Flagship Mazda BT-50 tough truck coming

Mazda has revealed that a flagship tough truck version of the Mazda BT-50 is in development at its Australian headquarters, with the top-secret dual-cab ute set to rival the locally-developed Toyota HiLux Rugged X, Nissan Navara Warrior and Volkswagen Amarok W580.

Details are scarce at this stage and Mazda has attached no name to the new image-leading ute, but it could adopt the Japanese brand’s new ‘GT SP’ naming convention for flagship models.

Mazda Australia managing director Vinesh Bhindi could barely contain his excitement when he broke the news to media about the flagship BT-50 dual-cab ute that’s currently in development.

“We’re also working on something special for BT-50 in the near future, but today is not the day to discuss those details, so please stay tuned,” Bhindi said at the launch of the updated Mazda MX-5 (which includes a unique-to-Australia GT RS version) and CX-9.

Mazda’s local boss subsequently confirmed to carsales that the butch new BT is being designed and developed in-house, and would only be sold in Australia.

Asked specifically if Mazda was farming out engineering development of the new ute to an external group, Bhindi said: “That’s not our plan, no.”

This means the Aussie Mazda ute is being developed along similar lines to the Toyota HiLux Rugged X and Rogue, which was handled in-house by Toyota Australia, and stands in contrast to other rival models built in conjunction with local engineering firms.

These include the Premcar-developed Nissan Navara Warrior, which will soon be upgraded in line with the latest series, and the forthcoming Walkinshaw Group-fettled Volkswagen Amarok W580, the first batch of which sold out online within five minutes.

Together with the Ford Ranger Raptor, which carries comprehensive Australian design and development, the Mazda version will tap into the rich vein of customer demand for tough top-end one-tonne utes with uprated performance and/or extended go-anywhere capability.

It is primed to slot into the top of the Mazda BT-50 range at about the $70,000 mark, and is expected to feature some of Mazda’s locally-engineered accessories including its steel front bar and bash plate, along with a suspension lift, sports bar, new wheels, off-road tyres and a handful of interior upgrades.

Most of the parts will be manufactured by off-site fabricators, most local and potentially a few international.

The 3.0-litre turbo-diesel engine (140kW/450Nm) – which also features on the closely-related Isuzu D-MAX – is not expected to be touched.

As carsales has reported, Isuzu UTE Australia is also considering its own tough truck version of the D-MAX.

Bhindi wouldn’t be drawn on launch timing for the new BT-50 flagship, but confirmed the program is well into development.

“We’re still going through our planning and locking in those plans. It’s not tomorrow, but it won’t be too far away,” he told carsales.

Mazda Australia’s engineering team currently implements homologation, compliance and emissions testing, and recently finished work on several significant accessories including a tough-looking front bar which transforms the BT-50’s front-end design.

The high-grade steel ‘Queensland Bar’ pictured here has undergone extensive durability testing and will be covered under the BT-50’s five-year factory warranty. It features a unique bash plate, new fog lights and integrated indicators, along with headlight protection hoops.

The Mazda BT-50’s new front bar is compatible with the vehicle’s adaptive cruise control system and parking sensors, and has mounting points for extra light bars and spotlights that are likely to feature on the new flagship model.

Ditto for many of the other parts seen on this accessorised BT-50, including 18-inch black alloy wheels, side steps and a rear sports bar, along with extras like a snorkel and a unique tonneau cover.

The 2021 Mazda BT-50 range currently tops out at $59,990 plus on-road costs for the GT dual-cab 4x4 automatic model. Asked about pricing of the new flagship, Bhindi said: “You’ll just have to wait and see what we bring to the table.”