Mazda Australia has teased the revised 2018 BT-50 ute in a single image this week, ahead of a market launch in May. We don't get a whole lot of clues as to what to expect visually, though the company says this will be the BT-50's "second and most comprehensive update since its launch in 2011"...
Approximately 20,000 Mazda BT-50 utes has been recalled over concerns grass and other debris could accumulate in the underbody, potentially posing a fire hazard. Owners are warned that driving over high grass - particularly dried-out grass - can cause the buildup of debris, and come into contact with the vehicle's exhaust system...
Mazda will continue to offer the Mazda BT-50 in its current form and shape beyond 2020 while its joint venture with Isuzu progresses. Speaking to the media at the 2017 Los Angeles motor show, Mazda Australia's managing director Vinesh Bhindi confirmed that there are no plans to alter the BT-50 or adopt any Ford Ranger-based changes until the next generation...
Mazda Australia has issued a recall for its BT-50 ute sold during 2015 and early-2016, over concerns manual examples could experience a loss of drive. The Japanese manufacturer says affected utes could be fitted with a gearshift cable retaining clip that isn't fully engaged, which could lead to the gearshift cables moving out of position and contacting the propeller shaft...
Mazda has issued a recall for 277 examples of its late-2016 to early-2017 BT-50 utes over concerns faulty initiators may cause the side airbags to not inflate in a collision. The Japanese manufacturer reports that an incorrect chemical mixture could cause the inflator to not initiate, meaning the airbag may not deploy in the event of a crash...
UPDATE: Mazda Australia has confirmed that 5117 vehicles in Australia are fitted with the more dangerous 'Alpha' airbags locally, with 3693 of these units already repaired (72.2 per cent). That leaves 1424 vehicles outstanding, though the local arm has confirmed with CarAdvice that these vehicles were already subject to the original Takata airbag recalls that were issued over the past two years...
The country's seventh-best-selling dual-cab utility, the Mazda BT-50, has had its infotainment package upgraded, with the fresh addition of a new system from well-known electronics company Alpine. Mazda Australia has announced that all mid-spec XTR and top-spec GT BT-50 models rolling into dealerships from today will sport, as standard, a new 8...
The oft-discussed partnership between Isuzu Ute and Mazda, which will see the former provide utility vehicles to the latter, remains a subject of intense sensitivity and secrecy. However, we can clarify, for anyone not quite clear on the deal announced last July, that the deal is a supplier partnership rather than a joint-venture...
Mazda has issued a recall for 5200 of its 2011 and 2012 BT-50 utes fitted with the automatic transmission over concerns a faulty sensor could cause the transmission to downshift into first gear unexpectedly. The Japanese manufacturer reports the Output Shaft Speed Sensor in affected vehicles could fail intermittently, which could result in an unintended downshift into first gear...
Now that we’re acclimatised to the idea of a light commercial being the nation’s top-selling vehicle for a calendar year, we can watch the market with a different set of eyes. We’re only one month into 2017, but the January figures for ute sales make for interesting reading, mostly on account of the ever-growing Toyota HiLux versus Ford Ranger battle — billed by some as the new Commodore v Falcon rivalry...
Australia was a key driver in Mazda’s decision to enter a joint-venture (JV) arrangement with Isuzu Ute to collaborate on the next-generation BT-50 and D-Max ute/pickup trucks, due around 2020. As announced in July, the two Japanese companies ditched existing ute JVs (Mazda with Ford, Isuzu with General Motors, which we already know plans to move upmarket with the next Colorado) and buddied up to better amortise costs...
