The psychological shift around pick-up trucks has been interesting to note: they've gone from being a 'man's man', to spawning entire generations where a few models look right at home amidst high-society. Perhaps none illustrates this better than the 2022 Mazda BT-50 3.0 High Plus.

Priced from RM 143,218.40 and based off the Isuzu D-Max X-Terrain, this variant of the BT-50 is arguably one of the finer packages out there in Malaysia, of which we'll explore in this entry.

Pros:

• Great equipment, full ADAS
• Looks the part
• Locking rear diff, offroad prowess

Cons:

• Priciest roadtax among competitors
• Practicality and seating could be better
• Loses out on 7-year warranty

Pro #1: Great equipment, full ADAS

As the highest variant in the BT-50 shed, the High Plus is equipped with an assortment of nice-to-have stuff including a leather steering wheel, leather seats (with 8-way power-adjustment for the driver), remote engine start, and rear air-cond vents too.

Also read: ADAS for dummies, Kia explains why you need it and what it does

More importantly, the BT-50 3.0 High Plus is the only one in the stable to get the full suite of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). For this, the features include: 

• Auto high-beam (AHB)
• Blind spot monitoring with rear-cross traffic alert (BSM, RCTA)
• Lane departure warning (LDW)
• Forward collision warning (FCW)
• Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
• Adaptive cruise control (ACC)

Pro #2: Looks the business

Contrary to just about everything else, Mazda's decision to not go ham with plastic claddings nor an overly-aggressive front fascia is quite...refreshing.

By far and large this is the class' looker. The Kodo design language sees the BT-50 trading the usual hard-edged tropes for smoother lines, softer colours, and a little more thought to the design.

Also read: Why do concept cars look so much better than normal cars?

Don't mistake it for a pure Bangsar babe though, what with 240 mm of ground clearance and 800 mm of water wading depth (which comfortably bests the Toyota Hilux and Mitsubishi Triton, both at 700 mm), and equal to the Ford Ranger Wildtrak.

Also read: 900 mm wading depth! Top 5 best cars for driving through floods in Malaysia

Pro #3: Locking rear diff, offroad powress

Gladly it won't wet itself at the first sight of challenging mud ruts either – given that under its skin lies a very, very capable truck backed by Isuzu's know-how.

Power comes from a 3.0-litre turbodiesel (4JJ3-TCX) with a heady 190 PS and 450 Nm, channelled through a smooth-shifting 6-speed automatic transmission. Power delivery is quite relaxed, and matched with a not-too-heavy steering, town driving is a cinch.

Also read: Review: 2021 Isuzu D-Max 3.0 X-Terrain - A better 'Hailak' than the Hilux?

But take it off the asphalt and it can keep up with the other houshold names too. The BT-50 allows drivers to switch between 2H, 4L, and 4H modes by just turning a knob.

Not to forget this High Plus variant of the BT-50 adds a rear differential lock too, further aiding its off-road prowess. In this respect, it is not inferior in any way to the Hilux, Triton or Ranger, with obvious off-road chops.

Con #1: Pricey roadtax

Perhaps it's part of the package of pick-up truck ownership, but the BT-50 does command a slightly higher upkeep cost than most competitors, discounting the D-Max X-Terrain.

Also read: Malaysians pay over RM 10 billion in car taxes every year. How did we end up like this?

A big part of that comes through its 3.0-litre engine (for which the annual road tax costs RM 1,640 in Peninsular Malaysia, RM 903 in Sabah and Sarawak) - far higher than its competitors’ 2.2-, 2.4-, or 2.8-litre road tax prices.

Con #2: Practicality and seating could improve

Some points off the BT-50 are due to the interior. Two things, it could do with better storage solutions and have a slightly more comfortable rear bench.

The rear seats are pretty upright (like most other trucks), and this feels unnatural to the body, making long-distance trips a bit of a numbing affair. The Triton tackles this issue really well with its signature 'J-Line' contour that makes the rear seats much more comfortable.

Also read: Review: 2021 Mitsubishi Triton Athlete is the best Hilux that you want to ride in

Also sticking with the rear seats, the BT-50 doesn't come with any extra secret spots round the back to hide small items for when the bed won't do you any good. The Triton has this, and we hoped that much of the same could've found its way into the BT-50.

Con #3: Loses out on 7-year warranty

This is arguably one of the bigger detractors to the BT-50 stable: regardless of variant, buyers will lose out in terms of warranty against the D-Max. It’s worse with this High Plus variant.

You see, the range-topping D-Max X-Terrain – the BT-50 High Plus’ sister car – comes with a best-in-class 7-year/unlimited mileage warranty. For the Mazda, buyers get a shorter, 5-year/100,000 km warranty.

Also read: Pros and Cons: 2021 Isuzu D-Max - Very premium, but still not perfect

Same goes to the cheaper, BT-50 1.9 High too. That only gets a 5-year/100,000 km warranty, also a little bit worse off than a similar D-Max’s 5-year/150,000 km warranty.

Mind you, both variants are also not included in Mazda’s arguably class-benchmark free maintenance/service packages like other models of theirs do.

Conclusion: One size fits all, possibly

There's lots to like about the 2022 Mazda BT-50 3.0 High Plus. To the casual observer, it looks like yet another fashion statement, something one would get just to stand out a bit amidst the sea of C-segment sedans you could get for the price.

Also read: Pros and Cons: 2022 Mazda BT-50 1.9 High - It's no 'Hailak', but that's OK too

Not that there's anything wrong with that, because there's a lot of other things going for it. It's got an interior nice enough to fight some SUVs, and even if you do want to paint yours in mud, you can.

One size fits all? Quite possibly...