch in 2022. Isuzu and Mazda are also sharing costs on the next D-Max/BT-50...
Mazda has recalled BT-50 models sold between October 21, 2011 and June 21, 2016, over concerns about the door latch tabs. According to the company, a broken locating tab could prevent the door from closing or, if the door is closed, make it unlatch on the move. A total of 53,320 units are affected by the campaign – a VIN list is attached here...
Mazda has reported a loss of ¥2.2 billion ($27 million) for the fiscal second quarter ended September 30. Net income dropped 86 per cent to ¥3.8 billion ($47 million) during the the same period, with revenue holding steady at ¥856 billion ($10 billion). Worldwide retail sales fell by 3.0 per cent to 392,000 units, with losses recorded in North America, China and Japan...
Mazda Australia has issued a recall for 11 BT-50 utes sold at the end of April, over concerns vehicles could experience a loss of steering. The company reports that a "potential quality issue" with the welding of the lower intermediate steering shaft is the cause of the fault, which in turn could cause sudden, unexpected loss of steering...
I have owned this now for 4.5 years and clocked up 100,000km. The only fault I have found is that the turbo intercooler hoses are very flimsy – only one strand of cord and thin-walled. The first one blew at only 86,000km, at a cost of $135 including freight and handling. Most other intercooler hoses on other makes of vehicles have lasted up to and beyond 10 years and 400,000km plus...
We entered the new car market with our 18 month-old SR5 HiLux auto dual-cab. We drove three or four competitors before driving into a Mazda dealer. The dealer gave us the keys to a BT-50 GT to go for a test drive and we were immediately blown away with the ride's quietness and the awesome power over our much-loved old HiLux...
Needed a ute to replace the 2005 Toyota Prado, so chose the BT50/Ford. Handles like a truck. Great if you are going forward, but no visibility backing up. Even after fitting a backing camera. Heavy in the steering & doesn't hold the road as good as the old Prado. As I said it feels and handles like a truck twice its size...
First impressions ... Large... but when you drive it, it handles and feels like a mid range 4x4. The finish is good and styling is safe.. if anything a little to safe. As for Technology it is good for 2012 standards... In built GPS way to small - But has a good range of other stuff that will keep ya busy. One annoying factor was the trip computer...
