This shot of a Mazda BT-50 in Punta Delgada, Chile, by Rivera Notario made me realize that I was clueless about Mazda’s current pickup offerings. I wasn’t exactly surprised to find that this one (UP/UR, 2011-2020) is based on the international version of the Ford Ranger, as its greenhouse gives that away fairly readily. That truck was designed by Ford Australia, and came with Ford’s 2.2 L diesel four and the 3.2 L diesel five.
But what I really didn’t know about is that this generation was replaced in 2020 by something rather different; Mazda jumped ship from Ford and into someone else’s bed.
Isuzu is their new pickup buddy; the D-Max, to be more specific. It’s 100% Isuzu under the skin, but Mazda did get to change that skin, especially at the front, where it reflects their current Kodo design language. It’s built in Isuzu’s Thailand plant. And it’s not available in Japan and of course North America. Their main target markets are Southeast Asia, South America and Africa.
Power comes from a 1.9 L turbodiesel four, and a 3 L turbo diesel four is avaialable for those needing more power.
Given that Mazda long ago gave up on pickups in the US, it’s interesting to know that they’re still at it in other parts of the world.
Ranger and BT50 have been clone buddies for many years out here Ford saved lots by simply rebadging Mazdas in this market, this time Ford has gone elsewhere, not sure about Australian imput as these were developed and built in Thailand our roads are littered with Rangers,,
they are good utes but lousy cars Ive driven brand new versions and half million kilometer examples, they drive the same even outselling the ever popular Hilux, I noticed a Ranger yesterday stopped at a traffic light I eyeballed the car yard next to me 88K for a Ranger is too rich for my blood and nothing unusual about it there are many just like it in use everyday, thats retail I guess.
Usual KiwiByrce garbage.
T6 Ford Ranger was designed, engineered, and tested in Australia, just like the about to be released 2023 Ford Ranger.
How about some research before being the first to comment?
I quite like it, but then I’ve always been an Isuzu fan. Too bad we don’t get these, those, or even the Mitsu trucks over here. The older Ranger based Mazda is likely alright as well, as the Ranger is quite generally likeable too..
But let’s talk about the elephant in the room, er, lot here. While likely a fine vehicle in its own right (perhaps), that Hyundai van in the background has to be the homeliest looking thing since the Commer van.
For homely, have you seen the Ssangyong Rodius?
https://www.qwant.com/?t=images&q=ssangyong+rodius
This was news to me too. My last time outside the US was 2018, in Ecuador, where the Ranger/Mazda was very popular … as were Mazda/Mazda’s going back to the first generation that was sold in the US both as a Mazda and as the Ford Courier. The DMax was common too, though I think all were badged as Chevrolet with big bow ties. I think the Mazda restyling on the new one looks good. It fits in with the rest of the familia 😀
Just spotted a “real” Mazda at the Y this morning – a last-gen B2200, so no newer than MY1993. There are still quite a few survivors here – heresy, but they seem proportionately less scarce than their Toyota and Nissan peers of the day.
Like many, I miss the small RWD pickup trucks, and do think there’s still a market for them.
Can we blame the chicken tax? But if so, why doesn’t Chevy still sell the S-10?
Chevy sells the Colorado which replaced the S10.
Isuzu used Holden badges here for decades but now they are part of the Isuzu truck range which is rather extensive.
Agreed, but it’s much larger – mid-sized rather than small. Similarly, the Tacoma is much larger than the Toyota trucks of that era.
Where do you live? It used to be common to see 1 Toyota pickup towing another followed by a friend with the same combination heading south on I5 through OR and CA. My presumption is that they were headed to Mexico since that era vehicles would not be CA emission compliant. At least one of those people pulled their trucks from W WA and was successful enough to purchase a car carrier that I saw more than once in a local parking lot loading up with 80’s and 90’s Toyota Pickups.
I’m surprised then Mazda didn’t used the Toyota Hilux/Tacoma for their current pick-ups since they gived the Mazda 2 for the recent iteration of the Yaris, Toyota could have returned the favor.
Since Ford and Mazda started separating in 2008 when Ford sold its Mazda shares. I’m not surprised they went to a new platform partner. A lot of Mazda’s non-core products are badge engineered. The Kei class Carol and Scrum arema Suzuki Alto and Carry respectively. The Bongo van family has been a Mitsubishi Delica, and a Nissan Vanette and is currently a Toyota HiAce, plus one variant is Daihatsu based. The Titan cabover truck has been an Isuzu Elf (NPR) since 2004, and was before that was sold as a Ford Trader in some markets.
The pickups are actually a back and forth deal. From 1993 to 2006 the world market Mazda B Series was sold as the Ford Ranger outside the Americas and the North American Mazda B Series was a rebadged US Ranger. Then they did the Australian designed global Ranger which was just replaced by the new Isuzu Dmax based BT-50.
That previous generation BT-50 always looked really odd to me. On one hand its supposed to be a tough truck but then it has this soft, flowing, feminine styling. And it has those big “smiling” taillights that especially look unhappy to me. I feel its an unsuccessful attempt to apply their emotional and flowing Kodo styling to something that is supposed to be a tall, rugged, boxy vehicle. A mismatch between the personality and the looks. Tradies are kinda forced to fix these utes up with roo-bars, lights, suspension kits etc to achieve that “tough” look they feel comfortable with.
Makes me think of Tesla. They might have learned from this, and instead of trying to apply their usual “jellymould” styling to the Cybertruck (which would have, without a doubt, been a mistake) went for something different.
The new 2020-model BT-50 on the other hand looks good. Its got a certain air of sophistication about it, somehow it manages to look more white-collar than a Hilux or Ranger. Or an Isuzu, for that matter. It feels more like an MB X-class.
Toyota and Mazda have been collaborating on several projects recently. For example, their other commercial vehicle, the “new” Bongo is actually an old Hiace with a different badge.
Yeah, Musk likes to pretend he thought up the Cybertruck all by himself, recently. False! I drove one regularly in the ’80s:
Agree with all that. The Mazda always seemed to be more a second-choice purchase, perhaps deal-driven, or, if private, by someone who had a good run in one of their cars. Seemed rare to see a high-spec job, which tells its own tale.
The new one is selling very well, in fact was Mazda’s Aus no. 2 last year.
Just before Christmas one of my husband’s cousins traded his 2020 Holden Colorado on a new BT-50, reasoning that if GM was going to leave NZ then he was going to leave GM. We had a good look at the BT-50 when he brought it over, and it’s nicer looking inside and out than the Isuzu D-Max. The dashboard is less angular and looks more upmarket. Interior quality is behind the current (old model) Ranger though, with a lot of the trim feeling quite low rent. Mind you, the old Ranger-based BT-50 wasn’t amazing inside either as it never received the updates that the Ranger did. The belt line looks and feels a bit too high – probably not much different to the old BT-50/Ranger, but in some colours the windows look disproportionately narrow and squinty. I’m glad Mazda is still represented in the pickup market here, but I don’t think it looks as nice as the old BT-50.
GM is still here their parts warehouse is just down the road from me,
the outfit I was working for bought a batch of Chinese utes because they are cheap LDV brand I got to drive one for a few hours and after that I wouldnt spend double to buy a Ranger, it was ok to drive went ok trans shifted fine enough power no more uncomfortable than a Ranger, and Driving from Dargaville back to Auckland in a Ranger isnt something I want to do again my spine is old and delicate.