MAZDA BT-50: UNDERTHE-SKIN RANGER TWIN

THE Mazda BT-50 released just weeks after the PX Ranger in late 2011 was essentially the same ute save for a few details. The front and rear styling was obviously different, as was the cabin presentation and equipment details, but mechanical changes ran no deeper than a faster steering-rack ratio and slightly firmer suspension dampers. The notable difference between the BT-50 and the Ranger moving forward, was that Mazda didn’t adopt the PX MKII and MKIII changes so that the BT-50 remained essentially the same throughout its life except for styling and equipment upgrades. Last year the Ranger-based BT-50 made way for a new model, essentially a reskin of the new-generation Isuzu D-MAX that arrived here in late 2020. The lesson here is that if you’re interested in a PX Ranger you should also look at BT-50S; although, the BT-50 never sold in anywhere near the volume of the Ranger, so it’s far rarer second hand.