Mazda Bravo turbo-diesel

After the glut of new passenger car product in 2002, culminating with new Commodore, Falcon and Camry from the big three in September/October, the focus switched to commercials - those rough and ready workhorses once the sole domain of the tradie.

Toyota launched a new Hilux in late October, followed by the Mazda Bravo in November. February is Holden Rodeo’s turn, and we’ll cover that in a future issue, but for now let’s take a closer look at the quiet revolution Mazda has unleashed.

Quiet revolution? What drugs is this bloke on, you ask. It’s in the doors - freestyle doors to be exact - offered on the middleman of the Bravo line-up. The rear doors are rear hinged - remember suicide doors? Same thing. No B-pillar between the front and rear doors, which means much better access to the rear seats.

Suicide doors aren’t new; the trick in this “safety first” age has been building them with the rigidity and safety to withstand a side impact from another vehicle, or a lamppost.

We’re tipping that suicide doors - that name is a marketing nightmare, hence Mazda’s use of the term “freestyle” - will start appearing on a wide range of vehicles in the years to come. Why? Because they work. Passenger access and loading luggage into the rear is a cinch through the cavernous opening supplied by both doors.

Perhaps the only drawback of the freestyle door system is the fact you can’t open the back doors without opening the front doors first. But that’s why Mazda continues to offer the dual cab Bravo with four conventional doors as part of the line-up.

So, what else has changed? The front end has been restyled to incorporate Mazda’s “family” grille along with new headlights. The interior gets more comfortable seats, a new stereo and speakers, and more equipment (electric windows, locks, etc). Suspension modifications are restricted to new dampers front and rear, which Mazda claims improves initial damping and roll stiffness. Roll stiffness, yes, but the front end now feels a little floaty and unsettled over undulations and rises.

Trailer Boat tested the 2.5lt turbo-diesel dual cab for two weeks in New Zealand. Beach driving, trailer towing and offroad work was the order of our trip, and the Bravo performed capably under all conditions.

The three-valve, four-cylinder engine feels more powerful than its 86kW would otherwise indicate. We tested the 1686kg dual cab, the heaviest of the range, equipped with a robust five-speed manual gearbox.

The Bravo is rated to carry almost 1200kg in the body and tow a 1800kg trailer for a payload totalling 3000kg. Though we never challenged these limits, the turbo’s 280Nm of torque easily handled our 800kg of people, equipment and fishing gear in the soft sand of the North Island’s Ninety Mile Beach.

On road, the Bravo rode better with the extra weight over the rear wheels, taking the edge off its firm leaf springs. The dual cab we tested came with bigger 265/70R 15in wheels and tyres that raise the ride height by 7mm to 218mm. The tyres’ larger sidewall takes a little of the shine off the Bravo’s modified steering system, which Mazda says requires less effort and is more stable on the straight ahead.