According to the latest reports, we will not see bigger changes on a familiar truck in next few years for sure. Moreover, it looks like the new generation of Mazda BT-50 will definitely come after 2020. The famous truck is currently in the second generation. While the original, which was in production between 2006 and 2011, was compact in size, the current version is a mid-size truck.
It came in 2011 and it shares many design characteristics with the famous Ford Ranger. To be more precise, it is based on the Ranger. It rides on Ford’s platform and shares most of the mechanical parts. On the other side, each company designed visual appearance separately. While the Ranger received a significant update last year, it looks like Mazda’s version will remain in the same shape for some time more, until the completely new generation comes.
News from the LA Auto Show
At the ongoing LA car show, we managed to get some information about Mazda BT-50 future. The company’s managing director Vinesh Bhindi confirmed that there are no plans for further upgrades of the current generation. The current version will remain in the same shape and definitely will not follow Ranger’s updates. We also heard that the company plans to launch next generation sometime after 2020. According to him, they don’t have some bigger ambitions with the current model. They are focused on a new joint venture with Isuzu, which will bring the new generation of this truck. On the other side, Ford works hard on its next generation, which is about to come in a year or two, with a whole bunch of changes and new design solutions.
The Mazda BT-50 will feature no changes in next few years
From Bhindi’s words, we can clearly make a conclusion that Mazda is not going to make changes to the current model. This version is present since 2011, but it received a facelift about two years ago. On that occasion, we saw various novelties but pretty much all of them were in terms of visual improvement. We didn’t see anything new in terms of mechanics. On the other side, there were few updates in terms of standard features. See, the model from this update should carry on for another few years. We should also expect some smaller tweaks in terms of equipment, but the core will remain the same. Base models will come with standard features like 17-inch wheels, dual-zone automatic climate control, brake assist, cruise control, hill assist, leather upholstery, steering wheel with mounted controls, rearview camera, navigation, power-adjustable driver’s seat, a 6-speaker audio system with MP3 and much more.
The next generation of Mazda BT-50 will come after 2020
Just like we mentioned already, the current generation will carry on for another couple of years. The new generation will come after 2020. While the current generation shares most of the characteristics with Ranger, the new version will be a product of joint venture with Isuzu. The next generation of the famous D-Max is under development. However, it is still unknown what kind of relationship to expect. While some presume that the new BT-50 will be just a re-badged Isuzu’s truck with several own visual details, others believer that Mazda will put a little bit more effort to create a more distinctive version. This could include some chassis tweaks, different engines etc. However, it seems that two companies are yet to agree on specific details about this project. So, we will have to wait for some time more to find out more precise details about the next generation of BT-50.
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