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Mazda BT-50 opens order books, due in showrooms October

The all-new Mazda BT-50 ute is due in showrooms in October – just two months away rather than next year as originally expected – and dealers have already begun taking expressions of interest.


Dealers contacted by Drive say they are receiving unprecedented interest in the new model, which is the first new generation Mazda BT-50 in a decade and the first based on an Isuzu D-Max after Mazda’s 48-year partnership with Ford came to an end.

The completely new design will be the safest and most advanced Mazda BT-50 to date and is expected to come standard with advanced safety aids, including a centre airbag (equal class first with the Isuzu D-Max).

While the new Mazda BT-50 powered by the Isuzu 3.0-litre turbo diesel (140kW/450Nm) will have less power and torque than the current model – powered by a Ford 3.2-litre five-cylinder (147kW/470Nm) – it will have the same towing capacity, and the same or a bigger payload thanks to an overall lighter weight. 

The new Mazda BT-50 also promises better fuel economy than before, although this is yet to be confirmed.

 

Drive

Mazda Australia has so far released limited information about the new Mazda BT-50, and remains tight-lipped about launch timing and prices.

However, Mazda Australia marketing boss Alastair Doak told Drive the new model has been well received by dealers and potential buyers and it will be priced competitively.

“Since the global unveil that we did here in Australia, the feedback has been incredibly positive,” said Mr Doak. 

“Even with the very limited information we shared at the time … we’ve had a positive response from dealers, existing BT-50 customers, and people who are new to the brand.”

 

Drive

While dealers have begun taking names, they haven’t taken any deposits to reserve vehicles because pricing is yet to be announced. Dealers have, however, been told the first BT-50 utes will arrive in October; Mazda's internal order code lists the new model as a B30.

“Because we don’t have pricing we are yet to take formal orders, but dealers have received a lot of interest,” said Mr Doak. “It will have competitive pricing.”

The next few months will be boom time for utes, with the all-new Isuzu D-Max and Mazda BT-50 due to go on sale about the same time as a major update to the top-selling Toyota HiLux.

The second-placed Ford Ranger will also get more tech to keep it fresh ahead of an all-new model in the second half of 2021 or the first half of 2022.

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Joshua Dowling

Joshua Dowling has been a motoring journalist for more than 20 years, spending most of that time working for The Sydney Morning Herald (as motoring editor and one of the early members of the Drive team) and News Corp Australia. He joined CarAdvice / Drive in 2018, and has been a World Car of the Year judge for more than 10 years.

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