In line with tweaks we’ve seen over at sister camp Isuzu, Mazda has updated its ute line-up for 2022 with a new top-dog variant in the BT-50 SP. We find out if it’s a worthy addition to the range.
- Amount of space and storage on offer
- Cabin fit and finish
- Off-road ability
- Aftermarket-feeling infotainment system
- Jittery ride about town
- Doesn’t have the same powertrain punch as rivals
Introduction
As day follows night, Mazda has copied ute partner Isuzu by tweaking its range of utes for 2022. The new 2022 Mazda BT-50 range now adds two bookends in the form of an entry-level 1.9-litre XS variant and the top-spec SP.
Plus, the Japanese brand has also addressed one of our major gripes when it comes to driver assistance technology – there is now a simple way to turn off the frustratingly-persistent lane-keep assist tech.
But it’s obvious Mazda is vying for a greater share of the ute market by fine-tuning and adding a broader range of BT-50s. The BT-50 SP is the brand’s effort to go up against the likes of the Ford Ranger Wildtrak, Isuzu D-Max X-Terrain, Nissan Navara Pro-4X, and Toyota HiLux Rogue.
It’s suitably kitted in SP-style attributes including a black grille, satin black 18-inch alloy wheels, dark metallic roof rails, dark grey side steps, black wheel arch flares, black sail plane sports bar and a black tonneau cover.
The interior also gets slight enhancement in the form of a unique black and Driftwood leather seat upholstery, accented by synthetic suede highlights.
Naturally, the high-end model is powered by the larger engine of the (now two-strong) range – a 3.0-litre turbo diesel four-cylinder. Power is sent to a part-time four-wheel-drive system through a six-speed manual or automatic transmission.
There are no mechanical enhancements for the top-spec SP offering, it’s solely a cosmetic upgrade kit.
The new range is available now and Mazda asks $65,990 before on-road costs for the automatic version. The manual-equipped version costs $3000 less.
Mazda gave us the chance to drive the new range at launch, headlined by the new SP car, to see what the renewed dual-cab ute is all about.
| Key details | 2022 Mazda BT-50 SP 4×4 automatic |
| Price (MSRP) | $65,990 plus on-road costs |
| Colour of test car | Rock grey mica |
| Options | None |
| Rivals | Isuzu D-Max | Toyota Hilux | Ford Ranger |
Inside
Specific to the SP is a new-upholstered interior which features black and tan, or ‘driftwood’ leather, accented by synthetic suede.
More than looking good, the material feels nice to the touch and covers both rows of seating, the door cards, and parts of the dash. The BT-50 is already one of those utes that uses good materials in high-touch areas, such as the soft-leather steering wheel which feels great in-hand.
Aside from the aforementioned stylistic additions, the SP model grade mirrors the BT-50 GT in terms of equipment inside the cabin including heated front seats, remote engine start, electric driver’s seat adjustment, and heated side mirrors.
It also scores dual-zone climate control, a 9.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system, satellite navigation, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, adaptive cruise control, front/rear parking sensors, and a reversing camera.
The space presents smartly with the new cosmetic upgrades, but I’ve always been a fan of the amount of room and comfort on offer in the BT-50 dual-cab. You can position yourself into a comfortable driving position between the electrically-adjustable seat and tilt-and-reach adjustable steering wheel, while there’s good space for your legs in the footwell. That said, there is no dead pedal to rest your left foot, annoyingly.
Storage is also well covered-off thanks to a deep cubby in front of the shifter, plus a pair of cupholders in the centre console. There is also a large glovebox and a secondary storage box within the dash, which comes in handy for hiding away your expensive stuff when leaving the car.
The fit and finish speaks to this variant’s positioning as a ‘lifestyle’ variant, only let down by hard plastic tops to the door cards.
I’m a large fan of the broad-shouldered seats which have great side support. Back seat passengers are afforded a good amount of room for heads, legs and side-to-side. Bag hooks, map pockets, air vents, a fold-down armrest, and a singular USB-A port is available in the second row.
A plastic tub-liner is fitted as standard to protect the paint underneath, though the SP misses out on an electric-operated roller shutter that some rivals (such as the Wildtrak X and HiLux Rogue) get.
| 2022 Mazda BT-50 SP 4×4 automatic | |
| Seats | Five |
| Length | 5280mm |
| Width | 1926mm |
| Height | 1790mm |
| Wheelbase | 3125mm |
Infotainment and Connectivity
Sitting pride of place on the BT-50’s dash is a 9.0-inch infotainment system shared with Isuzu. It’s a simple system to use with prominent shortcuts along the bottom of the screen, though it’s a little basic in terms of functionality. The layout and design feels a bit more aftermarket than we’re used to from Mazda, mainly because it’s shared with Isuzu, so it’s a shame we miss out on the brands latest Mazda Connect software which the Drive team loves.
The satellite navigation is easy enough to use and the guidance was bang-on in our experience, though users can connect-up Apple CarPlay or Android Auto-equipped phones if that system is preferred. As standard there is an annoying beep played through the speakers everytime you make a screen selection, but this is easily turned off in the settings. To plug in and charge items, Mazda has provided a USB-A port up front and a 12-volt outlet.
A small TFT screen is found within the instrument cluster which shows a digital speed read-out and other pertinent drive information.
Safety & Technology
A key importance for Mazda Australia in developing the SP variant was to make sure that the additions didn’t affect the car’s five-star ANCAP safety rating, which was recorded against stringent 2020 protocols.
This was achieved thanks in part to up-to-date active safety tech including autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and traffic sign recognition.
Last year’s BT-50 had an annoyingly overzealous lane-keep assist system which was heavy handed and regularly cut-in when not needed. Thankfully there is a new way to turn this off, by holding down the steering wheel-shaped icon on the right ride of the steering wheel.
Other driving technologies include hill descent control that, when used on test, takes care of braking, traction and the gearbox to reassuringly guide you down large hills. It also comes with a switchable 4×4 system and a rear differential lock for getting up rutted hills.
| 2022 Mazda BT-50 SP 4×4 automatic | |
| ANCAP rating | Five stars (tested 2020) |
| Safety report | Link to ANCAP report |
Value for Money
As with all Mazdas, the new BT-50 SP is sold with a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty with roadside assistance. Servicing occurs at 15,000km intervals or every 12 months – whichever is first.
With basic scheduled maintenance, the BT-50 is determined to cost $1494 over three years or $2308 over five years.
Mazda claims a 8.0L/100km combined fuel consumption, where our actual on-test recording stands at 9.3L/100km. The BT-50’s fuel tank can take 76 litres of diesel.
| At a glance | 2022 Mazda BT-50 SP 4×4 automatic |
| Warranty | Five years / unlimited km |
| Service intervals | 12 months or 15,000km |
| Servicing costs | $1494 3yr / $2308 5yr |
Fuel Consumption – brought to you by bp
| Fuel Usage | Fuel Stats |
| Fuel cons. (claimed) | 8.0L/100km |
| Fuel cons. (on test) | 9.3L/100km |
| Fuel type | Diesel |
| Fuel tank size | 76L |
Driving
At launch Mazda had us along to sample the BT-50 SP on a variety of road surfaces to demonstrate its breadth of ability. On a run out to Lerderderg State Park the BT-50 handled country back roads as comfortably and quietly as you could expect from a dual-cab ute. It should be noted that the car on-test was fitted with a dealer-fit lift kit set to comfort specifications, no doubt helping the car when we hit the rough stuff.
The 3.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine shared with partner Isuzu is more than adequate for around-town use. Likewise, the six-speed automatic transmission is responsive to changing throttle positions and kicks down obediently for when maximum outputs are required.
It doesn’t quite match the same amount of punch output by some higher-spec ute rivals such as the Volkswagen Amarok V6 or Ford Ranger, though it gets up to freeway speeds quickly and can dispatch a well-timed overtake easily enough.
We towed a 1000kg braked trailer on test easily enough, the transmission intelligently determining which gear was most appropriate at any given point.
While I found our lift-kitted (+25mm) test car’s ride quality comfortable, we also sampled a standard BT-50 which can at times exhibit a slightly jittery ride quality around town. While the steering is light to manoeuvre the 5280mm-long body around town, there’s little feel to the system.
Off-road, the BT-50 handled the honest route set for us with composure and capability. We pointed it at some sizeable rutted tracks and only engaged low-range gearing and the rear diff locker for the straggliest terrain. Traction with standard tyres was a highlight, though the terrain we travelled on was largely dry and grippy.
The car is fitted with adaptive cruise control which keeps good distance to vehicles in front and responds quickly to changing speeds. Once again, it is lovely to be able to turn off the heavy handed lane-keep assist system. Well done Mazda for including that small-but-important update on the model year update.
| Key details | 2022 Mazda BT-50 SP 4×4 automatic |
| Engine | 3.0-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel |
| Power | 140kW @ 3600rpm |
| Torque | 450Nm @ 1600-2600rpm |
| Drive type | Part-time 4×4, low-range transfer case |
| Transmission | Six-speed torque converter automatic |
| Power to weight ratio | 63.4kW/t |
| Weight (kerb) | 2208kg |
| Tow rating | 3500kg braked, 750kg unbraked |
| Turning circle | 12.5m |
Conclusion
In forming this lifestyle-oriented BT-50 SP with sporty styling accents, Mazda has neither upset the apple cart, nor gone out of its way to add substantial new features. This may be because the one-rung lower BT-50 GT is already a well-equipped and well-presented specification.
However, the SP model grade does add a considerable $5000 chunk over the GT and though you do get a healthy amount of style-focused additions for that spend – whether it’s worth it or not will be a difficult toss-up for the buyer. There’s no doubt the SP looks great as a finished product, but personally, I’d be happy with the GT.
In terms of the wider range, the BT-50 has come a long way since its preceding Ford Ranger-based iteration and this new finer-tuned and wider-appeal range should help the BT-50 along in a hotly-contested segment.
Passengers will be happy with the amount of space and goodies to play with, while drivers will relish in the resolved drive experience around town and further afield. We look forward to spending more time in the 2022 BT-50 this year if this launch is anything to go by.
The post 2022 Mazda BT-50 SP review: Australian launch appeared first on Drive.
