Look out Ford Ranger Wildtrak, there’s a meaner 2021 Mazda BT-50 coming.
Mazda Australia has confirmed a tougher take on its dual-cab ute will be revealed on March 29, 2021.
The company says its new “tough” ute has been developed by in-house by Mazda Australia engineers, but is otherwise keeping its cards close to its chest.
It’s not clear if the BT-50 set for reveal later this month will be furnished with a range of accessories, or whether it will go further and pack suspension add-ons for better off-road performance.
Artist’s impression of a tougher Mazda BT-50
The last ‘tough’ ute from Mazda Australia was the BT-50 Boss, which featured fender flares, unique alloy wheels, graphics on its sides, and extra standard kit.
The new BT-50 could follow in the footsteps of the Boss, along with those of rivals such as the Ford Ranger Wildtrak X, with a tougher look from a similar range of extras.
Rivals from Toyota and Ford also feature add-ons such as lockable sliding tonneau covers and sports bars for the tray, both of which would be logical additions to a meaner Mazda ute.
Power is likely to come from the same 3.0-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine as the rest of the range, producing 140kW of power and 450Nm of torque.
Currently, the range-topping model in the BT-50 range is the GT, which is heavy on luxury options but light on butch, adventure-ready looks.
It’s priced from $59,990 before on-road costs with an automatic transmission, and features brown leather seat trim, an eight-way powered driver’s seat, front parking sensors, and chrome mirrors.
The Mazda BT-50 GT
The new BT-50 has leapt out of the blocks in 2021, with 2231 deliveries to date (up 62 per cent) putting it ahead of the Nissan Navara in the hotly-contested dual-cab ute sales race.
Mazda hasn’t fallen victim to the same supply troubles as Isuzu – which has seen five-month waits for the range-topping D-Max X-Terrain – despite sourcing the BT-50 from the same factory in Thailand.
