At home in town or country

Double cab 4x4 pick-ups are vehicles with a dual personality. For markets like Ireland, the emphasis is on heavy business use, but right across Europe buyers of these vehicles are people who use them to combine their working needs with sporting lifestyle demands. Mazda"s recent success in the Irish market has given the brand the confidence to widen the offering with the new BT-50 pick-up. Mazda has improved its car market share by 8.5 per cent in the January to September period this year over the same period last year in a declining market. And the company has ambitions for success in the pick-up market next year with the face-lifted BT-50 model. In many respects the BT-50 is a mirror image of the Ford Ranger, which has been on the market for almost a year now. There are some styling differences, but it"s built in the same factory in Thailand and uses the same vehicle structure. So what does it have to offer? Mazda uses a 2.5 litre turbo-diesel engine in the face-lifted BT-50. The engine power remains unchanged at 143bhp in the new model, as does its performance ability. The engine torque numbers are also unchanged at 330Nm and, combined, they allow the new BT-50 to retain its towing ability of three tonnes with a braked trailer. Looking at the engine performance criteria, there is no surprise that the BT-50 and the Ford Ranger are neck and neck in many regards. The only differences are minor styling and pricing issues to separate them. The BT-50 delivers reasonable acceleration at 12.8 seconds in a 0 to 100km/h dash - that"s only slightly slower than the Nissan Navara. While the Mazda team at the recent launch emphasised that there are some significant production differences, citing a different steering and suspension system, it"s not easy to spot them. Mazda claims a more sporty drive from the BT-50 over the Ranger, but on both off-road and tarmac there was no obvious differences noticeable. And for safety reasons, there is little reason to attempt 'sporty" driving in a vehicle such as a pick-up. The 4x4 pick-up market has been good in Ireland in recent times. 2007 saw over 3,500 units registered, with Nissan well in the lead with the Navara model. Toyota took second place with the Hilux, to be followed by Mitsubishi with the L200 and Ford"s Ranger further down the line. So where is the space for the Mazda BT-50 in a market that has dropped by 39 per cent in one year? Many Irish double cab pick-up owners have come from the construction and farming sectors. For farmers, there is some reasonable news in terms of profits, despite a poor summer. For builders, and indeed their bankers, it seems that life will never be the same again. And that puts further pressure on the Irish pick-up market. For the future, 4x4 pick-up buyers will be opting for vehicles that have minimum running costs and good resale values. Higher speed performance may no longer be in demand. These are the criteria that the Mazda BT-50 will have to address. Mazda will have to deliver value while the company will need to ensure reliability and running costs are right. For existing commercial 4x4 drivers, the double cab option pick-up now makes even more sense. Double cabs give five-person capacity along with load space. Contrast that with an SUV commercial conversion and you"re left with two seats. So in these practical and straitened times, the double cab cost and flexibility should be the obvious business choice. When VAT has been deducted and running costs put in place, then the double cab"s value can"t be beaten. The BT-50 will score well against the competition in terms of rated towing ability, ahead of the Nissan Navara and Toyota Hilux. The BT-50 has a three tonnes braked trailer rating compared with 2,305kg for the Navara. For those with load-carrying needs, the load bed area is also the longest in the double cab sector, sharing that distinction with the Ranger. But it remains unlockable, a problem when covers are fitted. Double cab 4x4s may yet become lifestyle vehicles, converting Irish drivers from the off-road working image. Mazda has some styling features to dress up the BT-50 and enhance its lifestyle image with new alloy wheels, a new MP3 jack and colour options. We will have to wait until the end of the year to get the new BT-50"s pricing but Mazda aims to keep it competitive.