Mazda have just released their all new BT-50 ute.
Whilst the previous BT-50 was based on the Ford Ranger, they have now switched camps to Isuzu.
This means the new BT-50 shares its underpinnings and engines with the new Isuzu D-Max.
Unlike other recent releases, such as the new HiLux and 2022 Ranger which have quite aggressive designs, Mazda have gone with a more conservative look.
It essentially looks like a Mazda passenger car front stitched onto a ute.
It certainly doesn’t look bad, but it’s a little boring compared to some of the competition that tradies have to choose from.
The new BT-50 is expected to have a range of typical configurations including single and dual-cab, and tray-back as well as cab-chassis.
Less Power
The previous BT-50 used the same engine options as the Ford Ranger, being the 3.2 five-cylinder and 2.2 four-cylinder. Both turbo-diesels.
Utilising the 3.0 four-cylinder turbo-diesel from Isuzu will give the new BT50 140kW and 450Nm.
This is down from the 147kW and 470Nm that the old BT-50 had with the 3.2 Ford engine.
Will the drop in power hurt BT-50 sales? Tradies seem to be very positive about the D-Max engines, so the answer is probably no.
But still, for a new model to have less power and less torque is a little unusual.
On the positive side, the new BT-50 is expected to be more fuel efficient, with a lower overall weight and more efficient engine.
What do you think about the new BT-50? Could you see one of these working for your trade business?
