Seldom do we see a pickup truck that looks demurely sophisticated instead of the usual rugged off-roader, that sets the 2022 Mazda BT-50 apart and uniquely appealing on the road. The BT-50 goes for a sophisticated and premium appearance fit for city driving and formal events, yet is indeed an off-road-ready vehicle. It has been around internationally since 2006, and it has been known as a top choice for an executive pickup truck.

When it was introduced by Mazda Philippines in 2012, it was patronized by Filipinos who are looking for an elegant and high-functioning car. It has been widely used by business owners and executive officials around the Metro for quite some time. Now that the Mazda BT-50 has evolved into a more elegant yet aggressive-looking pickup truck, its popularity mostly is because of its attributes rather than a word of mouth from acquaintances.

Variants

The 2022 Mazda BT-50 comes in three variant choices, but all are diesel-powered. The Mazda BT-50 3.0 4x2 Manual Transmission variant is priced at Php1,390,000, followed by the Mazda BT-50 3.0 4x2 Automatic Transmission which is available at Php1,430,000, and the Mazda BT-50 3.0 4x4 Automatic Transmission top-of-the-line variant at Php1,790,000.

The BT-50 is available in six colors in the country, including Cool White, Jet Black, Aluminum Metallic, Deep Crystal Blue, Titanium Flash, and True Red.

Powertrain

It comes with an impressive 3.0-liter turbo diesel-powered engine that produces 187 horsepower and 450-Newton meters of torque maximum output mated to either a 6-speed automatic transmission or a 6-speed-manual transmission configuration in a rear-wheel or four-wheel drivetrain layout.

Exterior

Mazda BT-5- sets itself from other pickup trucks in the competition because of its distinct aesthetic language. The front fascia features a gorgeously-designed air vent grille that looks lifted by chrome accents surrounding and chrome slats designed on top holding the Mazda badge. The chrome surrounding the grille goes through both sides of the face holding two sharp LED headlamps. It also comes with LED fog lamps with halogen marker lights that add an intimidating character complementing the commanding presence of the hood.

On the side, the BT-50 has a clean-looking profile. Aside from the black roof rails, chrome accents are on the side mirrors, step boards, and door handles. The wheels are 18-inch two-tone alloy rims paired with 260 60 series tires.

The back of the BT-50 still goes for a minimalist and clean-looking rear. Its large rear lights look striking and dominating, which suits the overall rear profile of the BT-50 along with some chrome details. When the tailgate is open, the whole bed comes with a bed liner which will help get the cargo load in and out of the truck. The entire bed measures 1,495 millimeters long, 1,524 millimeters wide, and 490 millimeters tall, which equates to 1,120 liters of cargo space and a ton of payload capacity.

Interior

The interior of the Mazda BT-50 is as sophisticated as the exterior. The dashboard comes in a flat surface wrapped in soft leather and plastic materials for the top-of-the-line variant and urethane for the lower variants, which looks gorgeously premium. At the center of the dashboard, a nine-inch infotainment touchscreen with physical buttons can be found, which supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. Below the infotainment screen is a dual-zone automatic climate control panel for the top-of-the-line variant. The steering wheel is wrapped in soft leather material for the top-of-the-line variant, while the lower variants come in urethane material.

The driver's seat comes with a six-way power adjustment, while a manually adjustable seat is for the passenger. It also comes with armrests and cup holders in the front and second row. All seats are comfortable because of the bolstering, especially for the front passengers, and seats are covered in soft leather material for the top-of-the-line variants, while fabric trims for the lower variants.

To add functionality, Mazda added a parcel hook behind the driver's seat and the rear seats also serve as a hidden storage cover. The BT-50 is also well-ventilated because of its several air-con vents around the cabin, located on the roof and below. Charging ports are also located up front for the driver and the front passenger, and at the back for the rear passengers.

Safety and Security

The 2022 Mazda BT-50 gets a generous set of safety and security features packages. These include rear-cross traffic alert, forward collision warning, engine immobilizer, lane departure warning, hill start assist, hill descent assist, anti-lock braking system, automatic high beam, smart city braking, seven SRS airbags, autonomous emergency braking, traction control, blind-spot monitoring, engine check warning, front impact beams, side-impact beams, seat belts, seat belt warning, door ajar warning, child safety locks, day and night rearview mirror, vehicle stability control system, parking sensors, crash sensor, rear camera, EBD, power door locks, and anti-theft device and alarm to provide utmost safety and security assistance to the driver and the passengers.

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