When speaking about pickup trucks, Mazda usually eluded people’s mind that they actually have a pick up truck in their model line up. The model in question here is the Mazda BT-50, and in November last year, Mazda launched the all new BT-50 in Malaysia. The new BT-50 will come with a whole new platform with an all new powertrain, which shares its roots with another well known Japanese pick-up truck manufacturer.
The BT-50 in Malaysia, comes in 5 different specifications and 2 different engine options. The version that we have here is the top of the line 3.0L double cab variant. For the exterior, Mazda did a good job in blending their family looks on to the BT-50. The front grille of the BT-50 does have a hint of CX-9, which makes the truck look more upmarket. Beside the front grille, there are full LED headlights with auto leveling function to make sure that the headlights are at the correct height in order to prevent blinding oncoming cars. The headlights are also equipped with the Automatic High Beam function that was only available on passenger vehicles previously. 
Before stepping on board, this high spec BT-50 gets a remote start function to allow the owner to start the truck from far. This is to enable the climate system to cool down the interior of the truck, after it has been left under the hot sun for quite awhile. Another item that was specifically fitted onto the top spec BT-50 are the side steps, where it allows occupants to step on it when getting in and out of the tall vehicle. 
Coming to the interior, the overall dashboard design has been carried over from the truck that it was based on. The main differences for the interior are the Mazda logo on the steering wheel, and the dark brown leather that are featured on the dashboard and the seats. The dashboard is very well put together, and a mix of leather wrapped plastics and hard plastics made up the whole dashboard. 
At the center of the dashboard, the BT-50 features a 9 inch infotainment screen with Android Auto and wireless Apple Carplay available. This infotainment system is hooked up to an 8 speaker system, but the sound quality from the 8 speakers sound moderate at best. Even though the sound is clear, it lacks any form of bass from the sound system. For such a large vehicle, the BT-50 only comes with a reverse camera. Even though a reverse camera is sufficient, I think that having a 360 degree camera would make maneuvering such a large vehicle in tight spaces easier. 
Sitting behind the wheel, I feel that the seating position is decent, but I would like the seat to go a little lower. Then again, this is a pick up truck, and the seating position is supposed to be high up and towering over surrounding vehicles. Another advantage for seating at this height is that it allows the driver to look past 3-4 vehicles in front easily. Coming to the rear seats, the rear seats have decent legroom and headroom, but the seatback is quite upright. In order to give the rear passengers more comfort, the BT-50 is equipped with rear AC vents and USB ports for rear occupants to charge their devices. Under the rear seats, there are also storage compartments to keep valuable items away from prying eyes. 
As per mentioned in the intro, the BT-50 is available with 2 different power train options, which are the 1.9L and 3.0L turbo diesel engine variants. The variant that was lent to me was the 3.0L 4 cylinder turbo diesel engine variant, and is paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission. This engine has the ability to produce around 188bhp and 450Nm of torque. 
From the get go, I do notice that the gear ratio for the 1st and 2nd gear are rather short. I believe these short gearing was designed to help the truck in tackling different road conditions when it’s being fully loaded, or towing something heavy. While in the 1st 2 gears, the engine fan noise can be quite audible when the engine is revving up. Once it gets into 3rd gear and onwards, the engine noise will fall back into a bearable level where only the engine noise can be heard. The engine has plenty of low end torque, and it makes going uphill effortless. In terms of vibrations, Mazda did a good job in reducing the engine vibration from transmitting into the cabin.
Since this is a pick up truck, the ride for it is expected to be bumpy. The stiffer suspension is meant for the BT-50 to carry items weighing close to 1 ton in the truck bed. Coming to the handling, one has to be cautious about the tall center of gravity, and most of the weight of the truck is at the front. When barreling into a corner, the truck will understeer at 1st, and when extra steering input is initiated, it will have a tendency to oversteer. The steering wheel may not be very direct, at least I still have an idea of where the front wheels are pointing. At lower speeds, I do notice that the steering wheel is on the heavier side. As the speed picks up, the steering wheel does feel lighter. 
Coming to the brakes, the BT-50 has sufficient braking performance for your regular day to day use. Apart from the platform sharing, the BT-50 also benefits from receiving the whole host of safety and driver assistance systems that is available on the truck it was based on. These systems are usually found on regular passenger vehicles, and now it is available on a pick up truck. For safety system, the BT-50 gets 7 airbags, Anti Lock Braking System (ABS), Emergency Brake force Distribution (EBD), Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Traction Control System (TCS), Emergency Stop Signal (ESS), Brake Assist (BA), Hill Launch Assist (HSA), Multi Collision Brake, and Hill Descent Control (HDC). As for the driver assistance systems, the BT-50 gets Automatic High Beam (AHB), Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM), Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA), Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS), Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Auto Emergency Braking (AEB), and Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC). 
The new BT-50 is priced at RM143,218.40, and it is the more luxurious option in the market. The BT-50 name might not be new in the market, but I think many people have forgotten about it since Mazda stopped selling the previous generation. With the arrival of this new generation BT-50, I think it will definitely rejuvenate the BT-50 nameplate in the pickup truck segment, since this new BT-50 looks more friendlier than before.
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