Mazda Pickup Trucks

Mazda officially unveiled the third-gen of the BT-50 pickup truck. It comes with a whole lot of changes in and out. The truck follows a whole new design philosophy and feels new on the inside as well. It rides on a new platform and is powered by a whole new engine. The only thing that is carried over from the previous iteration is the name. Will this help Mazda boost sales?

Mazda and Isuzu announced plans to partner in building a new midsize pickup truck, In an extremely short news release, the two automakers announced a “basic agreement on the next-generation pickup truck collaboration.” Details of the collaborative effort are scarce – likely even between both automakers. The reason behind the effort is clear, however. Mazda will get a strengthened product lineup while Isuzu will enhance its product competiveness.

This collaboration could see both the Mazda BT-50 and Isuzu D-Max pickups being replaced with a single pickup, badge-engineered for each automaker. While that’s unconfirmed, the possibility seems high.

Mazda and Isuzu have already proved they can work together. The companies have a decade-long partnership where Isuzu builds Mazda pickups for the Japanese market.

We’ll be keeping a close tabs on this partnership with an eye peeled for future products. It will likely be several years, however, before the pair head to production with a jointly built midsize truck. Planning and development times are generally measured in years for automakers.

Sadly, it’s highly unlikely this future midsize truck will be available in the U.S.

Continue reading for the full story.

Every fall, dozens of journalists from all over Texas and around the country gather to compare, test, and crown the winner of the “Truck of Texas” competition. It’s a coveted award from the Texas Auto Writers Association that signifies Texas’ collective approval of a truck. And not only are trucks involved, awards go out for the SUV and CUV of Texas.

I already touched on the topic in the preview piece, but awards are also given to the winner in each vehicle category and for various things like “best connectivity” and “best powertrain.”

This year’s competition was fierce. There were 84 vehicles present from 21 automakers entered into 17 different categories. Evaluating the field were 69 TAWA members comprised of journalists and social media influencers.

So let’s get down to the results. Keep reading for the full breakdown.

Continue reading for the results of the 2015 TAWA Truck Rodeo

Mazda has just released the first details on its mildly refreshed BT-50 mid-size pickup truck. The BT-50 is Mazda’s global pickup that competes with the Toyota Hilux and Chevrolet Colorado. Based on the global Ford Ranger, the BT-50 carries all the Ranger’s mechanicals but provides truck buyers with what Mazda calls, an “active lifestyle vehicle.”

In other words, the BT-50 has a sportier style than the Ranger.

This marks the first major refresh for the Mazda truck since its introduction back in 2011. Designers were modest in the restyling, only concentrating on the front grille, headlights and taillights. The interior also features a new feel that Mazda says is higher quality than before. A rear-view camera also makes its appearance for the first time on the truck.

More specifically, the grille now has Mazda’s current corporate design, with the large horizontal bar backing the Mazda logo. Smoked headlights now have a more premium look. Similarly, the taillights share the smoked look, imparting a more premium feel to the exterior. Finally, a new set of aluminum wheels replace the outgoing design.

All the greasy bits carry over unchanged. That means the truck’s base engine is the 2.2-liter four-cylinder turbodiesel making 158 horsepower. Optional is the 3.2-liter inline five-cylinder turbodiesel making 197 horsepower. The truck can be had with a manual or automatic transmission, as well as two- or four-wheel drive.

The Mazda BT-50 will go on sale in the third quarter of 2015 starting in Thailand and Australia, with sales expanding beyond that in time.

Continue reading for the full story.

Mazda has unveiled the new BT-50 pick-up at the Australian International Auto Show in Sydney. The new pick-up gets refined and expressive styling; a comfortable, high quality interior; a smooth ride with the feel of a passenger car; sporty and responsive driving dynamics that reflect Mazda’s DNA; and outstanding environmental and safety performance.

The BT-50 is characterized by Mazda’s family face with the five-point grille, headlights with bold boomerang shape, stretched taillights. The interior features a dashboard with an asymmetric design, four bold metallic panel strips, and a metallic outline that highlights the two cylindrical meters and connects them via a center strip.

"With the All-New BT-50, we aimed to express this emotion through the design, and we drew a lot of inspiration from various “movements” in the world around us. For example, we had a photograph of a lion. He looked like a magnificent predator with his muscles all bunching up as though he was about to pounce on his prey. His sinews were stretched taut ready to strike, and his mane framed a sharp, masculine countenance that seemed to say, ‘I am the proud king of the beasts!’ In profile, that lion appeared to be both intelligent and powerful."

Press release after the jump.

On October 15th, Mazda will be trooping down to the Land Down Under for the Australian International Motor Show, and they’re bringing with them a new pick-up truck concept: the BT-50 pick-up.

Described as an “active lifestyle vehicle”, the BT-50 is being pegged as a new kind of pick-up truck that, according to Mazda, will redefine the way people look at pick-up trucks of today.

We’re not quite sure what Mazda means by redefining an entire market segment of vehicles, but we’ll take their words are worth for what they’re worth. After all, judging from the teaser sketch they released of the pick-up concept, it looks to be right in line with the new styling direction – the Kodo Soul of Motion – the company is taking with their future vehicles. One thing we do know is that if this BT-50 concept is anything like the other Kodo-inspired concepts we’ve seen, then we’re more than curious to see how this pick-up turns out to be up close and personal.

Press Release after the jump.

Buying a pickup often means sacrificing comfort and style for practicality. Truck drivers usually have to travel economy class in return for the ability to carry large loads with them.
But Mazda doesn’t believe it needs to be this way. That’s why the 2006 Mazda B-Series truck has been designed to give its owners the best of both worlds - great carrying capacity and a comfortable and refined cabin.

Mazda Motor Corporation has announced the name of its new one-ton pickup range which will make its world debut at the 2006 Bangkok International Motor Show, to be held from Wednesday, March 22 through Sunday, April 2, 2006.
"In line with Mazda’s global alphanumeric nomenclature strategy, we have named this new truck range "BT-50", a global name that will be used in all markets," says Malcolm Gough, Executive Officer and General Manager of Mazda’s Overseas Sales (...)