Category: Pick-ups 
Price Range: No data available
Quality interior, refined and punchy common-rail diesel, decent value, square-jawed looks.
Rocky ride from unsophisticated suspension, not enough innovation, no high-spec halo model.
A million miles from its no-mark predecessor, but not enough glitz or intelligence to tap into the pick-up boom.
This really is built to last. European passenger cars are engineered to survive the rigours of the suburban middle-classes, but makers of pick-up trucks have to take a more global view. Put a one-tonne payload limit on your truck as much as you want, but that Thai taxi driver won't leave until he's got a full load of 28 monks and he won't forgive you if the rear leaf springs break under the strain.
The engine is designed for low-rpm torque rather than max-rev power and has a life expectancy of at least 180,000 miles. It's the reason so many people chip pick-up engines and get away with it. There's just so much give.
As for that quality SUV drivers might expect, the BT-50 is a huge improvement over the B-Series it replaces. The silvery slab of dash is definitely plastic but well crafted and complements the almost elegant silver-ringed dials.
The sharp edges of the roomy between-seat storage box remind you it is built down to a price, but it's still travelled a long way from a traditional commercial.
