All-New Mazda BT-50

Jul 21, 2021
4 minutes

The All-New Mazda BT-50, the third model in a new generation of Mazda vehicles is fully redesigned from the ground up. The BT-50 launched internationally in June 2020 and units that will be sold in South Africa will be produced in Thailand.

The model line-up has been aligned with that of our passenger car range and consists of three derivatives: Active, Dynamic and Individual. The Active model features a new 1.9L diesel engine with automatic or manual gearbox whereas the Dynamic and Individual models feature the new 3.0L 6-speed automatic. The Individual model is available with the 4x4 drivetrain, whereas all other models are available in the 4x2 drivetrain.

EXTERIOR DESIGN

The exterior design of the All-New Mazda BT-50 is the true expression of Mazda’s Kodo Design language, evident right from the front of the vehicle with the prominent front grille, and the 3 dimensional signature wing that extends out towards the side, making it instantly recognizable as a Mazda product. The design blends toughness and beauty, as a result, the All-New Mazda BT-50 shines equally in every setting, from formal to rough off-road.

From the first glance, the All-New BT-50 expresses unique power, toughness and utilitarian functionality, ready for adventure and built for working purposes, while appealing to lifestyle customers with its unique design.

The design of the headlights is distinct and sharp, taking in cues from Mazda’s SUV range, achieving a deep gaze characteristic of Mazda.

The load-bay has ample room and can handle payloads well over one ton. At the back, the tailgate is the key design point, shaped to flow towards the Mazda badge to create a continuity of movement from front to rear.

Two new designs on the aluminum wheel round off the design, presented as 17 inch wheels in the Active derivative and 18 inch wheels in the Dynamic and Individual derivatives.

Standard exterior features on the All-New BT-50 range include; LED Headlamps, Daytime Running Lamps, Rear Combination Lamps and Front rain-sensing wipers.

INTERIOR DESIGN

Step inside the comfortable, spacious and durable cabin and you’ll find yourself immersed in quality Mazda design. The All-New Mazda BT-50 interior cabin space has been carefully crafted to express Mazda’s commitment to human centric design, and to reflect on the tough and powerful built of a double cab bakkie.

Everything from the dashboard, steering wheel, seats and center console has been redesigned to ensure that drivers feel connected to their vehicle and as comfortable as they can be. The horizontal layout of the instrument panel extends out to the door trim on each side, creating a comfortable and spacious cabin. The front console adapts kneepads, and Mazda’s human centric design is clearly visible in the layout of the cabin. Fine stitching is applied to the dashboard, instrument panel hood and kneepads, adding an extra touch of quality to the interior.

The All-New BT-50 has door moldings that wrap around the dash area in line with Mazda’s Kodo design philosophy. An expansive and stylish centre console is further evidence of the exceptional quality and premium materials. Rear passengers are taken care of too, with a USB charging port, rear air ducts and grip assist handles making the All-New BT-50 the complete package.

The lineup offers a black fabric interior. This fabric interior features light greige on the ceiling, pillars and passenger grip assists complemented by black on the seats, door trim and other parts with which occupants come in direct contact. This colour coordination creates a calming, quality interior environment.

Instrument Cluster Design

The All-New BT-50 features an instrument cluster with two round analog meters flanking a 4.2-inch multi-information display in the centre. The panel surface is finished in Mazda’s deep, pure black colour, creating a striking contrast against the light font and silver rims of the analog meters. An expression of sophistication and fearlessness.

Air Conditioning Vents and Decorative Trims

The front air conditioning louvres feature sculpted three-dimensional depth. They are accented by a sharp strip of decorative trim that spreads out from the centre of the instrument panel toward the passenger seat. Again, bringing a unique balance of refinement to the driver-centric interior of the All-New BT-50, creating the complete package inside out.

Cabin Comfort

The cabin aims for a level of comfort on par with our passenger vehicles. We've designed a spacious and wide cab to optimise passenger comfort, with 1,463mm of shoulder room in the front seats and 770mm between the driver and front passenger seats. The BT-50 secures generous width for the rear seats, with a seatback shape that provides the comfort of a natural sitting position. This combines with a structure for the lower section of the front seats that lets rear seat occupants stretch their legs out to provide a comforting sense of space.

Ease of Entry and Exit

The rear doors are designed with wide openings and ample space for the feet and knees to pass through. This makes it easier for passengers to get in and out of the rear of the cab. Assist grips at the top also help support the body when front and rear passengers enter or exit the doors.

Seat Design

The driver seat on our All-New BT-50 is both comfortable and supportive, making even the longest journeys a breeze. The adjustable driver’s seat ensures comfort by also offering six-way seat adjustment: forward and back, up and down, up and down of front seat base and reclining angle.

There is manual lumber support function for the driver seat on the Dynamic and Individual model. This is where the lower area of the seat can adjust further or closer to the steering wheel, thus giving the driver limitless seating positions. The seatback cushions on the front seats are made of memory foam to reduce fatigue on long drives. The design of the seat frame and headrest help prevent whiplash.

The back support structure distributes body pressure and moulds to fit the body, preventing fatigue and ensuring the driver is well supported and comfortable. The All-New BT-50 driver's seat achieves superior ride comfort due to use of materials with varying firmness- memory foam in the seatback cushions for a soft, snug fit, while the sides are firmer to support when cornering.

At the rear seats we can see multiple areas of comfort and convenience. A tether strap that can be wrapped over the seatbelt for when the rear seats are being folded forward which often gets hooked behind the seat when folding seat back. This way we can avoid the problem all together while keeping the position of the seatbelt nicely over the shoulder of our rear passengers when fasten.

Some more great features are the rear centre armrest with cupholders, 1.5L bottle holders in the doors as well as clearly marked ISOFIX points, storage compartments and a USB port. Behind the front seats there is a nifty hook, allowing passengers to hang a coat, handbag or anything up to 4kilos.

TECHNOLOGY

The infotainment system comes with a 7 or 9-inch display screen that puts it all at your fingertips. Intuitive smartphone connectivity, like Android Auto™ and Apple CarPlay™ keeps you connected to a world of functionality and entertainment. Connectivity information is also delivered to the instrument panel, helping you to keep your attention on the road. While the 6-speaker surround sound system on the Active model and 8-speakers on the Dynamic and Individual models delivers powerful, crystal clear audio for you to enjoy.

Touch Screen Display

The below personlisation are available on the touch screen:

  • The 9-Inch high definition touch screen allows for split screen configuration on the home screen.
  • There are multiple options to display exactly what you prefer on the home screen. Namely, date and time (analog/digital) or music or compass or driving information or navigation.

8-Speaker Sound System (Dynamic and Individual models)

The new 8-speaker sound system delivers an impressive sound experience befitting a bakkie. In addition to the new roof speakers, the woofer delivers powerful bass and the use of two-way dome tweeters achieves clear mid to high range sound.

The instrument panel and rear door tweeters are known as “balanced dome tweeters”. A balanced dome tweeter is a mixed system that uses a voice coil at the boundaries between the cone-shaped and dome-shaped part of the diaphragm, which enables a combination of the excellent features of cone-type and dome-type tweeters. It is designed so that the mass of the outer circumference part and the inner circumference part are the same around the voice coil. Balanced dome tweeters can provide a superior sound to all listening positions thanks to high sensitivity and good directivity of high frequency. Making the sound quality inside the All-New BT-50 almost cinematic quality.

SAFETY

We are committed to providing a safe and stress-free driving experience for all occupants in the All-New Mazda BT-50. The BT-50 offers a high level of safety across the range with standard safety features like Auto door lock, Reverse Camera, Smart Advanced Keyless Entry, ISOFIX and Driver, Passenger, Knee (driver), Curtain and Side airbags.

Safe and stable braking is ensured across various driving conditions and rapidly changing road surface conditions through Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD) as well as Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) which includes the following functions: Traction Control System (TCS), Hill Launch Assist (HLA), Hill Descent Control (HDC), Roll Over Mitigation (ROM) as well as Trailer Sway Mitigation (TSM), also standard from the entry level BT-50.

Mazda is proud to announce that the All-New BT-50 received a 5 Star ANCAP Safety rating in 2020, issued by the Australasian New Car Assessment Program. The BT-50 performed strong in the following categories: Adult Occupant Protection, Child Occupant Protection and Safety Assist.

ENGINE SPECIFICATIONS

The All-New BT-50 features two engine options – 1.9L Diesel Engine and the 3.0L Diesel Engine.

6-speed manual (1.9L variant only)

  • The manual transmission features an integrated gearshift mechanism for improved feel. The flywheel used with the manual transmission is a Dual Mass design. This allows it to absorb more of the engines harmonic vibrations, preventing them from being transmitted through the drive-line and vehicle.

6-speed automatic (1.9L & 3.0L)

  • The automatic transmission uses a compact gear-train structure, the latest efficiency technologies and a high response hydraulic control system. The electronic control module is programmed to match the torque delivery characteristics of the engine by always selecting the best ratio. Whilst, control modes such as ‘Skip Gear Shift', 'Slip lock-up' and 'Slope Control’ ensure that the automatic transmission responds appropriately and intuitively to the current driving conditions.

MAZDA CARE

The All-New Mazda BT-50 comes standard with a 3-Year Unlimited Kilometer Mazda Service Plan, 3-Year Unlimited Kilometer Mazda Warranty and a 3-Year Unlimited Roadside Assistance.

MODEL LINE-UP

All-New Mazda BT-50 1.9L Active 6MT & 6AT 4x2

  • Max Power (kW @ rpm): 110
  • Max Torque (Nm @ rpm): 350
  • 6-Speed manual/automatic transmission
  • 7 Airbags SRS: Driver, Passenger, Knee, Side & Curtain
  • Auto Cruise Control
  • Infotainment System:
    - 7-Inch Display Screen
    - Apple CarPlay™ (wireless) & Android Auto™
     - USB connectivity ports – 2 Ports
    - 6-Speaker sound system
  • Remote Keyless Entry
  • Multi-function steering wheel: Audio, phone and voice controls
  • Seat trim – Cloth (Black & Dark Grey)
  • ISOFIX
  • Vanity Mirror: Passenger
  • Air-conditioning (Manual)
  • Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)
  • LED Headlamps and Fog Lamps
  • Reverse camera
  • Parking Sensors – Rear
  • 6-Way power adjustable seat
  • Rear floor ducts
  • One touch window: Driver
  • Power Windows: Front and Rear
  • Exterior Mirrors: Manual fold
  • Auto door lock
  • Trailer Sway Mitigation (TSM)
  • Roll Over Mitigation (ROM)
  • Hill Launch Assist (HLA)
  • Hill Descent Control (HDC)
  • 4.2- Inch Display(meter)
  • Tailgate lock
  • Tailgate handle & Exterior mirrors: Body Colour
  • Locking Rear Differential (LRD)
  • Rear and passenger assist grips
  • 17" Alloy Wheels

All-New Mazda BT-50 3.0L Dynamic 6AT 4x2

In addition to the features in the Active model, the Dynamic model includes:

  • Max Power (kW @rpm): 140
  • Max Torque (Nm @ rpm): 450
  • 9-Inch Display Screen
  • Exterior Mirrors: Auto fold, chrome and heated
  • Side Step: Silver
  • Front rain-sensing wipers
  • Parking Sensors: front and rear
  • Auto Headlamp Levelling
  • Leather-wrapped steering wheel
  • Leather-wrapped gearshift knob
  • Vanity Mirror with light: driver and passenger
  • Dual-Zone climate control air-conditioner
  • Rear center arm rest with cup holders
  • Lumbar support – manual adjustable (driver)
  • 8-Speaker sound system
  • Tail Gate handle & door handles: chrome plating
  • 18” Alloy Wheels

All-New Mazda BT-50 3.0L Individual 6AT 4x4

In addition to the features in the Dynamic model, the Individual model includes:

  • 4-Wheel Drive (4WD)
  • Front Axle Disconnect

EXTERIOR COLOURS

The Mazda BT-50 is available in 6 colours: Gun Blue, Rock Grey, Red Volcano, Ice White, Ignot Silver and Concrete Grey.