Mazda BT-50 is a rear- or four-wheel drive mid-size pickup truck that boasts an attractive design, excellent technical and operational characteristics and modern equipment ... Its main target audience is self-sufficient men leading an active lifestyle who need a “multifunctional vehicle” suitable for almost any purpose ...
The next, third in a row, generation Mazda BT-50 (and so far - only in the Australian specification, and only with a double cab) was officially presented on June 17, 2020 during an online presentation, just a few days after the first teasers of the model appeared on the Web.
Mazda BT-50 III
After the "reincarnation" the pickup was transformed in all directions, without exception, from design to technical "stuffing", but it turned out to be just a "disguised" version of the Isuzu D-Max (although it had "family ties" with the Ford Ranger before), with which divided the frame, the cab frame with some attachments, the cargo platform and power units.
Outwardly, the “third” Mazda BT-50 looks beautiful, modern, proportional and stylish, and all due to the proprietary design direction of Kodo - an assertive “face” with aggressively frowned headlights, with an impressive “shield” of the radiator grille and a raised bumper, a balanced silhouette with expressive sidewalls and large wheel arches, unpretentious stern with neat lanterns and a compact bumper.
Mazda BT-50 III
This is a "truck" of the mid-size class with the corresponding dimensions: its length is 5280 mm, of which the distance between the wheelsets extends to 3125 mm, the width is 1870 mm, and the height is 1790 mm.
Interior
Inside, the third-generation Mazda BT-50 is at least not perceived as a "workhorse", but on the contrary - it looks attractive, modern and moderately solid. Stylish three-spoke multi-steering wheel with embossed rim, exemplary instrument cluster with a pair of dial gauges and a color board of the on-board computer, a beautiful and laconic center console crowned with a 9-inch touchscreen of the media system and a logical block of "microclimate" - there is simply nothing in the pickup cabin find fault.
Mazda BT-50 III
But it is worth noting that in the basic versions, everything will turn out to be much simpler.
By default, the "apartment" of the car is five-seater: in front there are ergonomic chairs with an unobtrusive side profile and wide adjustment ranges, and in the back there is a full-fledged three-seater sofa.
Cargo capacity
This mid-size pickup truck boasts a cargo platform with the following internal dimensions: length - 1495 mm, width - 1530 mm, side height - 465 mm.
The maximum permissible carrying capacity of the car is 1065 kg, and in addition to this, it is also capable of pulling trailers (equipped with brakes) with a gross weight of up to 3500 kg.
Specifications
Under the hood of the third generation Mazda BT-50 is a 3.0-liter inline four-cylinder diesel engine with a working volume of 3.0 liters with a turbocharger, a battery "power supply" Common Rail system and a 16-valve timing chain drive, which produces 190 horsepower at 3600 rpm and 450 Nm of torque at 1600-2600 rpm.
By default, the engine is mated with a 6-speed "mechanics" and all-wheel drive transmission of the Part-time type with a rigidly connected front axle, a reduction gear and a locked rear differential, and as an option it relies on a 6-band hydromechanical "automatic" Aisin.
It is worth noting that in the future, the "truck" should acquire a "junior" 1.9-liter turbodiesel, developing 150 hp. and 350 Nm of peak traction, as well as the drive wheels of the rear axle.
Design features
The third "release" of the Mazda BT-50 is based on the Isuzu Dynamic Drive platform, borrowed from the third generation Isuzu D-Max pickup, - it is based on a frame structure with additional transverse amplifiers, which almost half consists of high-strength and ultra-high-strength steel grades.
At the front, the car is equipped with an independent double wishbone suspension, and at the rear - a dependent architecture with a continuous axle secured using leaf springs.
The "base" of the car is equipped with rack and pinion steering with hydraulic booster. All wheels of the truck are equipped with disc brakes (on the front axle - 320 mm, with ventilation and two-piston calipers), supplemented by ABS, EBD and other electronic gadgets.
Options and prices
So far, the third-generation Mazda BT-50 is presented only in the Australian specification - on the local market its sales will begin in the second half of 2020 (configurations and prices have not yet been disclosed), and in the future it will also appear in some Asian countries.
Rich equipment is declared for a mid-size pickup: a scattering of airbags, adaptive cruise control, LED optics, a media center with a 9-inch screen, dual-zone climate control, leather trim, automatic braking system, lane hold technology, high-quality audio system, ABS, ESP and much more.
