August 1999 Volume 80 Number 8
"serving the protectors"
| August 1999 Volume 80 Number 8 "serving the protectors" |
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| By Jim Barnett | |
Smart acceleration with enough torque to take on most hills in overdrive is characteristic of the new diesel SDX grade 4x4 Dual Cab from Mazda. In fact, one has to remind oneself that it’s a diesel engine and not petrol. And Mazda describes it as the flagship of its new B Series fleet.
Included in the range - which is characterized by smoother exterior lines - is two other body styles: standard cab and cab plus. With a choice of petrol or diesel engines and two-wheel or four-wheel drive, there’s a model to suit every application.
The Police Journal tested the top-spec Dual Cab near Robe in country South Australia. This ute is smart-looking, capable and refined. It featured the powerful new 2.5-litre turbo diesel engine and was put through its paces on corrugated gravel roads, sand dunes and soft beaches. This superb new engine certainly gave a solid performance.
On sandhills the Bravo was best in high range most of the time. Its off-boost and on-boost performance was unquestionably better than most in its class; and it returned good fuel efficiency using 11.5 litres/100km overall. On the highway, the engine remains smooth and quiet. It spins over at 3,000rpm to maintain 110km/h.
It sports a good deal of sheet metal, an advanced power-plant, car-like interior and plenty of standard features. These include:
- Power windows and mirrors.
- Central locking.
- Alloy wheels.
- Velour interior.
The test vehicle retails for $38,490 but was fitted with the Bravo “Plus” pack, which for an additional $3,740 includes:
- Air conditioning.
- Alloy bull bar.
- Colour-coded canopy.
The interior is spacious, comfortable and well laid out. The front seats allow plenty of head, shoulder and leg room, and with large gauges and easy-to-use controls the dashboard is very car-like.
Unlike the utes of old, plenty of storage areas are available, including:
- A large glovebox.
- Centre console bin.
- Two drink holders.
- Front door pockets.
The rear seat features two headrests and is reasonably comfortable for this type of vehicle.
As the standard power-plant, Mazda has retained its 2.6-litre, multi valve, four-cylinder petrol engine. Available in a dual-fuel option, it produces 92kW and 206Nm.
A new and very punchy four-cylinder, 2.5-litre, inter-cooled, turbo-diesel engine is also available as an alternative. This engine boasts 86kW at 3,500rpm and 280Nm of torque at 2000rpm. It also features three valves per cylinder and two counter-rotating balance shafts.
The part-time four-wheel-drive system enables shifts between 2H and 4H while on the move, provided the manual-locking front hubs have been engaged. Good low-range gearing, reasonable ground clearance and plenty of under-body protection allows Bravo to tackle quite difficult terrain.
Bravo sits on a solid ladder chassis and employs tried and tested double-wishbone front suspension with torsion bars and rear leaf springs.
It features front disc and rear drum brakes, while steering is power-assisted recirculating ball-and-nut. Limited-slip rear differentials are standard on 4x4 models.
The suspension generally works well and provides predictable cornering and good performance on corrugations. Like most utes, however, it has a tendency to “buck” on large bumps without any weight in the back.
To really finish the job, Mazda could consider a couple of minor improvements, such as dispensing with the under-dash handbrake and adding two more speakers to the stereo. For some, this would turn a very good ute into a great ute.
Test vehicle from Mazda Australia, Rose Park, Adelaide.
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