BT-50’s big Northland adventure

Mazda’s new ute takes a big drive to the beach. Actually, lots of beaches.

The BT-50 looks over the entrance to Hokianga Harbour.

 Mazda BT-50 Limited

Price: $60,990

Powertrain and economy: 3.0-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder, 140kW/450Nm, 6-speed automatic, 4WD, combined economy 8.1L/100km (as tested), CO2 208g/km.

Vital statistics: 5280mm long, 1870mm wide, 1790mm high, 3125mm wheelbase, 18-inch alloy wheels.

We like: Much improved ute design; driving manners almost SUV-like; impressive fuel economy; appealing price.

We don’t like: Some safety technologies are a bit intrusive; some electronic interfaces difficult to operate.

HERE’S a question that is almost impossible to answer: Which Northland beach is the most attractive?

Is it Mangawhai Heads, Langs Beach, or Waipu Cove? Sandy Bay or Ocean Beach near Whangarei? Is it one of those lovely beaches along what is dubbed the ‘Million Dollar View Road’?

Or maybe Coopers Beach or Taipa facing Doubtless Bay? Tokerau Beach or circular Maitai Bay on the Karikari Peninsula? Spirits Bay with its stunning sand right at the top? Ahipara Beach down the other side? Or maybe all the little coves along historic Hokianga Harbour?

It’s an extremely difficult choice. There are dozens of beaches and 10 major harbours along the region with the longest coastline – it stretches a massive 3200km – and at times it seems that each one is even more lovely than the one before.

I know all of this from having just toured quite a number of them in Mazda’s latest BT-50 ute.

Hokianga history. Hidden between a primary school and a bowling club at Kohukohu is a part-buried stone arch, the remnant of New Zealand’s oldest bridge, built in the 1840s using Sydney sandstone that was ship's ballast.and seen in this photo (below) taken in the 1860s.

Our Northland circuit was aboard the top BT-50, a 4x4 Limited, which at $60,990 achieves price advantage over almost all the competition, including the Isuzu D-Max equivalent, the X-Terrain. How’s that for re-setting retail thinking?

Mention also has to be made of the BT-50’s warranty. The ute’s new vehicle factory warranty covers five years or 150,000km, and Mazda NZ also offers a $250 fixed-cost servicing programme as well as on-call roadside assist, also for five years. That’s appealing. 

Our plan for the beach-hopping journey through our northern-most region was to keep off State Highway 1 as much as possible, instead tracking up the east coast all the way to Cape Reinga, and then back down the west coast to Northland’s southern border halfway down the Kaipara Harbour – and visit as many beaches as we could along the way.

That’s a lot of beaches …. and a lot of winding secondary road to get to them. But this was the very environment that underlined the improvements achieved with the new BT-50. At the Limited level it is very much a road-oriented ute, with its 18-inch Bridgestone Dueller 265/60 tyres combining with new electric power steering to offer nice driving balance.

Of course the fact the ute continues with the live rear axle with leaf springs setup that is common on one-tonne utes, meant things often became quite juddery when negotiating some badly corrugated unsealed beach access roads. But the BT-50 handling it all, and the ability to move into 4WD High at speeds of up to 100kmh gave additional handling security.

A carving of enigmatic Kupe guards the entrance to the new cultural centre at Opononi.

And engine grunt? The 3.0-litre four cylinder turbo diesel aboard the ute is all Isuzu, a manufacturer that prides itself for making solid truck engines. For this iteration the engine, which was aboard the previous D-Max, has undergone various internal improvements that have added 10kW of power and 20Nm of torque.

The engine now offers 140kW of power and 450Nm of torque, with that torque available from 1600rpm to 2600rpm, which is right in the revolutions zone that the BT-50 operated virtually all the time. So it worked well, with hardly any stresses on the six-speed automatic transmission. As a result, we completed our Northland journey with an average fuel consumption figure of 8.1 L/100km, which was almost right on the button of the claimed 8.0 L/100km for 4x4 models.

A feature of this new ute is that it carries more than 20 passive and active safety technologies as part of what is called Advanced Driver Assist System. It’s very comprehensive, and ranges from automatic emergency braking to cruise control with stop/go, traffic sign recognition and blind spot monitoring, hill descent control to trailer sway control.

Overlooking a sea of avocados in northern Northland.

Some of it is a bit intrusive. For example the traffic sign recognition system audibly lets you know every time you have moved in or out of every speed zone and also complains whenever you are just a few kays above the speed limit. Same with the lane departure warning system, which also tugs on the steering wheel whenever it judges the ute is starting to wander.

If can become a little tiresome. Still, from the safety perspective it is far better to have such features aboard than not. And they have all contributed to the BT-50 being recognised as among the safest utes on the New Zealand roads, carrying a five-star ANCAP crash safety rating.

As we tracked north and visited to some lovely beaches and historic harbours, we eventually got past Mangonui and its famous fish ‘n chip shop (which has just been renamed Mangonui Fush Shop, for heaven’s sake), and stopped for the night at Taipa.

Maitai Bay at the top of the Karikari Peninsula

Now here was a magnificent beach. White sand, gentle surf, views out across Doubtless Bay, and a new bridge across the river of a design reflective of a sea-going double hulled waka, all to acknowledge that Taipa was one of the first – if not the first – landing places by Kupe, the great Polynesian explorer and navigator who discovered and named Aotearoa more than 63 generations ago.

There’s also a monument alongside the bridge’s western abutment that is a combination of a Pou Whenua marking Kupe’s landing, and a memorial that commemorates locals who died during the two world wars.

Beauty, tranquility, history … it was all there at Taipa. We agreed these factors could combine to make it Northland’s most attractive beach.

But then a couple of days later we arrived in the historic Hokianga Harbour, and our thoughts began to unravel. Because there at the little settlement of Opononi was a brand-new visitor attraction called Manea: Footprints of Kupe, an impressive multi-sensory journey of guided storytelling that tells the tale of the voyage and life of our country’s original coloniser – who, claim local iwi, landed first at Hokianga and based himself there for 40 years before journeying back to Hawaiki.

Pohutukawas are a feature of Northland's beaches. They provide great shelter.

It’s interesting to note that there was some local opposition to the creation of Footprints of Kupe because of fears it would ruin the relaxed vibe that is such a feature of the Hokianga. But the facility, opened late last year, is brilliant. And even better news is that Te Hua o Te Kawariki, the charitable trust that operates the facility, represents the harbour’s four marae, and all profits are returned to these marae for community projects.

As we used our BT-50 to wander around the Hokianga and visit its series of villages such as Kohukohu, Rawene and Horeke, it became increasingly obvious that the harbour is a massive cradle of history – Maori and European – and that the Footprints of Kupe simply adds to that.

So we decided that even though Hokianga isn’t a beach per se, it is part of the regional coastline and its combination of beauty, community and history makes it Northland’s most attractive beach.

And as for the new Mazda BT-50? Well, I’d say its combination of design, performance, comfort and safety specification puts it right up there as one of New Zealand’s best utes and clearly my view is widely shared.

Whereas last year a total of 1812 BT-50s were sold, in the opening two months of this year 466 have been registered. If that rate continue, this line could end the year with close to 3000 sales.

Characterful speed signage outside The Marlin hotel at Whangaroa.

Mazda3 SkyActiv X: Lighter shade of hybrid

Combining beneficial petrol and diesel engine design elements and adding a degree of hybridisation lift this Mazda3 hatch.

Price: $51,995
Powertrain and economy: 2.0-litre four cylinder SkyActiv-X mild-hybrid petrol engine, 132kW/224Nm. Six-speed automatic transmission with Sport mode. Front-wheel drive. Combined fuel consumption 5.5 L/100km, CO2 127 grams/km.
Vital statistics: Length 4460mm, height 1435mm, width 1795mm, wheelbase 2725mm. Luggage space 295 litres. Wheels 18-inch black alloys, 215/45 R18 tyres.
We like:  Revolutionary new engine combines spark and compression ignition; mild hybrid helps things along; beautiful interior, excellent levels of specification.
We don’t like:  Those A-pillars; it’s early days yet, but CO2 emissions will still be too high.

THERE’S surely little doubt the Government will accept what is recommended in the Climate Change Commission’s interim report on how New Zealand can reduce its net carbon emissions to nil by 2050.

Realising this goal means that, amongst other things, it will adopt the recommendation to ban the importation of all fossil-fuelled light vehicles after 2032.

It’s a hard call, but the cold fact is that in order to achieve its emission reduction goals, our country has to do it.

Latest figures are for 2019. These show transport being responsible for 36.3 percent of all our emissions of long-lived gases, and that petrol and diesel-fuelled cars, SUVs and trucks were responsible for 91 percent of that.

Such emissions for that year were calculated to be 16.6 metric tonnes of CO2 equivalent (mt CO2-e).

 The Climate Change Commission’s big report says this must be reduced to 8.8 mt CO2-e by 2035 if New Zealand is to meet its 2050 target.

The only way for New Zealand to do it, says the report, is to go big on electric vehicles. It suggests the EV share of our country’s light vehicle fleet must reach 18 percent by 2025, 40 percent by 2027, 60 percent by 2028, 80 percent by 2030, and reaching the 100 percent by 2032.

That’s a big call, considering that last year less than two percent of all new vehicle registrations were EVs. In fact sales in 2020 of vehicles with any form of electrification accounted for just 9.2 percent of registrations, hybrids making up almost 80 percent of that.

Things didn’t change in the opening month of this year, either. January figures showed that registrations of 244 EVs represented just 1.7 percent of all new vehicle sales. So there’s a very long way to go, and it is obvious – as has been pointed out in the Climate Change Commission’s report – that it is going to require support and incentives from the Government.

Feebate scheme, anyone?

And here’s an interesting thing: while the report looks at everything through green-tinted glasses and is extremely EV-centric, it does offer a small dose of pragmatism. It suggests that while the national EV supply grows over the next few years, there will need to be a focus on importing more efficient internal combustion-engined vehicles, particularly hybrids.

That’s because the report’s suggested path forward assumes the average efficiency of ICE vehicles will improve by around 1 percent per year, to reach a 15 percent improvement by 2035.

Is that a big ask for the motor industry here? Not really. Greenhouse gas emissions from light vehicle exhausts have been falling in recent years anyway, with CO2 emissions down 21 percent between 2006 and 2019 (the 2020 figures are not yet available). So it’s a sitter that the emissions will continue to fall over the next few years as the manufacturers continue to continually improve their internal combustion-engined product.

An outstanding example is Mazda, which is committed to reducing CO2 emissions to 50 percent of 2010 levels by 2030 and to 90 percent by 2050. A major weapon in this strategy is the brand’s SkyActiv engine technology, which since 2012 has continually improved the efficiency of Mazda petrol and diesel engines.

So far we’ve had SkyActiv-G (petrol) and SkyActiv-D (diesel) engines, and now we’ve received first examples of SkyActiv-X, which is quite revolutionary because it combines the higher-revving performance of a petrol engine with the torque and fuel efficiency of a diesel.

The engine is hybridised, too. It features a mild hybrid system that uses a belt-driven integrated starter generator and a 20V lithium-ion battery to recycle energy recovered during deceleration and braking and use it to assist the engine.

First examples of SkyActiv-X are aboard highly-specified Takami versions of the Mazda3 hatch and its SUV sibling the CX-30.

They’re pricey at $51,995 and $54,990 which is $3200 and $4000 more expensive than the Limited versions of each model, but for the money they are chock-full of efficiency, safety and comfort technology.

So how does SkyActiv-X work? Spark Controlled Compression Ignition (SPCCI) is a new technology that compresses the fuel-air mix at a high ratio, with a very lean mix. The engine uses a spark to ignite only a small and dense amount of the mix in the cylinder, which raises both temperature and pressure so that a remaining fuel-air mix ignites under pressure like a diesel, burning faster and more completely than in conventional engines.

The result is up to 30 percent more torque than the current SkyActiv-G petrol engine, better fuel efficiency than the current SkyActiv-D, and a power increase of 10 percent.

In the case of the Mazda3 we’ve been driving, this translates to an official average consumption figure of 5.5 L/100km and CO2 emissions of 135g/km. Unusually this figure is accurate too, because it is exactly what I achieved over a lengthy journey of several hundred kilometres.

By way of comparison, the 2.0-litre SkyActiv-G Mazda3 GSX is rated at 6.2 L/1`00km, while the 2.5-litre GTX and Limited models are rated at 6.6 L/100km. It must be said however that the SkyActiv-X model runs on 95 octane petrol while the others drink 91.

To my eyes this hatchback’s performance is more akin to the 2.5-litre model than the other 2.0-litre version, and this is underlined by the power and torque figures. The SkyActiv-X model offers 132kW of power which isn’t much short of the 139kW developed by the 2.5, and while maximum torque of 224Nm is less than the 2.5-litre model’s 252Nm, it gets there at 3000rpm which is  1000rpm further down the revs range.

As a result the hatch offers a nice spread of torque at open road speeds. This is particularly the case when the Sport mode is engaged, which enhances the vehicle’s accelerator response. But when in Normal mode and cruising at normal highway cruise speeds, the SkyActiv-X model is almost diesel-like in the relaxed way it lopes along.

The M Hybrid system is interesting.

Mazda has replaced the alternator and starter motor with the integrated starter generator (ISG), which captures energy that would normally be wasted during braking. This electrified energy is stored in a lithium-ion battery and then used to power electrical systems and assist the engine under acceleration by offering an additional 5 to 6 kilowatts. The result is improved efficiency and a smoother driving experience.

The ISG also has an involvement in the hatchback’s i-Stop system, which is unusual because it is able to shut the engine down before the vehicle comes to a complete halt – in fact, the i-Stop kicks into action as soon as the vehicle’s speed gets below 20 kmh. It’s all in the interests of keeping the engine stopped longer so less fuel can be used.

Then when the Mazda3 is about to move off again, the ISG operates as a starter motor to provide a quick and very quiet restart.

Dislikes? None really. Just like the other Mazda3 models, this version continues to have very thick A-pillars that can hamper views when turning, but you get used to it. And while the jury remains out for some regarding the ‘car as art’ exterior look of the vehicle with its large rump, there’s no arguing at all about the interior – its uncluttered  design is beautiful.

At the Takami level the vehicle features a 360-degree view monitor for ease of parking and for negotiating into tight spots, and there’s also a reversing camera with dynamic guide lines that bend when you turn the steering wheel.

From the comfort perspective there is black leather seat trim – burgundy is an option – and a black cabin theme, a frameless automatic interior mirror, and even a steering wheel heater. Outside, the visual clues that this is the takami model are 18-inch black alloy wheels, larger exhaust pipes, and SkyActiv-X badging on the rear.

But overall, the visual treatment is all quite low-key – which is no doubt just how Mazda wants it, preferring instead to let the vehicle go about its work in an unobtrusive sort of way as it works to play its part in the Japanese brand achieving its environmental targets.

But will the Mazda3 SkyActiv-X M-hybrid meet the Climate Change Commission’s very tough targets?

Mazda Motor Corporation believes that most new cars will still have an internal combustion engine for many years to come, and it is using worldwide new passenger vehicle sales to underline that belief.

The corporation points out that international research forecasts that even by 2030, battery and fuel-cell EVs will account for just 10 percent of the 130 million vehicles that are expected to be built. All the rest will be ICE models – but of those, better than half will be electrified in some way.

So with that as background, it’s obvious we will have hybrids of various forms – including SkyActiv-X and its successors – for some years yet. Ironically they will need to improve too, if they are going to meet the Climate Change Commission’s green ambitions for New Zealand motoring.

Isuzu D-Max/ Mazda BT-50: New world order

In flagship format, the latest additions to ute-dom raise the standard without forgoing their roots.

 D-Max X-Terrain/ BT-50 Limited

Prices: Isuzu $75,490/ Mazda $60,990.

Powertrain and economy: 3.0-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder, 140kW/450Nm, 6-speed automatic, 4WD, combined economy 8.0L/100km, CO2 208g/km.

Vital statistics: 5265mm (D-Max)/5280mm (BT-50) long, 1870mm wide, 1790mm high, 3125mm wheelbase, 18-inch alloy wheels.

We like: Isuzu - class-leading safety tech, big step up in comfort and driving feel; Mazda – looks good, quality interior.

We don't like: Isuzu - price inequality with Mazda equivalent; Mazda – loses dash-top cubby, poor cupholder design. Both - engine could be gruntier, challenging electronic interfaces.

(Mazda BT-50 off-road images Callum Crawley).

 HOW much ‘ute-ness’ is retained?

It’s a question that anyone interesting in migrating to the Isuzu D-Max and Mazda BT-50 might imagine has become relevant. In flagship format, both represent as massive steps forward, not just for their respective brands, but also for their genre. The hefty technology loadings, the easier driving, the plushness of the cabins … it’s surely steering these models toward comparison with classy SUVs or even top-drawer cars, right?

Which is a nice dream, but reality is that as much as the BT-50 Limited and D-Max X-Terrain deliver car-like levels of comfort and safety, they’re still utes at heart. Which is great. Smartly dressed and appointed utes are to be celebrated, but there’s no point raising the standard and losing the core appeal.

The D-Max and BT-50 get the work-play, rough-and-schmooze ratio pretty much just right. They’re the smartest guys in a crowded room when it comes to occupant protection, with mutual adoption of new safety technologies that are often reserved for luxury brands, content, comforts and quality. And yet, when asked to do an honest day’s work? Well, they won’t shirk that call, either, being fundamentally excellent toilers, which tick a great many boxes: Tough built with a decent engine, solid driveline and heavy tow capacity. Nice. 

In terms of pure primal talent, picking which is the best is basically a coin toss. Unfortunately for Isuzu, if a decision is to be based purely on dollars being spent, then it’s a Mazda home run, so great is  the latter’s price advantage.  

The consolation for Isuzu-ites who aim to remain brand-loyal at any price is that they cannot feel short-changed by the improvements in design and development they’re getting. 

It is fair to say that there has never previously been a D-Max that is as polished or well-presented as the X-Terrain is now. Those who have known the old will surely be stunned by what they achieve in transition.

The BT-50 also has a fresh start feel. As it should, being the first Mazda pick-up or light commercial utility vehicle not to be built alongside a Ford equivalent for almost 60 years. Ending one marriage ang going to another still brings badge-engineering consequence, but at least now Mazda is able to offer a specification and smarts that Ford cold-heartedness denied the old BT-50.

Sizing up a BT-50 against D-Max reminds Mazda is Isuzu’s customer. Their truck is made on Isuzu’s production line, in a common factory in Thailand. Hiroshima’s side has been allowed to restyle, but no more. The technology, the chassis, the drivetrain … all are entirely Isuzu. Everything about the mechanical and dynamic set-up has been Isuzu’s remit. No Mazda ‘zoom zoom’ evidences.  

That the test examples didn’t drive identically was solely due to tyre difference. Both ran factory 18-inch rims but Isuzu’s were shod with an aftermarket Maxxis 980 Bravo A/T that, while a superior off-road choice than the Bridgestone Dueller 265/60 type that’s standard, trade off with significantly enhanced road roar and a less resolved on-seal feel. 

The walkaround is intriguing. Which looks better? Potentially, the Isuzu as a whole is more to convention and there’s an aggressiveness to its clipped form that is highly agreeable; it also has a more recognisable ute silhouette.

The Mazda is more modern in appearance, however, which bodes well for it standing the test of time. Dimensions between both lines are all but aped, yet expect to hear that the BT-50 is bigger. A side-effect of the talk of it having taken inspiration from the stance of a sumo wrestler?

Mazda knows too well how challenging it can be to carry car design cues into utes; the previous model was badly botched. This time, happily, the passenger trademarks of a broad shapely grille and squinty LED headlights – just as powerful and decent as Isuzu’s, by the way - the wheel arch shapes genuinely suit.

What Mazda has done inside the cabin to differentiate is above and beyond; they probably didn’t have to change their dials to usual in-house style, and altering the air vents immediately on either side of the centre screen – the latter having forced a change of glovebox design – and revising the dash top shape seems an expensive execution in pursuit of ‘Mazda-ness’. But its this and the silver metallic-look trim that run from the doors across the dashboard that lend impression of the BT-50 being more executive-minded.  

Also appreciated is Mazda’s extra thoughtfulness in delivering additional finishing touches, absent from X-Terrain; sun visors incorporating mirrors and illumination, an auto-dipping rear vision mirror and heated front seats are enhancements that’ll help sell it to those looking for an SUV ambience with traydeck convenience.  

If the Isuzu seems more utilitarian, it does have some good unique touches. The dashtop lidded cubby is a great asset ignored by Mazda. The Mazda has cupholders between the seats that are more like bottle holders; you will lose a smaller coffee cup down there and it'll be messy to retrieve it. Not a problem with Isuzu’s clever pop-out cup holders, sited near the outer air-vents.

Beyond that, it’s all common territory. Same broad, soft but comfy seats, steering wheel and major controls and so on. Both dress their seats in leather – black with Isuzu, a more controversial brown with Mazda – and there's good adjustment for the driver to achieve a decent driving position: Rake and reach adjustment for the steering, height adjust for the driver's seat, and lumbar adjustment too.

The driver's electric seat adjustment is eight-way, but there are no memory settings. The passenger seat lacks any electric adjustment, which might irk more in the X-Terrain, given it being in a semi-premium price band. The back seats in each are comfy, though – as is common for utes – you have to put up with a near-vertical seat back, with excellent leg and head room. There is enough room for three adults to fit across, and two ISOFIX and two top-tether loops allow two child seats in the back.

The models’ electric assists and infotainment features are a tour de force, no argument, and all that imprint is also Isuzu-led. The safety and assist systems’ integration is solid; the functions that warn of the potential of an imminent collision, keep the vehicle within its lane, alert to a change in speed zone are perhaps a touch nanny-ish at times – and you’ll perhaps tire of it sounding warning chimes – yet you shouldn’t diss this stuff. It might save your skin.

Likewise, the utes’ off-road aides are nicely inprinted; it’s easy to scroll from rear-wheel-drive into the all-wheel-drive modes and, especially when the rear diff lock is engaged (for no obvious reason, a tricky business in the BT-50), it’s impressively confident through a gnarly landscape.

It's the integration and implementation of the on-cabin information and infotainment systems where the wheels fall off. Isuzu has taken on a mammoth task in corralling a wide span of data flows and driver involvements for scrutiny (just look at how much of the Bible-sized handbook is given over to its operability). But they’ve tried too hard and come up short. Mazda must be wishing it could have delivered its version with the same MZD format that goes into its cars.

All sorts of things don’t quite come off. The Android Auto and Apple CarPlay options are respectively via USB and wireless and USB-connect; clever, yes, but it would have been smarter still with an inductive charging pad. When a phone is wirelessly relaying, it’s chomping through the power. Tethering fixes this, but surely makes the Bluetooth link unnecessary.

 The graphics of both screens are surprisingly basic and the fiddliness in operability, especially of the one in front of the driver which contains core driving data, becomes a test of patience, not least when deep-diving into the sub-menus. It’s also unfortunate the large screen seems prone to glitch. Both examples were hit by occasional screen freeze, phone system deactivation and slow prompt responses. Does that suggest a firmware issue? 

Still, the depth of the safety kit is brilliant. Buy into either range and regardless of the variant you get eight airbags, autonomous emergency braking, stop/go adaptive cruise, blind spot detection, lane departure warning/assist, forward collision avoidance, drive attention warning, automatic high-beam lights, rain-sensing wipers and a reversing camera. Perhaps one of the most interesting inclusions is the front-centre airbag - to protect those in the front seats in the event of a side impact. That is required for a five-star ANCAP rating under 2020 criteria, D-Max and BT-50 are the only utes to have it. 

Turning back to a ute basic, the deck design is identical in each model and while there’s not enough space between the wheel-arches for a pallet (1165mm by 1165mm), it’s a deep compartment with good tie-down options but only one finishes the job by providing a deck liner for no extra cost. Go to the X-Terrain and you that get as standard as part of a dress up kit that also provides roof rails, fender flares, a rollout tonneau cover and an aero sports bar Mazda buyers will have to pluck from the accessories catalogue. Which is where the BT-50’s hinged deck hardtop came from. How much? Dunno.

Both models come with the highest possible towing capacity, and rate at 750kg for an unbraked trailer and up to 3500kg for a braked trailer, with a tow ball down load of 350kg. We were eager to try them with something on the hook … but neither came with tow bars.

For the most part, both were mainly driven without any load, which seems a shame but is probably a reality for many top-end utes; the kind of deck cover Mazda has really enforces them being used that way.

So cars they became. And yet, cars they not. As much as the term ‘car-like’ carries serious conviction in how they outfit, there’s less sophistication in respect to how they drive, but first focus will be on the new 4JJ3-TCX powertrain.

An all-new engine with a bigger capacity than most other motors offered in this part of the market, the models’ 3.0-litre arguably delivers more bonuses for those coming from the Isuzu camp than for those out of the old BT-50 who enjoyed the Ford-provided 3.2-litre five-cylinder.

Either fan group might think this engine is a bit quieter than what they’ve each been previously used to, but only the Isuzu supporters will consider it gruntier. From a Mazda point of view, you’re going from a mill that was surprisingly alert for the type to one with less immediacy, particularly in respect to low to medium speed responsiveness. It’s a dramatic decrease, but one that is easily noticed nonetheless.

Once up into cruise, the power delivery is a lot more linear; it feels more settled if relaxed. A good aspect is that it doen’t consume a heap of diesel; a real world consumption figure of 9.0L/100km from a mix of urban, highway, country road and off-road driving for both seemed pretty good, really.

Yet it’s just not the zestiest choice in the category so owners are going to have to live with being jibed about the Ford Ranger Bi-turbo 2.0 litre and the revamped 2.8 litre Toyota HiLux having more muscle. It’s pointless getting into a fight over it; the others are going to win.

The revised six-speed automatic offers smart, quick and mostly smooth shifts, though it can be a little eager to shift a lot at higher speed. Opinion on test from all who experienced these is that the logic is trying to step between the higher gears to stay in its torque sweet spot. No doubt that’s partly to help save fuel, too. 

In regard to the general driving demeanour, the work-first ethos that so flavoured the previous D-Max continues to show in the suspension tune. The ride is decent, but you can still tell it's a ute and expect jitters from the three leaf-sprung rear end without a load on board. A mate who compared his previous-gen BT-50 to the new reckoned the latest is a touch less polished in quelling surface texture feel, but nonetheless gave it high marks. Like me, he was also impressed by the steering; going from a hydraulic system to an electric setup makes the action considerably more driver-friendly than it was before. Still lots of feel and feedback through the wheel, but it’s no longer such a muscle-builder. You notice this especially in urban use. The turning circle is still large at 12.5 metres and it still takes quite a few turns lock-to-lock, yet it’s less of a chore.

 The lane keep assist is right on top of its game; the camera that calls the shots picks up the most faded road markings, and tugs at the steering accordingly if you seem set to cross the line. Sometimes you’ll think it’s too much of a busy-body, but the intentions of this, the blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert systems, are good. The latter work really well and are handy both at open road speed and when pulling out of parking spots. 

Regardless that this product has some irksome issues, whichever badge you sit behind, you’re driving a winner. It’s a shame the Isuzu has been left out to dry by Mazda’s aggressive pricing, but that’s not say the BT-50 is assured all the spoils. For all the good stuff it delivers, it might yet cop criticism for not delivering a full-out Mazda identity. 

These makes have read the market well with these models: Plush automatic diesel doublecabs have been fantastic sellers for much of the past decade; it was only a matter of time before others decided they deserved to wrest some of the action off the Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux.

 Of course, no gold rush lasts forever and the terrain these models are tackling might be more precipitous that it seems. Government’s push for a CO2 cleanup won’t be beneficial to utes - this engine isn’t the smuttiest but falls behind by having DPF regen (which takes 10 minutes) rather than an AdBlue approach - and any review of the level of fringe benefit tax evasion that is rumoured to fuel so much ute take-up would also undoubtedly present an unwelcome climate change.

Still, while the going’s good, these are a very good go-to.

Mazda MX-5 100th Anniversary: Birthday treat takes the cake

The company that started out as a cork producer has just produced a corker version of their best car.

the start of a grand adventure.

Price: $51,095.
Powertrain and performance: 2.0-litre petrol four, 135kW/205Nm, 6-speed manual, RWD, Combined economy 6.8 litres per 100km.
Vital statistics: 3915mm long, 1235mm high, 2310mm wheelbase, luggage capacity 127 litres, 17-inch alloys.
We like: The whole vibe; looks smart.
We don't like: Not owning one.

PERHAPS you’re a founding member of the national cork appreciation society, but I’m guessing not. Just as I’m certain that organisation doesn’t even exist.

Even so, the car here today can be called a celebration of cork’s contribution to the world. And, indirectly, car-making; in that it’s this material that was the making of a car company.

And, in celebration of that having occurred 100 years on, it’s the reason why I’m driving the first example in New Zealand of car that holds a special place in enthusiasts’ hearts. 

It’s a little-known fact that Mazda is thought to be the world’s only vehicle maker that began life as a cork producer.

With cork trees abundant in the region around Hiroshima and the local shipbuilding industry in full swing, sourcing cork from these trees, initially for use in wooden ships, ultimately for many other purposes, was an obvious business to pursue. Toyo Cork Kogyo started up in 1920 and grew fast.

Business prior to World War II was good. Technologies in plastics and rubber had not been developed as far as they are today, so cork was an alternative material for all sorts of uses back then, from gaskets and walls. After 1945, however, production of rubber and plastics on an industrial scale meant cork gradually took a back seat as a large-scale industrial material. From thereon, cork was no longer so buoyant. 

no cork was used in the making of this car.

Fortunately, Mazda’s founder, Jujiro Matsuda, had a Plan B, that was already proving its worth well before the boom went bust.

He’d been with Toyo Cork Kogyo since 1927, joining after a successful career in engineering in Osaka, where - having started as an apprentice blacksmith - he progressed to forming his own metal casting company. He came on as a board member, rose to be president.

Although, his expertise was in machinery and engineering, Matsuda-san quickly proved his worth with innovations including the production of pressed cork boards, then subsequently insulation and cushioning materials. 

Some of these would prove useful in vehicles, which tied in nicely to his aspiration. As early as 1927 he’d determined to lead the company into machinery manufacturing, which ultimately led to the production of three-wheeled trucks, building the basis of the Mazda we know now.

To present day. This being Mazda’s 100th year in business gives obvious marketing opportunity. Conjure up a 100th Anniversary Special Edition trim, that’ll feature in – you guessed it – 100 cars coming to this country.

Speaking as a total MX-5 tragic – yes, best to admit now this whole story is tinged with that bias - I’m pleased to say a quarter of that count comprises examples of Mazda’s famous two-seater rear-drive sports model. 

I’m even happier to tell you, also, that the subject of this piece is the very first of those, which Mazda NZ plans to keep. 

A manual 2.0-litre roadster, it landed just days before the brand gathered media to try out its SkyActiv-X engine technology, and was mine to drive home from Karapiro, where that event concluded, and hold on to for a little while.

the celebration car was hanging out with its muse, the R360 (above) when at Mazda NZ but also met some more direct relatives at its temporary home.

I couldn’t believe my luck. I’d seen the car at Mazda NZ headquarters and knew it was tagging along as we tried out the SkyActiv-X Mazda3 and CX-30, but wasn’t really sure about the chances of being able to take it home. Right until the keys were handed over as the group departed the lunch spot; the majority heading back north, me alone heading south.

 This next bit will sound cheesy. However, it’s true. The day literally changed at that point … the incredibly heavy rain that had hammered our run all morning stopped. The sun came out.

 Okay, only for a couple of hours. Well before I got home it was hammering down and freezing again. But surely a good sign and at least the first bit of the drive was as every great MX-5 run should be: Under blue skies and with the roof down. There’s no better way.

There’s no better car (okay, bias again). Driving long distances in a small open car might sound wearying, and I won’t deny the MX-5 redefines the word ‘snug’ and that there are more refined and comfortable cars in the Mazda line-up. Yet it’s also so communicative and wonderfully involving you really don’t notice the kilometres flying by. Well, I didn’t. 

But, then, I’d contend the ND achieves this connect because it so successfully rekindles the essence the original NA (the car we own – actually two of ‘em), moreso than the NB and NC that came between them.

The latter aren’t poor efforts – because, frankly (and, yes, with prejudice), when it comes to MX-5s, you’re always talking levels of greatness rather than flaws - but they did slightly erode the core simple-is-best ethic.

This famous minimalism has returned with the ND and was certainly taken very seriously by the development team. Everything that could possibly be scaled down has been; the stubby gear lever and the teensy seat adjusters being good examples.

This is the first MX-5 in which it’s truly easy to not only neatly fold away the roof in a single arm movement, but also lift it. It feels very enclosed with the top buttoned down, of course, and that condition heightens aware of the paucity of space, including for storage. They’ve done a brilliant job though, invariably, despite best efforts, not all solutions are complete. 

A nice photo of the car with Mt Ruapehu in the background? Erm, not today.

The cup holders are a classic example. These are in the only possible location they could be, up high between the seats, but it’s no great spot all the same; you’ll soon learn to stop with hot drinks as it’s too awkward to reach the holders on the move without high risk of spillage.

Also, there isn’t much storage space for anything, really; only a small cubby in the centre console and a shallow tray in front of the gearlever that cannot be trusted to contain a cellphone when you’re pushing on. But this isn’t a gripe. More like a ‘same as it’s always been’ acceptance. You just get on and live with it.

Checking out, at a MX-5 owner event a few days on, the celebration car against regular-issue NDs confirmed the special is wholly a styling exercise, with no monkeying around with the mechanicals. So no power play or even a more musical exhaust.

Disappointed? As much as the short-lived Abarth 124 proved extra pep and parp certainly does this car no harm, I’m not unhappy with the ND’s power output.

The 2.0-litre has been meted more power and a broader torque span in its latest format, but it’s more set to squeal those Michelin Pilot tyres than smoke ‘em.

That’s fine. The car’s always been more about briskness than absolute kapow and one of the treats of this package is that it is so tightly dimensioned and well-sorted, chassis-wise, as to carry really good speed through curves with total confidence. Also, it’s so light. The ND goes back to the original NA prescription in weighing comfortably less than a tonne, remember. More bark would be cool, though. It’s a shame Mazda doesn’t seem to shop with Akrapovic.

Where it obvious gets loud is with the anniversary colour scheme. I’ve reservations about how well a body literally in white – sorry, Snowflake White Pearl Mica - and a red roof will work on more substantial, solid-roofed Mazdas, however the scheme really pops on the roadster, especially when the top’s dropped.

Sure, When Mazda cites a cabin ‘accented’ by burgundy styling features, they really mean ‘overwhelmed’, cos little isn’t in that hue. It sounds like a blood bath – or, indeed, a bath coated in blood. But in the light of day – and that’s the best time – it’s not too bad, because only the carpets are crimson. The beautifully-finished leather seats have an orangish tinge that’s less galling.

Badges? Of course there are badges, but they’re generally overt. A wee “100 Years 1920 – 2020” emblem on the front wheelarch replicates on the carpets and the wheel centre caps have logoes in red and black. The biggest signature is embossed on the headrests. The key fob is also embossed and comes in a special edition box, held by Mazda NZ. Likely as not it’s in managing director David Hodge’s office desk, given this is going to be his personal drive car for a while.

Anyway, the look has a throwback vibe to it that’s wholly valid; not a throwback to anything from the cork industry, of course, but the brand’s first passenger car, the R360 Coupe. This came along in 1960 – so, quite a bit younger than the brand -  but has arguably now become one of the coolest historic Mazdas ever made.

That nod to heritage works particularly well with the MX-5, because even though the original is very much a city runabout and not very sporty, they are at least both tiny, light two-seaters with a huge dollop of loveable character.

The R360 was never sold here, but incredibly there is one here in private ownership and, impressively, Mazda NZ had it at their premises, parked alongside the MX-5, on the day we were together. It’s a great looking bauble, but not one I’d elect to drive for any distance beyond a quick flit around the block. Truth be told, someone of my height and bulk probably wouldn’t fit into it.

When driving to Castlepoint, take moment to pay homage at Tinui, birthplace of Anzac Day.

Anyway, all in all there’s plenty about the MX-5 to signal it’s special … and honestly, when I took it on a big outing with a bunch of other MX-5ers a few days later, I thought it would be a drawcard that required no explanation. And yet … well, actually, it wasn’t and it did. 

Ironically, the only one who came to check the car out with absolute knowledge about what it represents was the owner of a 1989 NA. I really enjoyed chatting with Stan, an octogenarian teenager who loves cars and wants to keep his absolutely to factory condition and spec, because that’s the ethos he’s rigorously adhered to with the other vintage cars he’s owned. Sorry, vintage? Well, that’s the classification the original MX-5 can now quite validly hold with the national old car movement. He’s got the sticker on his windshield to prove it. 

Perhaps any immediate under-appreciation of the Anniversary car’s standing is understandable. Anyone who knows a bit about this evergreen gem will know the lineage of limited-count versions is pretty rich. It’s received so many special treatments over the years that I’m not sure if anyone, Mazda included, can accurately say how many limited editions there have been.

Still, that hasn’t seemed to stop them from selling and being treasured. Anniversary editions have proven to be highly coveted. Being a tragic I can tell you there have been four previously, all in bespoke colours.

They start with a 10th anniversary car based on a 1.8-litre Mk II, launched in 1999 and limited to 7500 units, finished in Innocent Blue Mica and sporting a six-speed gearbox. A 2009 20th, limited to 2000 units and its home market of Japan only, and, in 2014 a 25th, of which just 1000 units worldwide were built in Soul Red Premium. This is the only one to divert from roadster tradition, being instead based on the folding hard-top RC model. Last year came a 30th edition, with an orange paintjob.

Should the ‘100th’ be considered part of that exclusive pack? Conceivably, it doesn’t qualify, because it isn’t model specific, as the others are.

Yet even though the ‘100th pack’ can be configured on eight other current Mazda models, I don’t think the MX-5’s cred is damaged. It looks so especially charming it’s hard to see it being any less collectible or attractive to cognoscenti. On the other hand, I’m equally sure that status only works for the MX-5. Buying a ‘celebration’ CX-9 in hope of it maintaining or even appreciating in value would be a long shot.

It’s nebulous arguing the $1500 premium over the donor Limited MX-5 is worth it because, well, the orders have been and taken and fulfilled. I’d say it was, especially in manual format. That this one features in the promo shots for the campaign and is really well-loaded reinforces it’s the favourite child.

The Limited-spec car is already a cool thing, and the manual has a limited-slip differential. Plus the ND facelift has introduced Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, heated seats (a must-have for cold weather top-down driving) and a Bose audio system, automatic climate control, and 17- inch dark silver aluminium alloy wheels. The one little extra I really grew to like on the celebration car were the driver and passenger headrest speakers; the sound system needs to be cranked when the roof is down, but this little extra allows something I didn’t think was possible – coherent phone conversations on the move. There’s obviously a microphone cunningly installed as well. But, anyway, at 100kmh I found I could make and take calls with no issue at either end.

Embossed seats are artful … and very comfortable.

The initial drive home was a classic adventure. I had the roof down almost until Taupo, but then had to close the car. By then it was late afternoon, it was getting cold and there were dark clouds at the southern end of the lake. Sure enough, the weather absolutely closed in on the Desert Rd – hence why no classic shots of the car with Ruapehu and Ngauruhohe in the background. The dominant natural features were totally hidden.

The outing with other owners was the highlight. Sunday dawned bright and clear and it stayed that way; a perfect condition for a full day’s driving – again solo (Mrs B loves her own MX-5, and enjoys driving, but had other stuff to attend to this day)  - from my Manawatu home to Featherston, to then catch up with an enthusiast group on a planned drive out to Castlepoint and return.

It’s a fantastic and classic MX-5 route, quite potentially one of the very best in the lower North Island; packed with the twists and turns and short straights that really bring out the car’s classic character and reminding why weight, or rather the lack of it, is so central to the MX-5 being as good as it is to drive.

I’m not alone in thinking that. MX-5 enthusiast clubs operate throughout the country and are well-supported. I’m indebted to Sharon and Keith Ewing, convenors of the Kapiti register, for allowing me to join in with their monthly run, which with involvers from the Wairarapa and Manawatu chapters drew around three dozen cars onto a cracking route.

It was fantastic to see all generations and formats of the car ducking and diving out to Wairarapa coast and back; some enjoying the outing as a laidback drive, others using it as an occasion to blow out those Covid cobwebs at more energetic pace. For my part, the six-speed box, steering wheel, the tyres and brakes were worked hard enough that, by the end of it all, the car felt quite a bit friskier than it had on pick up.

Mind you, when they handed it over, there was barely 200kms on the clock. When it I handed it back, it was almost about to tip over into its first thousand. So, really, I’d been doing everyone a favour, with a brisk running-in process.

Assuredly, the pleasure was all mine.

Mazda CX-30: Equality through the ranks

Time for a second look at this new baby Mazda crossover, this time checking out the base model as well as the flagship.

The CX-30 GSX (above) is quite unfazed being compared to the richer-trimmed Limited flagship (below).

Prices:  $41,490 GSX, $50,990 Limited.
Powertrains and performance:  2.0-litre four-cylinder DOHC petrol (GSX) with i-Stop, 114kW/6000rpm, 200Nm/4000rpm. Front wheel drive, 6.4 litres per 100km; 2.5-litre four-cylinder DOHC petrol engine with i-Stop and cylinder deactivation, 139kW/6000rpm, 252Nm/4000rpm. All-wheel drive. 6.8 L/100km.
Vital statistics: Length 4395mm, height 1540mm, width 1795mm, wheelbase 2655mm. Luggage 430 litres. Wheels: 16-inch alloys with 215/65 tyres; 18-inch alloys with 215/55 R168 tyres.
We like: Feels crafted, surprisingly emphatically driver-centric attitude, fun attitude, strong warranty.
We don’t like: Little practicality benefit over a Mazda3, 2.5 getting gruff with age.

 “Well, it looks nice, but I like my little car; this one seems a bit too big for me.” 

So, less interest than I’d expected from the friend who owns a CX-3. Moving on, then, to two with CX-5s, mainly driven short distances and solo. Surely they could see the appeal of something of similar ilk, yet smaller, lower and more stylish?

Erm …

Positivity about the car’s overall style and the instrumentation improvements was mutual; but from one uncertainty about whether the rear seat would be comfy enough for fast-growing grandkids. And the other? “The one thing I really like about the CX-5 is that I sit high. I can’t get that from this, it’s more like a car.” 

Okay, so on basis on that hardly scientific poll, the potential for the newest addition to Mazda’s quasi soft-roader lineup, the CX-30, to simply create its own empire from in-house conquest alone seems challenging. 

Is all that effort to ensure every dimensional metric – save front headroom, which is more modest – sites the CX-30 between the larger and smaller alternates seems wasted if those with existing commitment to the lines sandwiching this new meat aren’t going to stand to be easily cannibalised? 

Well, no.  Even if CX-30 finds more success poaching customers new to Mazda than converting existing brand fans, that won’t inhibit progress. The small to compact sports utility sector is a big place in its own stead. In great health before we know about coronavirus, it seems so far to have come through the challenges of lockdown and diminished car sales activity pretty well, too. On top of all that, there’s this new twist of a crossover hatchback. That’s not without attraction, either. 

today’s challenge: Pick the base interior. Not easy, right?

As much as Mazda’s CX model plan has always represented something of a boundary push, with the only consistent being a tailoring to trend softly insofar as the sports utility side of operability, CX-30 presents particular commitment to what might be called crossover chic. 

This doesn’t mean it lacks eagerness for driving the mild side of ‘wild’ – it’s a confident car on gravel, regardless of whether all four or just the front set of wheels are laying down the power, and is as unfazed by steering onto dirt, sand and grass as the CX-3 and CX-5. Yet you immediately sense the newly-emerged middle child is sassier in different ways.

Certainly, it is particularly well polished in respect to presentation. Describing it as the best-looking CX model yet is bound to trigger enthusiast argument, given the Hiroshima design department has been smashing out hit after hit in this Kodo-influenced styling period. Comparing against rivals is suggests just two – the Toyota CH-R and incoming Nissan Juke - are as intricate in design and finish, but also debatedly do so with an outrage Mazda’s carefully-judged 'beauty through subtraction’ process carefully sidesteps.

Anyone who has been checking out recent Mazda interiors will understand, already, how these have become as ‘crafted’ as the exteriors. Here, you’re looking at the best yet. It’s an exemplar to the industry about how to lend a sense of premium expensiveness using materials that probably cost out effectively for mainstream duty. In many respects, the entry GSX offers better example of the execution than the Limited, not because the latter isn’t plush enough – it really is – but more because the base car lends very little obvious sign of the cost-cutting that allows it to fly $10,000 in the price stream.

Those lowballing on spend aren’t cutting themselves short on kit, either. Automatic headlights, an 8.8-inch infotainment screen, a head-up display, an eight-speaker audio system and the i-Activsense safety package - which includes lane-keep, active cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert and active emergency braking that detects cyclists and pedestrians – come as standard fare, plus even base buyers also get a reversing camera, rear parking sensors sat nav and various electronic handling assists.

Spend more and there’s a swap from 16-inch to 18-inch wheels (which, admittedly, look better), autonomous rear braking which acts to inhibit, by jolting the brakes, potential to inadvertently reverse into something solid and more electric assists like 'Intelligent Speed Assistance' which is linked to the cruise control system and provides additional speed limiting warnings. There are also parking sensors on the nose and an off-road traction assist feature for the AWD system. The Limited also has LED rather than halogen headlights, gets leather trim and achieves a 12-speaker Bose sound system. Oh, yes, and Mazda has set a high standard with a five year, unlimited kilometre warranty and a very good scheduled servicing setup.

Whatever the fitment, the basics are the same. There’s positivity about the latest version of  Mazda Connect; the controls are clearer and operability more finessed. The addition of a head-up display in all levels is good; so too that it now projects onto the windscreen rather than a fragile looking pop-up gunsight … just the realisation that even all instrument fonts have altered a touch, to become sharper, there’s more change than might first seem warranted, and a lot that takes time to appreciate. But the overall impact will appeal to the faithful or newcomers alike.

Clearly, there’s one area where its shape and lower roofline impinges. It’s … cosy for overall space. Tjat’s not to say the rear section isn’t a wholly tough spot for adult passengers, but it’s obviously less spacious than a CX-5. The boot is deep but markedly narrower than the CX-5’s and, even with 430-litres’ capacity, really only competitive within the bounds of the class. Basically, growing families intent on giving the CX-30 consideration need to be careful for what they wish for. I’d personally judge it as being better suited to a couple who might just occasionally offer the back seat to occupancy.

The sense of its intimacy also shows in a driving position far more in keeping with the Mazda3 (or even an MX-5) than any other CX edition, simply by virtue that you’re still sitting just as you would in a normal car, not an SUV. That’s what jinxed it for my pal Lisa; she’s a big fan of a command driving position, so never sensed the CX-30 felt ‘high’ enough.  Obviously, it really is elevated – just plant it alongside a Mazda3 to see how much - however, I get her point. The increase in ride height is subtle enough that there’s never a sense you’re stepping up into this cabin.

Still, there’s as positive from this that undoubtedly plays well for the driving feel, where playful nimbleness is a common trait whether driving a GSX with a 2.0-litre engine powering the front wheels only or a Limited, where a 2.5-litre and Mazda's i-Activ all-wheel drive system fits. Both paired with a six-speed automatic transmission only.

That mechanical fitout is pretty much Mazda ‘101’ these days and, certainly, it’s in line with CX-5, too, save here there’s no diesel. Yet, simply because the CX-30 is smaller and rather more trim in its kerb weight, it seemed to me that the logics that determine the larger petrol being preferable in the larger car aren’t really fair to apply with this one.

the 2.0-litre has less punch than the 2.5, but delivers a sweeter note and evidences thrift more easily.

For sure, GSX's output being 25kW and 52Nm less than that from the larger engine is obvious at step off and the 2.5 feel more muscular in the mid-range, so it doesn’t have to put in as much effort when accelerating or overtaking.

Yet the entry unit shouldn’t be discounted simply because of that. For one, it earns marks for being more obviously economical. From this experience, the maker-claimed optimal returns (which don’t seem too major at 6.4 versus 6.8 litres per 100km) are much easier to close in on with the smaller unit – as Rob Maetzig reported in his own story about taking the Limited on a long-distance drive, the 2.5-litre ain’t so easy to rein into its thrift zone. 

The other reason for considering the 2.0-litre is that it has a sweeter, less intrusive, note. And it’s still zesty enough that, basically, if you intend to employ the CX-30 simply for urban driving, occasional open road bursts and never in a more robust SUV involvement, then it’s more than an okay choice.

Not that the CX-30 deserves to be kept on a city beat. It’s just too delightful to drive for that. I’m not suggesting the MX-5 is under threat, yet within the crossover quarter it delivers well above the average expectation. 

It’s not so much the suspension design – Macpherson strut front end and a torsion beam around the back is fairly simplistic – as the finessing.

As in the Mazda3, it is rewarded by Mazda's G-Vectoring torque control system. This senses when you're turning into a corner and pulls back the engine's torque output for a fraction of a second, to transfer weight onto the outside front wheel. That gives better turn-in. The same system then adjusts the torque output as you steer through, helping to balance the car all the way through to corner exit. Subtle stuff, assuredly, but work it does. 

Mazda credits some of its dexterity to a new concept tyre, which has a smaller side wall and rigid tread that allows the tyre to distort when hitting a bump, which in turn has effect of reducing the load on the suspension and translating to a smoother ride for occupants. I’m not so sure the last part of that ambition is delivered entirely successfully, in that coarse chip alone will erode any serenity and it is fairly firm, in either spec format, around town.

Obviously the additional traction that the Limited’s drive system is beneficial – and, to me, the added pluses in the wet or slippery conditions would make it my choice. But to be fair to the GSX, in its own right it is fluid, confident and good fun on a twisting road. And both models lend a better driving involvement than any other CX, regardless that steering feedback could be sharper.

Perhaps this on-road dexterity becomes another recognised talent for CX-30 when a proper owner pool forms. In the here and now, it relies more on being acknowledged as the best beneficiary of the current styling language. All from just taking the Mazda3 and making it taller? The main points are the same - simple, elegant lines, a big bold grille, narrow lights – but maybe that’s too simplistic an analysis. 

Winner? Well, it’s not going to be as easy as that, perhaps. Yet, if you want to experience the best of Mazda design, and can cope with losing some degree of practicality in the process, then there’s no better place to start. And, assuredly, as comfortable as life at the top is, starting at the bottom is absolutely no penalty.

Mazda CX-30 Ltd: Chocks away in best-dressed baby

A flying visit allows new smooth to meet vintage industrial

Base Price:  $50,990
Powertrain and performance:  SkyActiv-G 2.5-litre four cylinder DOHC petrol engine with i-Stop and cylinder deactivation, 139kW/6000rpm, 252kW/4000rpm. All-wheel drive. 6.8 L/100km.
Vital statistics: Length 4395mm, height 1540mm, width 1795mm, wheelbase 2655mm. Luggage 430 litres. Wheels: 18-inch alloys with 215/55 R168 tyres.
We Like: Very attractive styling, sophisticated level of specification, secure and safe drive.
We don’t like: Slightly lumpy ride at the lower speeds. It’s not a coupe, Mazda.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder – a phrase that came to mind during this stint with Mazda’s swish new compact SUV, the CX-30.

That’s because we used the vehicle to head to Tauranga and introduce it to a machine 77 years its senior – a Boeing Stearman biplane.

When we parked the smooth Mazda in front of the more industrial American aircraft, the contrast between the two was starkly apparent, because one was streamlined to the extreme, while the other was definitely not.

Of course they are totally differences pieces of transport technology in that one is a new-age motor vehicle and the other is a vintage aircraft, but they are both the result of industrial design excellence of the day.

And visually, they are both highly attractive.

Maybe you ask: How can a 1943 biplane, with its big undercarriage, wings made of wood and fabric that are joined together using struts and wire, and which is powered by a nine-cylinder radial engine that burns through 46 litres of fuel and up to three litres of oil an hour, be considered attractive?

Well…- it just is, that’s how. With its bright yellow wings, silver fuselage and red tail (the US Navy painted them those colours so they were easier to spot whenever one crashed), the Stearman is one of those aircraft that simply looks like it is meant to fly.

And it did too – in its thousands. More than 10,000 of them were built in the 1930s and 1940s as primary trainers, and following the end of World War II a large number were sold on the civilian market for recreational flying. As a result there are a number of them in New Zealand, this example operated by Classic Flyers New Zealand.

Mind you, it has to be said that the Stearman doesn’t offer particularly comfortable flying. It’s interior is spartan to the extreme. An open cockpit means the environment is noisy and windy. When taxiing forward visibility is so limited the pilot has to weave from side-to-side to see where to go.

But once the biplane is in the air, the experience is a joy. As the aircraft trundles along at not much more than New Zealand’s open road speed limit, you appreciate the fact that the Stearman was designed and built for a purpose. As a primary trainer, introducing thousands of young pilots to the world of aviation.

And that makes you wonder if these days, with so many vehicles registered for use on New Zealand’s roads that we have among the world’s highest car ownership statistics, can motoring also still be a joyful experience?

Mazda certainly thinks so. It believes it is still possible for an emotional bond to be created between car and driver. It’s all to do with personal freedom, travel, and the appeal of actually being behind the wheel of a car.

As a result, the Hiroshima-headquartered company aims for autonomous technologies to support, not replace, the driver. While other carmakers might be heading towards ‘machine-centric’ automation, Mazda takes what it calls a ‘human-centric’ position by developing all sorts of electronic aids that are there to help, not dominate.

All of that is the reasoning behind a vehicle design philosophy the company calls Kodo – Soul of Motion.  Call it marketing hype if you will, but it’s a fact that in recent years this philosophy has resulted in creation of some outstanding vehicles.

The latest is this new CX-30. In essence this vehicle is the SUV version of the new Mazda3 hatch. As such it plonks itself into a gap on Mazda’s SUV fleet between the smaller CX-3 and the larger CX-5.

That gap needed to be filled, too. The new vehicle enters a market segment officially known as SUV Compact, which is growing so quickly it is due to take over from SUV Medium as New Zealand’s most popular vehicle segment.

As at the end of April both these segments held a 19 percent market share. But in April itself – albeit a very bad sales month due to the Covid-19 shutdown – SUV Compact claimed a massive 26 percent market share, while SUV Medium held 14 percent.

CX-30 cabin rather more comfortable than Stearman’s …. .but comes second-best for all-round visibility.

The CX-30 has been designed using the Kodo principle, and as a result it has perhaps the best exterior simplicity of form of any of the compact SUVs currently available in this country. In stark contrast to the old Stearman biplane which could hardly be described as streamlined, this Mazda is very smooth to the eye.

It offers a smooth drive, too. Our model for test was the top CX-30, a $50,990 2.5-litre Limited. That’s quite a bit of money for a compact SUV, but it does  carry a lot of kit, particularly from a safety perspective – including Mazda’s i–Activ electronic all-wheel drive system, and a wealth of passive and active driving aids.

These include lane-keep assist, active cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, front and rear cross traffic alert, and active emergency braking that recognises cyclists and pedestrians.  Little wonder then that all this has contributed to the CX-30 being awarded a five-star Ancap rating which included a 99% score for adult occupant protection, the highest ever recorded.

Powering the CX-30 Limited is Mazda’s 2.5-litre SkyActiv-G engine that a lot of New Zealanders have already experienced aboard such product as the CX-5, Mazda3 and Mazda6. In this application it offers 139 kilowatts of power and 252 Newton metres of torque which is ample for a vehicle of this size.

Mazda’s SkyActiv technology has been developed with economy in mind, and as such the 2.5-litre engine features an i-stop system which automatically stops the engine running at places such as the traffic lights, and cylinder deactivation which runs the vehicle on two cylinders when circumstances permit.

All this helps the CX-30 boast an official fuel consumption of 6.8 L/100km – which seems a bit low to me. I rate myself as a careful driver and I couldn’t get better than 8 L/100km. But still, it has to be said even that is very good for a vehicle that is all-wheel-drive.

The CX-30 sits about 45mm higher than a Mazda3, but despite that higher ride the vehicle still offers a secure ride. This is helped along by Mazda’s G-Vectoring Control Plus system that helps make cornering as smooth and comfortable as possible by tweaking engine torque and gently braking the outer front wheel.

The vehicle is also shod with a new concept tyre which has smaller sidewalls and a more rigid tread, which Mazda claims helps give a smoother ride because the tyre distorts less when hitting a bump.

A feature of the new CX-30 is its interior, which is very good. It’s slightly different in design to the Mazda3’s, but offers the same level of specification, including an Active Driving Display with a wide-screen centre display, and a rotary Commander Control on the centre console.

At the Limited specification level the vehicle has a black cabin theme that includes black leather seat trim, which is pretty much the same as that aboard the hatch/sedan.

All in all, the new Mazda CX-30 appeals as an outstanding new entry in the compact SUV market, and it should immediately play a major role in taking that market segment to the lead in the new vehicle sales statistics.

The MMNZ marketing people are advertising the vehicle as combining coupe styling with SUV practicality. I wouldn’t go quite that far, even though the CX-30 definitely appeals as a very good-looking vehicle.

 That’s especially the case when you park it alongside something as lumpy as an old WWII biplane. But then again, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, huh?