The all-new Mazda BT-50 is a dependable pick-up with a pretty face



Mazda has finally unveiled the all-new third-generation Mazda BT-50 today, through a livestream on its social media pages. Completely redesigned for the first time in nine years, Mazda has now ditched Ford as its OEM provider for the BT-50, instead basing it off the Isuzu D-Max.

As expected, the all-new BT-50 features Mazda’s latest Kodo design language, which looks significantly sleeker, and a lot more modern when compared to the outgoing model. The front of the new Mazda pick-up bears a striking resemblance to the brand’s SUV models, such as the CX-9.

At the rear, the BT-50 also gets its own redesigned rear end, which takes off a bit of the “edginess” from the angry-looking D-Max. Though to be frank, there aren’t many things at the back of a pick-up truck for the designers to work with to make it stand out from the others.

All-new Mazda BT-50 rear

Don’t let the pretty face fool you, though, because the BT-50 should be pretty robust off the beaten path as well – it’s based on the D-Max after all.

Underneath the hood of the Australian-spec double-cab BT-50 (which made the global debut), you’ll find a 3.0-litre turbodiesel engine, rated for an output of 190 hp and 450 Nm of torque, paired to an automatic gearbox to power the wheels in either 4×2 or 4×4 configurations.

In this specification, the BT-50 is capable of towing up to 3,500 kg, or carry a maximum load of 1,065 kg. Information is scarce at launch, but we expect the new 1.9-litre turbodiesel mill to also make it into the BT-50 in other variants and regions.

All-new Mazda BT-50 Interior

Aside from the mechanical underpinnings, the new Mazda BT-50 also inherits the overall dashboard architecture, as well as the infotainment display – which is nine-inch in size, by the way – from the Isuzu D-Max.

However, the rest of the interior decor is all done-up by Mazda themselves, so expect the same plushy upholstery that we’re now accustomed to seeing in all Mazda models. As they so eloquently put it in the press release themselves, “Mazda developed the BT-50 with the intention of making travel and the time spent inside the vehicle exceptionally pleasant.”

No pricing information has been provided for the all-new Mazda BT-50 just yet, but it will be built in Thailand by Isuzu alongside the D-Max, and is scheduled to go on sale in Australia in “the latter half of 2020”.


IMAGE GALLERY