It’s that time of the year again in the Western Cape – when colourful flowers blanket the landscape on the West Cast of South Africa. What better place to drive to in the new Mazda BT-50.
With the exceptional rainfall in the province, the flowers were predicted to be brighter and fuller – and they sure didn’t disappoint. Bursts of rich yellow, bright purples, radiant pinks and whites covered areas of the West Coast National Park, Darling and the Postberg area.
In line with a fresh renewal of nature is the new release from Mazda with it’s BT-50 2×4 and 4×4 models available nationally now.
It didn’t just get a nose lift, which is the most obvious at first glance – The BT-50 is also sporting a new body and an upgraded facelift with new safety features.
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On the topic of facelifts – the West Coast gets its annual flower-infused lift every year between August and September and never disappoints. It’s an immediate spirit lifter and let’s face it, we could all use some flower power in our lock down lives right now.
Back to the Mazda – it roars to life with a diesel growl and isn’t built for speed with it’s 1.9-litre – 110km engine – but moves along smoothly with its 6-speed automatic transmission.
It’s a far cry from my childhood memory of bakkies, when a radio was an optional extra and part of the charm was how severely car sick it made you with fumes and the diesel shake – which isn’t yet a tik-tok dance.
The cabin with cloth seats offers family comfort and as a mother of two, this is definitely a strong point for long drives. Seven seems to be the magic number for the Mazda BT-50 – there are 7 safety airbags and it boasts a 7-inch display screen which adds that modern flair to the interior.
If you’re heading out to catch a glimpse of the flowers, try make your way to the Postberg section of the park which is a carefully protected flower reserve opened only for the spring season.
Pros in the Mazda BT 50
- The soft interior touches that add a touch of ‘this is not just for a man’ bakkie.
- The comfort of the seats and the smooth drive
- And without a doubt the reverse camera which should come standard with every 2×4 or 4×4.
Cons include the sluggish engine and the lack of pazzaz on the exterior – there’s something about roll bars and sills that almost completes the look – without it being an optional extra.
Features:
MAZDA BT-50 1.9L ACTIVE 6MT & AT 4X2 1.9L Active features include:
- Max power (kW): 110
- Max torque (Nm): 350
- 6-Speed manual/automatic transmission
- 7 Airbags SRS: Driver, passenger, knee, side & curtain Auto cruise control
- Infotainment system
- 7-Inch display screen
- Apple CarPlay® (wireless) & Android Auto™
- USB connectivity ports – 2 ports
- 6-Speaker sound system
- Multi-function steering wheel: Audio, phone and voice controls Seat trim – cloth (Black & Dark Grey)
- LED headlamps and fog lamps
- Reverse camera
- Parking sensors – rear
- Hill Launch Assist (HLA)
- Hill Descent Control (HDC)
Price:
| 1.9 Active Manual 4×2 | R611 900 |
|---|---|
| 1.9 Active Automatic 4×2 | R647 900 |
| 3.0 Dynamic Automatic 4×2 | R759 400 |
| 3.0 Individual Automatic 4×4 | R794 400 |
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