An extended road test was done by one of the car magazines in Australia of the Thai-built Mazda BT 50. It was one of the most glowing reports I have ever read!
The tester ventured off the beaten track and reported that “the BT-50 is downright brilliant. Hub-deep ruts are navigated without resorting to 4WD low range and only on one treacherous uphill slop are we required to stop and shift into the more extreme mode.”
Mazda BT-50
“It’s a similar story – still without low range – on a tight, cambered sand course we carved out later … the 3.2-liter turbo diesel just keeps on torquing its way through the ever-loosening sand.”
After the Sand course, the tester reported that the BT-50 is just as capable on uphill rocky slopes.
Their verdict: “The price (in Australia) makes the BT-50 the 4WD to have as a family four-wheel drive. The interior features of a car, the ruggedness of a genuine off-roader and all-round value for money keep me smiling on terrain that would terrify many.”
That will certainly assist Mazda in consolidating its position in the Australian market, especially with Holden and Ford pulling out of Australian manufacture by 2017.
