Back when Mazda was in cahoots with the Ford Motor Company, the Nippon manufacturer gained access to the Ranger’s underpinnings to create the BT-50. A replacement for the B-Series trucks, the mid-sizer can trace its roots back to 2006. The second generation arrived in 2011, and since then, little has changed under the skin of the workhorse.
Even though Isuzu is seen by some as a low-cost alternative in the mid-size pickup segment, don’t forget that Chevrolet’s Colorado uses a few nuts and bolts from the D-Max. The same applies to the GMC Canyon and Holden Colorado, and looking at the bigger picture, Isuzu is a world-class manufacturer of diesel engines with an emphasis on reliability.
To be provided to Mazda as an OEM, the D-Max with BT-50 styling and badging should be treated to four- and six-cylinder turbo diesels as well as a six-speed manual and a torque-converter automatic. The RZ4E-TC GEN2 inline-four with 1.9 liters of displacement is good for 150 PS or 148 horsepower and 350 Nm (258 pound-feet) of torque.
The 4JJ3-TCX, on the other hand, cranks out 190 PS or 188 horsepower and 450 Nm (332 pound-feet) of torque from 3.0 liters. Though the bi-turbo diesel of the Ranger Raptor is more potent in both regards, don’t forget that the off-road sports truck is limited in terms of towing and payload capacities because of the trail-rated hardware it boasts.
Imagined with the front fascia of the CX-9 family crossover and the taillights of the D-Max, the design proposal for the BT-50 from Kleber Silva looks pretty close to the real deal. It’s hard to imagine Mazda going for a different styling language than the one it currently has, and it’s also impossible to expect any changes in the cabin compared to the D-Max.
Three years ago, a couple of previous-gen prototypes were photographed at Mazda’s U.S. headquarters in Irvine, California. However, don’t expect the BT-50 to go on sale in the United States next year because Mazda doesn’t have where to build this truck locally and the powertrains need to be recalibrated or changed to meet EPA requirements.
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