By The current generation of Mazda’s pickup has been around for a while and after a pretty good reception, it looks like Mazda has ambitions to spread to more markets. According to some rumors, that may include North America as well, where mid-size pickups are becoming more and more popular. At this point, the officials are still quiet on this matter, so make sure to take a big reserve.
If this happens, Mazda will have a lot of strong selling points to offer. This pickup looks very stylish, in a typical Mazda fashion. At the same time, it is a pretty capable machine, which is no wonder if we consider that the design is actually based on Isuzu D-Max. Of course, certain modifications would be needed for the North American market, particularly under the hood.
2023 Mazda BT-50 Design
The current generation of Mazda’s pickup truck came with some pretty significant changes. In the past, this pickup was closely related to Ford Ranger but Mazda finally ended its cooperation with the Blue Oval company. However, it didn’t start to design pickups on its own. Instead, there’s a new partnership, this time with Isuzu. The renowned truck maker is famous for its D-Max pickup, which serves as the basis for Mazda’s model.
The mechanics are pretty much the same, which is a good thing, considering that things like max towing capacity and payload are at a pretty respectable level. On the other hand, the styling comes significantly upgrade, thanks to Mazda’s gorgeous KODO design language, which looks great even on a pickup truck. These design solutions are applied mostly at the front, while the rest of the pickup is pretty much the same as the sibling from Isuzu.
Interior
Things are a little bit different on the inside. Due to the different architecture, the dashboard doesn’t look similar to the rest of Mazda’s lineup. Instead, it’s pretty much the same as the one found in the D-Max, which means a bolder and more rugged layout, compared to the smooth and elegant lines that typically characterize Mazda’s interiors.
However, Mazda wrapped out this cabin with nice materials, so the overall impression is pretty good. The cabin looks more upscale compared to other pickups on the market. The sound insulation is also pretty impressive for a pickup and that refined design approach could be a good selling point if Mazda enters the North American market.
Besides its elegant design, this cabin is also quite spacious. We are talking about a crew cab layout, which accommodates adult passengers in both rows pretty easily.
2023 Mazda BT-50 Engines
This is where we would probably see some changes in the North American market. Currently, the BT-50 uses two familiar diesel engines from Isuzu. The first one is a good-old 1.9-liter unit that puts out around 150 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. The other one is a 3.0-liter turbodiesel, which puts out 190 horsepower and 330 pound-feet of torque.
The latter would be a good choice for the North American market, even though it’s a diesel. It offers good fuel economy and more importantly, a pretty respectable max towing rating that goes over 7.700 pounds, which would put this pickup among class leaders.
Still, we are pretty sure that a gasoline version would be offered too. In that case, we presume that Mazda would pick the potent 2.5-liter turbo-four, which puts out up to 250 horsepower and a pretty impressive 320 pound-feet of torque. This would also mean a new transmission, considering that diesel units use gearboxes from Aisin, while this engine comes with Mazda’s automatic transmission.
2023 Mazda BT-50 Release Date
Even though we can hear rumors about the 2023 Mazda BT-50 arrival to North America, chances to see this happen are actually pretty small. On the other hand, this elegant but capable pickup will continue in the same way in markets where it’s already present.
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