Bold design for ute

Mazda has taken the wraps off its all-new BT-50, which will go on sale in New Zealand in the latter half of 2020.

The ute has been fully redesigned and is being supplied by Isuzu Motor Ltd on an original equipment manufacturer basis.

Taking years of experience and customer feedback into account, Mazda says the vehicle has a comprehensive list of advanced features “blending with sleek and bold styling and rugged capability, all designed to the highest safety standards”.

David Hodge, managing director of Mazda NZ, says: “It is fantastic to have a completely all-new BT-50 in the New Zealand market for the first time in nine years.

“The exterior draws on Mazda’s Kodo – Soul of Motion design theme and makes it immediately recognisable as part of our range of vehicles. Its driving performance, functionality and safety will meet the needs of the wide range of situations where our New Zealand customers will be using the ute.”

Since its debut in 2006, the BT-50 has been sold mainly in regions such as Australasia, ASEAN, Central and South America, the Middle East and Africa. Its sporty design, driving performance capable of taking on all kinds of situations and functionality has been highly regarded by motorists who actively drive utes, Hodge adds.

Based on Isuzu pick-up trucks, special care has gone into the ute’s design as Mazda aims “to become a brand that can create strong bonds with customers by focusing on the pure essence of cars – the joy of driving”.

More details will be unveiled closer to launch, but some specifications of the Australian double-cab four-wheel drive with automatic transmission and a three-litre diesel engine have been revealed. It boasts maximum output of 140kW at 3,600rpm and 450Nm of torque between 1,600 and 2,600rpm. 

The payload comes in at 1,065kg and towing capacity at 3,500kg. The all-new BT-50 is 5,280mm long, 1,870mm wide and 1,790mm high, with a wheelbase of 3,125mm and a 6.1-metre minimum turning radius. It will launch with a “significant improvement” in fuel economy, although those statistics are still under wraps.

For the first time adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert are fitted as standard.

On the design front, Mazda has fused its Kodo design language with the bold, muscular proportions of a ute “to convey a sense of toughness and powerful movement, even standing still”.

Its three-dimensional signature wing wraps the front grille and extends out to the vehicle’s side into deep headlamps. A strong rear-view mirror presence is amplified with a sense of width created by using low outboard parking lamps. There are sweeping crease lines from the front grille towards the wing mirrors, paired with an unbroken centre line from front to rear. A strong shoulder line runs into the tail-lamps.

Inside, there are supportive seat wraps and the wide cabin benefits from the soft-touch horizontal layout of the instrument panel. There’s also a telescopic steering column for different driving positions, and a large touchscreen infotainment system with functionality, including wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.