2021 Mazda BT-50 Dual Cab

Have you seen the spunky new BT-50 Dual Cab?  Mazda has the perfect ute for work and play that can carry the family and mates to outings out the back and beyond.  By joining forces with Isuzu and using the latest Isuzu D-MAX platform, the current 2021 Mazda BT-50 Dual Cab utes are very modern and stylish utes that are solid, safe and well-engineered.  Coated with Mazda’s trimmings and features, it’s the BT-50 that I’d want to be driving if I was to tackle any long journey.  Looking at all the current models offered by the many manufacturers involved in the Double Cab game, the Mazda BT-50, the Isuzu D-MAX, the Mitsubishi Triton and the brand new Hilux models are some of the best popular models.

Steering away from the old Ford Ranger platform, the new Mazda BT-50, and its tie with Isuzu, has seen the latest model have to settle for a bit less power and torque than the outgoing Range-based model.  What’s this done for its drive and practicality?  Let’s take a closer look.

2021 Mazda BT-50 Dual Cab

The range of new BT-50s use an Isuzu derived engine that is a 3.0-litre, four-cylinder turbo-diesel motor with 140 kW of power and 450 Nm of torque on tap.  Compared with the Ranger-based motor, the new BT-50 drops down from 147 kW and 470 Nm.  The top of the range 2021 Mazda BT-50 is called the Dual Cab GT 4×4, and it links this power to the terrain via a six-speed automatic and part-time 4WD system with high and low range options.  There is a six-speed manual available in some of the Dual Cab models.

On a combined cycle, you should get close to 10 litres/100 km of fuel usage out of it as you go about real-world driving, and the 76 litre fuel tank has plenty of time between drinks.

The new Mazda BT-50 Dual cab measures 5280 mm long and sports a 3125 mm wheelbase.  It’s 1870 mm wide and packs down at around 2035 kg.  Where you’ll be putting the luggage and work gear is out on the tub tray of the Dual Cab, and this measures 1571 mm long and 1530 mm wide, with a measurement between the wheel arches of 1120 mm.  Towing capacity is 3.5 tonnes.

On the tarmac you’ll be happy to know that the 2021 Mazda BT-50 is a decent drive.  This keeps up the tradition of the BT-50 being good to drive, the BT-50 always being one of the picks for decent on-road ride quality.  Around town and on the highways, the 2021 Mazda BT-50 Dual Cabs are smooth and supple.  The steering is well sorted out and the suspension damping rates good.  Even with the slight reduction in power and torque, the new BT-50 impresses with plenty of pick up for acceleration, and you don’t find that it affects the everyday driving that one ends up putting one of these types of vehicles through.  Engine noise is well subdued, and this makes it a relaxing drive wherever the road or track takes you.

Off the road, the 2021 Mazda BT-50 is a capable machine.  You can wade through water as high as 800 mm without a raised snorkel (you can get a snorkel as an option).  The entry angle is maxed at 30.4 degrees, while the exit angle is 24.2 degrees.  These are good off-roading stats.  Hill descent control is a standard feature as well 4WD with a rear diff-lock on 4×4 models, so you’re well set up for mixing it in the mud and tough terrain.

Let’s look at life in the rear seats.  For those confiding in the back seats, the comfort levels are pretty good.  The top model gets leather, and most models get electric windows and a centre armrest with cup holders.  USB sockets and air vents are also present.  Leg room behind the front seats is good, though the really leggy dudes and sheilas might find space a bit tight, especially if a long-legged person is positioned in the front seat ahead of them.

Up front, the seats provide good comfort and support.  The Dual Cabs are all well-equipped, however the trim and upholstery feels a bit more plastic than previous BT-50 models, and they now have more of an emphasis on being hard wearing surfaces rather than looking pretty.  It feels this way more with the Dual Cab GT, where, perhaps, you’d be buying with the desire to have a driving experience that is as premium as possible.  That said, any of the Dual Cab models are comfortable cabins to travel inside.  There are plenty of storage spaces and a nice centre console area for holding an array of stuff, including a couple of cups of coffee on the go.

All the latest technology that you’d expect, and even more, is there.  There is a very decent sized touchscreen and display in the centre of the dash which is very clear and easy to use.  You can get in touch with the folk at Mazda, connect with your phone apps, make calls via Bluetooth, listen to all your favourite songs, and use the satellite navigation or map on the phone for getting yourself to that out-of-the-way destination that you have no idea ever existed.  A 12V socket and a USB port are standard in the front of the dual cab models.

The third-generation Mazda BT-50, which is available in ute and cab-chassis form, comes with higher levels of safety.  Autonomous emergency braking, attention assist, automatic high beam, blind spot monitor, emergency lane keeping, lane departure warning, lane departure prevention, rear cross traffic alert, roll over protection, secondary collision reduction and eight airbags, including a front centre airbag, are standard features on a 2021 BT-50.  When all is said and done, the Mazda BT-50 is a very safe ute.

Expect to pay somewhere between $48 and $75k for one of these slick looking Dual Cab utes.  The Mazda BT-50 has always been a great ute, and, with the shift to Isuzu platforms, the 2021 model still remains a top drive.

2021 Mazda BT-50 Dual Cab

The 2021 Mazda BT-50 Dual Cab models include the:

• BT-50 XT Auto 4X2
• BT-50 XTR Auto 4X2
• BT-50 GT Auto 4X4
• BT-50 Thunder Manual and Auto 4X4

For any more information on the new Mazda BT-50 models or, for that matter, any other new car, contact one of our friendly consultants on 1300 303 181.  If you’d like some fleet discount pricing (yes even for private buyers!), we can submit vehicle quote requests out to our national network of Mazda dealers and come back with pricing within 24 hours.  Private Fleet – car buying made easy!