What’s new with the Mazda BT-50

The Mazda BT-50 is the newest vehicle to join the automaker’s lineup in the Philippines. It is also the only ladder frame chassis to be sold by Mazda locally as well. With that said, the new BT-50 brings with it distinctive Kodo design styling along with a host of new features and a new engine that help make the new pickup truck an even more competitive vehicle. As it’s the newest model to come out of the Japanese automaker, here is what Mazda has done to improve upon its BT-50 nameplate for its latest iteration.

While the previous version of the Mazda BT-50 came with much larger headlights and with a sharper design, this new version comes with the brand’s Kodo design language. It now comes with much sleeker headlights than before, a much larger grille, and new lighting elements found on the bumper of the vehicle. It comes with a more fluid front fascia akin to that of Mazda’s other vehicle offerings such as the CX-8 and CX-9 but with a slightly more rugged look to better fit the pickup truck chassis.

On the inside, the new Mazda BT-50 comes with stark improvements over its predecessor. Gone is the utilitarian dashboard design of the old model and in is the new more premium look. Instead of having just a single layer design that slopes down into the footwells, Mazda has given the new BT-50 a more modern dashboard with is much taller and more upright than the previous model. It also comes with larger air vents found in the center and at the sides along with a bigger infotainment system that ranges in size between a 7- or 9-inch display.

Speaking of technology, Mazda has also upped the features inside the BT-50 by developing its head units for the model. Unlike other automakers that source their infotainment systems from other manufacturers, Mazda has done everything in-house making sure that it blends seamlessly with the rest of the car. Whichever variant you choose all models will come with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capabilities. However, the 4x4 AT model comes with wireless Apple CarPlay making it easier for iPhone users to connect their devices. Even without wires, the connection is seamless and smooth giving a great user experience. 

With other manufacturers slowly increasing the number of safety features they have with their vehicles, Mazda has risen to the challenge by adding new active safety technology to the BT-50. These come in the form of lane departure warning, autonomous emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, automatic high beam control, and forward-collision warning. 

These features come on top of the standard safety features such as dual front airbags, ABS with EBD, electronic stability control with traction control, a reverse parking camera, reverse parking sensors, hill descent control, hill launch assist, and a burglar alarm. 

For the newest version of the BT-50, Mazda has chosen to ditch the old 3.2-liter motor for a new and more fuel-efficient 3.0-liter instead. While it is a bit of a downgrade when it comes to its previous power output which had close to 200 hp and 500 Nm of torque, the new motor’s exact figures are still pretty close. The 3.0-liter produces a healthy 187 hp and 450 Nm of torque mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission for all variants except for the manual model. Despite the reduced output, Mazda says that its new engine from its partner manufacturer will still be able to perform like the older model but will come with better fuel efficiency. With the rising fuel prices, this is something that many customers will surely enjoy and appreciate about the new Mazda BT-50.