A facelifted Mazda BT-50 has been revealed, around 12 months after the updated version of its Isuzu D-Max twin.
The Mazda has picked up various updates made to the Isuzu, though as before it continues to have a unique look.
The updated BT-50 will arrive in Australia in the first quarter of 2025, with pricing and specifications to be announced early in the new year.
UPDATE, 25/10/2024 – We’ve updated this article with local imagery and additional content and pulled it forward.
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Exterior changes include LED headlights with new internals – and a very CX-5-like daytime running light (DRL) signature – as well as a new grille and wheel designs.
“We wanted to make it look like something BT-50 can own,” Mazda Australia marketing director Alastair Doak told Australian media.
“We wanted to make it look bolder, more distinctive within our range.”
The new front bumper features an ‘air curtain’ which Mazda says improves aerodynamic efficiency and, in turn, fuel economy.
Mazda has released images of what appears to be an SP model, which features a colourful trim piece on only one side of the grille, a design element previously introduced on the Mazda 2 range and the defunct CX-5 Touring Active.
Down back, there’s a new tailgate with a ridged design along the bottom, as well as new LED tail lights.
Just in case you weren’t aware the BT-50 was a Mazda, the Japanese carmaker has upsized its logo front and rear.
New exterior colours include Red Earth Metallic, Sailing Blue Metallic and Geode White Pearl, with a total of seven colours available at launch.
Mazda has also teased a range of new Mazda Genuine Accessories “specifically tailored for Australian conditions by the local Mazda team and in collaboration with trusted supplier partners”.
These include a new bullbar and a new canopy.
Inside, there’s a new infotainment system, with a touchscreen measuring up to 9.0 inches.
There are physical volume and tuning dials on either side of the touchscreen, as well as touch-capacitive switches below it.
Vehicle settings can be adjusted using this screen, as well as information like real-time vehicle steering and tilt angles, tyre pressures, and drive mode, Rough Terrain Mode and differential lock status.
These were previously only visible in the instrument cluster screen, which has grown from 4.2 inches to 7.0 inches.
Wireless Android Auto joins the existing wireless Apple CarPlay, while there are now USB-C outlets. There’s also a USB outlet located near the rear-view mirror, suitable for dashcams.
Gloss black trim has been removed from the centre console, with Mazda also noting it has made “subtle yet effective material updates” to the door trims, console lid and ‘mid-dashboard trim’.
It has also moved from brown to black leather trim, while there’s a new black and terracotta Maztex leatherette/synthetic suede upholstery option on flagship models.
On vehicles with this colourway, ‘BT-50’ is stitched on the front seat headrests.
The suite of active safety and driver assist technology has been upgraded, aided by new front stereo cameras.
There’s an active rear cross-traffic assist function that can apply the brakes if it detects you’re about to back into the path of another vehicle.
Traffic Jam Assist joins the suite, while the autonomous emergency braking system gains motorcycle detection and pedestrian detection at intersections and the emergency lane-keep assist can detect road edges without line markings.
The reversing camera has been upgraded, with a hydrophobic coating on the unit itself plus dynamic guidelines visible on the touchscreen display.
While the reveal of the BT-50 update comes 12 months after the updated D-Max was revealed, there’ll be less of a wait for it to reach showrooms.
The D-Max was revealed in October 2023 and went on sale in Australia in May 2024, while the BT-50 is set to arrive between January and March 2025.
Isuzu builds both the D-Max and BT-50 in its factory in Thailand.
MORE: Everything Mazda BT-50
