Not as GRAND

Mazda has applied some updates to the BT-50 to keep its looks fresh in the pick-up market, but only with marginal success

RICHARD LEU

Bangkok Post
Friday March 14, 2008

A good way to beat the high cost of flying to regional destinations like Angkor Wat is to travel on wheels. But as many of you already know, navigating the bumpy road linking Thailand to Cambodia's renown World Heritage Site can be a nightmare.

This means that the vehicle best suited for the 150-km trip from the border town of Poipet to Siem Reap is the ever-popular pick-up, even though a large number of early generation Toyota Camrys continue to shuttle travellers between the two towns.

The last time Motoring drove to Southeast Asia's greatest tourist attraction was in 1999 in a caravan of Isuzu Rodeos; this time, the vehicle of invitation but not of choice was the facelifted BT-50 from Mazda.

Of course, any passenger car like those Cambodian-registered Camrys could do the job of getting you there. But do you seriously want to brave the unsealed tarmac in your favourite saloon?

However, road conditions are much better than a decade ago when I can still vividly recall it took us full nine hours to reach Angkor Wat after crossing the border from Aranyaprathet on the Thai side.

Today, the journey requires far less time - just three hours. And when the road is completely sealed next year - courtesy of Japanese funding - expect the distance to be covered in roughly the same time it takes a football match to finish without going into extra time.

The 25-strong caravan of BT-50s was lucky this time in that it didn't encounter a single drop of rain meaning that the drive was relatively easy.

Which is why most of the BTs chosen for the media were Hi-Racers - 4x2 in raised body form, plus 2.5-litre turbo-diesel and manual gearbox. The one we drove was a double-cab body.

Two immediate weak points sprung to mind before we rolled out after lunch in one of those casinos at the border: rear passengers won't be liking that cramped seating position and stiff ride.

The fact that the BT-50 double-cab has one of the most uncomfortable and tight rear seats and space can't be avoided. This is only a facelift, meaning that the package is the same as before with only minor tweaks to the appearance, like a more accentuated grille up front.

Mazda engineers, who also had the chance to relish Cambodia's only true historical attraction, acknowledged this shortcoming and said they had already taken this aspect into "serious consideration" for the next generation model rumoured to come out at the turn of the decade.

However, there has been a noticeable improvement in the ride quality. We expected to see jumping jacks in the rear-view mirror from the driver's seats when traversing broken road surfaces.

The more nimble ride is due, according to Mazda, to revised suspension bushings to additionally filter out vibration and harshness. That's the only change made to the suspension, apart from the new OEM tyres from Dunlop.

The best part of the entire trip was a 20-km stretch of asphalt road some 30km from Poipet. It has been layered and graded so well that even a completely new road in Thailand can't match it in terms of solidity and evenness. Unfortunately, this excellent bit of tarmac was a tad too short, else we'd have enjoyed the ride even more.

Despite the slightly more cosseting ride, the BT-50 still can't rid itself of having one of the least comfy ride of all pick-ups sold in the Thai market.

And that doesn't necessarily mean that the set-up has gained on best in-class handling. It's sporty alright, although the chassis still can't plant the tyres to the road that effectively when driving over loose surfaces that were abundant on this trip.

The best thing perhaps about the BT-50 remains the engine and gearbox combination. Despite the arrival of some new models from rival brands, the 143hp 2.5 four-pot diesel impressively combines a good mix of performance, refinement and economy.

The rich amount of torque, rated at 330Nm, makes the BT-50 truly effortless on the move and when overtaking slower vehicles inching along the completely straight road to Seam Reap.

The five-speed manual gearbox, as well, has a short-throw action making it slick when comparing with those in other pick-ups.

Covering nearly 500km on the Cambodian side soaking up Cambodia's historical sites required 40 litres of diesel (Mazda says it can used B5 biodiesel).

That translates into 12.5kpl which is not fancy by diesel standards, but reasonably attractive for a double-cab pick-up that doesn't compromise on performance.

And this is just the 2.5. The 156hp/380Nm 3.0-litre would be even better, particularly for users who do lots of upcountry and recreational driving.

Which is all the great pity then. The BT-50's drivetrain desperately needs a new home to give itself more polished road manners and better cabin space.

That said, the BT-50 is at its best in Freestyle Cab form - and also better in this form over many competitors without such practical rear access panels.

Along with its Ford Ranger sibling, the BT-50 is the only pick-up to offer side airbags in the range-topping Freestyle and double-cab models priced between B657,900-884,900.

Apart from the exterior tweaks, the only improvement that could be said is the comfier ride which this road trip to Cambodia proved without a shadow of doubt.

But the BT-50 still isn't the grandest of all pick-ups, unlike Angkor Wat which is the best in this part of the world.