After making headlines for looking so attractive, the all-new Mazda BT-50 has been officially launched in Thailand, where almost 50% of the new vehicle sales are pick-up trucks.
As such, is it a tremendously important product for Mazda Thailand. For this new generation, Mazda has abandoned Ford as its OEM provider, instead turning to Isuzu and its all-new D-Max.
The designers at Mazda have impeccably embodied the Kodo design language to the all-new BT-50, given its limitations originally being an Isuzu as well as a pick-up truck. With the overall styling and form that looks more SUV than pick-up, the all-new Mazda BT-50 will stand out from the crowded pick-up segment.
Customers will have two choices of engines. However, only two variants (out of 14) are offered with the 3.0-litre turbodiesel engine (195 hp/450 Nm). The rest are fitted with the 1.9-litre turbodiesel (150 hp/350 Nm). Both engines from Isuzu are also B20 biodiesel compliant.
The engines are paired to either a manual or automatic transmission, both with six forward ratios. The four-wheel drive with electronic shift-on-the-fly, however, is only made available to the 3.0-litre turbodiesel variant.
For the interior, Mazda revised the interior as much as possible to match the brand’s identity. Similar to the exterior design, the all-new Mazda BT-50 conveys a more premium and more SUV-feel. There is even soft-touch material lined with double-stitching on the top edge of the dashboard.
The electrical systems are common with the Isuzu pick-up thus the Mazda BT-50 uses a similar 9-inch touch-screen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. Sound is channelled to 8 speakers including a pair mounted on the headlining.
Features that are available in the all-new Mazda BT-50 include 18-inch wheels, LED headlamps, 8-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, dual-zone automatic air-conditioning system, USB charging port for the rear occupants and electronic-locking rear differential.
Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) looks to be limited to just blind-spot monitoring (BSM) and rear cross-traffic alert (RCTA) systems. A reverse camera and 4-cell parking sensors fitted at the front and rear bumpers support parking manoeuvrers. There are a total of six airbags in the all-new Mazda BT-50 unlike the 8 airbags found in the Isuzu D-Max for the European market.
Prices begin from 553,000 Baht for the most basic single-cab workhorse variant. The all-new Mazda BT-50 that is most representative to the taste of consumers in Malaysia is the 1.9 Hi-Racer 6AT, priced from 936,000 Baht, and the top grade 3.0 SP 4×4 6AT priced at 1,153,000 Baht.
