The Weekend Post

BRAVE MOVE

Mazda is cashing in on its sports car history to sell a ute no sportier than standard models

- TOBY HAGON

Denoting “special performanc­e”, SP is a prized pair of letters for Mazda. It’s previously been used on faster versions of some of Mazda’s sportiest models, from the RX-7 to the MX-5.

Now SP is getting dirty, appearing as a new model variant on the BT-50 ute for the first time. There’s nothing special about the performanc­e of the BT-50 SP, which comes only as a dual-cab four-wheel drive. It drives the same as any other dual cab BT-50 – which in turn drives the same as the equivalent Isuzu DMax with which the mechanical components are shared - and doesn’t even have gearshift paddles.

Instead, the sporty sales pitch is left to colours and finishes, with black finishes coating the wheels, grille, door handles and mirrors.

The lack of silver and chrome adds a more menacing demeanour to a workhorse that doubles as an adventure machine. And the black sail plane and roller tonneau add functional­ity and a snazzier look around the rump.

Throw in wheel arch flares and an added section to the lower front bumper and it completes the visual package for a ute that sells from $63,090 drive-away with a manual gearbox or another $3000 with an auto.

Going head-to-head with the likes of the Ford Ranger Wildtrak and Toyota Hilux Rogue, the new hero slots between the GT and range-topping Thunder in the widened BT-50 lineup that includes a minor update that brings a button on the steering wheel to turn off the occasional­ly overly-enthusiast­ic lane keep assist system.

The SP broadly matches the extensive equipment list of the BT-50 GT priced just below it – including wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, navigation, heated front seats and smart key entry – but picks up a tub liner, roller tonneau and wheel arch flares as part of the visual step-up. And while it doesn’t get the bullbar and driving lights of the Thunder, the added aggression­s means Mazda is expecting big things of the SP, with forecasts it could make up almost one in 11 BT sales.

On the road, the BT-50 has the same muscular demeanour that’s helped the Isuzu-based model to local sales records.

A gruff but effective 3.0-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel pulls strongly in the middle revs and matches neatly to the six-speed auto most splash out on. It’s hearty and honest and makes for easy progress.

Taut suspension can have the body bounding over bumpy roads, but it fends off big hits nicely, inherent strength clearly a core of the BT-50. Steering lacks the tactility of other Mazdas, but it’s easy and light.

Decent clearance and a part-time fourwheel drive system with a locking rear diff make for excellent off-road credential­s.

For tradies with more of an eye on the budget, Mazda has expanded the BT-50 lineup at the lower end of the range with a new workfocuse­d XS model. Available as a single cab chassis or dual-cab pickup rear-drive or an allwheel drive dual-cab pickup, the XS gets a downsized 1.9-litre engine.

With 110kW and 350Nm it lacks the outright enthusiasm of the 3.0 (140kW/450Nm) but partially masks it with shorter gearing for decent suburban accelerati­on. At country road speeds there’s less in reserve for overtaking, but for the tradies that it’s pitched at they’ll appreciate the circa-10-percent lower fuel consumptio­n and willing nature.

Tray-back cab-chassis versions can also carry up to 1380kg courtesy of a stiffer suspension setup, while the 3000kg tow capacity is only half a tonne shy of models equipped with the 3.0-litre engine.

Priced from $39,490 with a basic tray on the back, the new XS just undercuts the auto version of the rival Isuzu, although without a manual option it misses out on the tempting entry price of its twin-under-the-skin.

With vinyl floors and a smaller infotainme­nt screen (7.0-inch versus 9.0-inch), the 4x4 XS is basic but honest for its $52,490 ask.

Impressive­ly, XS models don’t skimp on safety gear, matching the best utes on the market with emergency braking, lane monitoring, speed sign recognitio­n and blind spot warning.

Along with other tweaks to the range – including the addition of a customisab­le cab-chassis option to the XTR model as well as black bumpers to those cab chassis variants – it makes for a broad model lineup that Mazda believes will hit a sales record in 2022.

That’s in part due to increasing demand for utes, which Mazda Australia managing director Vinesh Bhindi says could even push the pickup market above 250,000 annual sales, marking almost one in four new-vehicle sales.

VERDICT

There’s nothing special about the performanc­e, but the new SP version of the BT-50 ute has sporty looks and a rugged demeanour.

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