Melbourne, Australia - Mazda’s Australian division has released a teaser of what is almost certainly the next-generation BT-50.
The darkened image doesn’t reveal much, but at least you won’t have to wait long to see what it actually looks like as Mazda has invited us to “tune in on 17 June, 11am AEST (3am SA time) for the global launch of a once in a generation Mazda”.
One thing you can be sure about is that the new Mazda BT-50 is not going to share any of its bits and pieces with the current model. That’s because the new bakkie will be based on the latest Isuzu D-Max, which was revealed last year. The current BT-50, of course, is based on the Ford Ranger through the previous ties between the two companies, but after that all fell apart Mazda had to seek a new bakkie partner.
The new Mazda BT-50 will be built by Isuzu and will share its mechanicals, which means power will inevitably come from the upgraded 3-litre turbodiesel unit with 140kW and 450Nm. While the basic shape is likely to be shared with its Japanese cousin, it is believed that the Mazda will have a completely unique front design.
The new Isuzu D-Max is set to be built in South Africa, which technically opens the door for the local operation to also build the BT-50 for Mazda, although nothing in that regard has been mentioned as yet. But it is common for SA car manufacturers to build bakkies for the European market to take advantage of the current trade deal between the two regions, so don’t rule it out.
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