A modest Aussie-made makeover, new pricing, servicing savings and new features to boost ailing ute's market appeal.
Khodrocar - A subtly new Aussie-made look to the 2018 Mazda BT-50 could be enough to help improve sales for the hard-working ute, and a couple of key new features and ownership savings won’t hurt.
That’s what is on offer with the lightly refreshed 2018 BT-50, revealed today. Styling tweaks – billed as "major front-end design changes” – include a boxy new bumper design and big new horizontal bars through the grille.
Designed locally, exclusively for the Australian market, the squared-off look is intended to give the big BT-50 "a lower visual centre of gravity and a more solid bearing on the road”.
XTR and GT models get chrome grille bars and a dark grey bumper insert, while XT gets the less flashy satin black grille bars and a plain black bumper insert.
Styling is otherwise unchanged, with the large leaf-shaped headlights – perhaps the ute’s most polarising feature and now a tired holdover from the brand’s previous-generation ‘Nagare’ styling language – staying as-is for now and likely until it’s replaced by a new Isuzu-based generation.
Equipment upgrades include, for the flagship GT, a chrome sports bar and an integrated LED stop light, heavy-duty tub liner, tailgate central locking, and a 12-volt auxiliary socket in the tub.
The entry-level XT picks up a reversing camera and the upgraded 7.0-inch Alpine infotainment system, making up for the outdated single-colour LCD display initially offered.
The entire range now also benefits from Apple CarPlay and Android Auto – oddly making the BT-50 Mazda’s most advanced model on that particular front, with all of its passenger cars still left to go begging in the increasingly popular phone-mirroring game.
Mazda has also improved the ownership case for the BT-50, extending the allowed kilometres between scheduled services.
For the new model – a change which is not retrospective on pre-update models – service intervals have increased from 10,000km to 15,000km, while the 12-month timeline remains unchanged.
Costs are also improved, saving $854 over five years. See the table below.
Lastly, new drive-away pricing is now in play, with the 4×2 XT single-cab chassis starting from $28,990 drive-away, while at the other end the 4×4 GT dual-cab is listed at $51,990 drive-away.
Despite these changes, Mazda is not expecting a massive improvement on last year’s sales figures – aiming for 15,000 in 2018 against 14,119 last year – but the brand may be content to simply stave off any potential slide.
By the end of March – the most recent figures available – Mazda had reported 1232 4×2 and 2175 4×4 sales year-to-date, up and down respectively on the 1219 and 2312 sales recorded for the same period last year.
4×2
6M 2.2L single C/CH XT 4X2 – $28,990
6A 2.2L single C/CH XT 4X2 – $32,205
6M 3.2L single C/CH XT 4X2 – $32,205
6M 3.2L Freestyle C/CH XT 4X2 – $34,490
6A 3.2L Freestyle C/CH XT 4X2 – $36,490
6M 3.2L dual C/CH XT 4X2 – $36,198
6M 3.2L dual-cab utility XT 4X2 – $35,990
6A 3.2L dual-cab utility XT 4X2 – $37,990
6M 3.2L dual-cab utility XTR 4X2 – $39,990
6A 3.2L dual-cab utility XTR 4X2 – $41,990
4×4
6M 3.2L single C/CH XT 4X4 – $37,990
6A 3.2L single C/CH XT 4X4 – $39,990
6M 3.2L Freestyle C/CH XT 4X4 – $40,490
6A 3.2L Freestyle C/CH XT 4X4 – $43,490
6M 3.2L Freestyle cab utility XTR 4X4 – $45,990
6A 3.2L Freestyle cab utility XTR 4X4 – $47,990
6M 3.2L dual C/CH XT 4X4 – $41,198
6M 3.2L dual-cab utility XT 4X4 – $40,990
6A 3.2L dual-cab utility XT 4X4 – $42,990
6M 3.2L dual-cab utility XTR 4X4 – $46,990
6A 3.2L dual-cab utility XTR 4X4 – $48,990
6M 3.2L dual-cab utility GT 4X4 – $49,990
6A 3.2L dual-cab utility GT 4X4 – $51,990
Source: Car Advice
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