News

Mar 21, 2024

Mazda BT

If you haven’t been there yourself, you may have seen images of the long white sandy beaches of K’gari (Fraser Island), which act as a highway for off-road adventure seekers. Given it was my first

If you haven’t been there yourself, you may have seen images of the long white sandy beaches of K’gari (Fraser Island), which act as a highway for off-road adventure seekers.

Given it was my first time on the island, I expected rock-hopping four-wheel driving, before discovering the whole thing is sand – it is the world's largest sand island, after all. That made things a bit more comfortable for an off-road novice like me.

Before we set off, the Mazda team reduced the PSI in the tyres from the factory setting of 33 down to 25, to ensure better grip. Mazda recommends lowering the PSI to 18-24 for first timers.

For better grip, the PSI was reduced from 33 down to 25.

Driving from the island's west coast through varying terrain to the more rugged east coast was a great way to test the BT-50, without challenging the ute or the driver too much.

It rained a good portion of the day but that helped compact the sand further, turning it into a firmer, more stable surface on which to drive.

The BT-50 4x4 has 240mm of ground clearance, a wading depth of 800mm and approach and departure angles of 27 and 24.2 degrees respectively, with a ramp breakover angle of 24.3 degrees. All 4x4 models have a locking rear differential.

The SP has an extra 6mm of ground clearance compared with a V6 Ranger Wildtrak.

That clearance helped with the rutted terrain of K’gari – the BT-50 traversed chunky tree roots and other obstacles with relative ease.

At one point we did a creek crossing that looked a little too deep for my liking, but the BT-50 powered through without fuss.

Of course, being K’gari, the main event is driving at (legal) speed on the western beach. Using the deep rutted wheel tracks of the many tricked-out 4x4s that had come before, the BT-50 in 4H allowed enough slip to have a genuinely good time without feeling like you were going to lose control.

The ride quality on the tough stuff also impressed – the BT-50 is a comfy ute on and off road.