2019 Mazda BT-50

[05XR8]

http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mellor.nsf/story2/F1D01BD466301CA6CA257FED0027DED3

MAZDA has put to rest speculation about the future of its BT-50 workhorse by announcing that its next-generation pick-up will be built by fellow Japanese manufacturer, Isuzu.

The basic agreement signed by the two auto-makers this week follows an earlier agreement between General Motors and Isuzu from late-2014 confirming that they would co-develop the next-generation D-Max and Chevrolet/Holden Colorado.

The Mazda deal means there will be three models – the D-Max, Colorado and BT-50 replacement – sharing basic underpinnings in a similar way to Nissan’s NP300 Navara which will form the basis for alliance partner Renault’s just revealed Alaskan and the forthcoming Mercedes-Benz pick-up, likely to be called GLT.

It is understood that the Mazda will have its own look to differentiate it from the Isuzu/Holden models in the competitive one-tonne pick-up market, but information on possible shared powertrains is unclear.

Mazda Australia senior manager of public relations Karla Leach told GoAuto that the agreement was in its “early days” and that more information would be revealed as it comes to hand.

“We will continue to work with the team in Japan as the relationship with Isuzu develops,” she said.

Mazda and Isuzu have been collaborating for more than 10 years, with Isuzu building commercial trucks for Mazda specifically for the Japanese domestic market.

In a statement, the two companies confirmed that Isuzu would produce the next-gen pick-up for Mazda based on its own pick-up, adding that the agreement would allow “Isuzu to enhance its product competiveness and Mazda to strengthen its product line-up and maintain own-brand market coverage”.

Little else is known about the future Mazda pick-up at this stage, but given the announcement has just been made, it is unlikely the next-gen BT-50 would surface before 2019.

Next-gen versions of the D-Max and the Colorado – which both date back to mid-2012 – will almost certainly beat the BT-50 to market. The Mazda BT-50 will be sold in all major global markets, excluding the United States.

There has been speculation surrounding the future of the BT-50 for about a year, with Mazda revealing as late as March this year that it had not locked down a partner to help it build a next-gen ute.

Given it signed a strategic partnership agreement with Toyota in March last year, many pundits had suggested the next Mazda pick-up would be based on Toyota’s new-gen HiLux that arrived late in 2015.

The current BT-50 was produced in collaboration with Ford’s Ranger, largely at its Australian operations in Geelong and Broadmeadows, but a second major collaboration seemed unlikely.

Mazda launched a facelifted version of the BT-50 in September last year, introducing minor styling changes and new comfort and safety tech.

So far this year Mazda has sold 7738 4x2 and 4x4 BT-50s, well behind the dominant HiLux (21,171) and Ranger (18,199) and also trailing the Colorado (9374) and D-Max (7962).

 

[05XR8]

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[05XR8]

Edit.

 

[RocZX]

There already a thread on this
https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/threads/2016-nissan-navara-2018-nissan-frontier.310665/

 

[05XR8]

ISUZU and General Motors have decided to go their own way in the development of their next rough and ready one-tonne utes, ending a deal struck in 2014 for the two auto-makers to collaborate on the next-generation Colorado and D-Max.

If fruitful, the partnership would have produced a Thai-built pair of workhorses that would have shared much of their mechanicals under two different skins, but “unique requirements for each company” prevented GM and Isuzu agreeing on a balance of design parameters.

As such, the two companies today announced that the agreement had been wound up but GM and Isuzu parted company on good terms.

“GM and Isuzu have agreed to cease the joint development program for the next-generation midsize pick-up truck for General Motors International (GMI) markets,” said General Motors in an official statement.

“GM and Isuzu greatly value their relationship and will continue to collaborate on a range of projects across sales, vehicle parts and manufacturing in North and South America, Africa and Asia.

“Both GM and Isuzu agree that due to unique requirements for each company, joint development of the next-generation pick-up truck for GMI markets is no longer the optimal model for this project.”

GM’s Colorado development strategy remains unclear now that the global car-maker has split from the Japanese off-road and commercial vehicle brand, but says it has not been left in the lurch and the new plan is nearly ready.

“GM is finalising its next-generation pick-up truck strategy for GMI and will share its plans in due course.”

Collaborating with other car-makers to create mutually beneficial models is not an uncommon practice with Subaru and Toyota teaming up to build the BRZ/86 sportscar, while Renault, Nissan and Mercedes are at it with another one-tonne ute based on the NP300 Navara.

The collaboration shares development costs for a common goal, but without a partner, both companies will have to wear the full price of designing and developing a ute if both respective parties decide to push on.

It is not yet known how the parting of Isuzu and Holden/GM will affect the deal between fellow Japanese brand Mazda (if at all), which announced earlier this month that it had jumped on board with Isuzu to build its next BT-50. Mazda had previously collaborated with Ford to develop the current BT-50 alongside the Ranger, but that agreement ended.

With GM and Holden now out on its own, the North American brand is likely to lean more heavily on its own resources including Australia’s local design team, and the split of Isuzu could end up resulting in a heavier Australian influence.

Either way, the Australian design team will have submitted sketches to GM’s headquarters for evaluation, and even if the styling goes to a different team, local involvement could extend to the Lang Lang proving ground during development stages.

It is not known whether either company has secured a new co-development partner following the recent separation, or if the flexibility of working alone justifies the greater project cost in the eyes of the car-makers.

Isuzu and General Motors will continue to work together on a number of international projects, including a US commercial vehicle collaboration.

Would love these two to bring back the small to large pickup range.

There is a turbo engine out now(CX-9) and a rotary in the works(RX-Vision). Plus, a diesel from the CX-5(not to mention a new SkyActiv diesel in development).

 

[Keef]

There already a thread on this
https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/threads/2016-nissan-navara-2018-nissan-frontier.310665/

Being that it's over a year old, I'm not sure there is.

Anyway, I'm glad they're not selling this in the US because it would get destroyed in the market. Even though there are only a few small truck options, the market is saturated with them and really isn't demanding anything else. The bases are covered as well as you could ask for. But they're marketers have more info than me so I assume they'll be able to profit elsewhere.

 

[RocZX]

Being that it's over a year old, I'm not sure there is.

This thread on the Nissan Navara/Frontier. The OP was changed days later.

 

[05XR8]

http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mellor.nsf/story2/D107CC0B177B1B96CA25806F000EBE91
THE plans for the next generation version of Mazda’s BT-50 have been set, and the strength of the brand’s relationship with new partner Isuzu is expected to pay dividends, according to company executives.

Mazda’s current BT-50 is built alongside its mechanical twin, the Ford Ranger, in Thailand, but received only a light makeover in September 2015 ahead of an announcement later that year that the partnership between Mazda and Ford would end.

Mazda Motor Company senior managing executive officer research and development Kiyoshi Fujiwara confirmed that he had signed off on the next-generation BT-50’ s basics with Isuzu in early November.

“The issue is that the sales volume of pick-ups in our markets is not huge, so we cannot develop by ourselves,” he told journalists at the Los Angeles motor show. “Therefore we also search for a partner. Fortunately, I reached Isuzu as a partner.

“Earlier this month I visited Isuzu in Hokkaido, I discussed with Isuzu guys how to develop the pick-up truck for the future, and we have already input our requirements. Now properly, Isuzu can develop our next pick-up.”

Mr Fujiwara pointed to the fact that the two companies have long shared technology via Japanese-market commercial vehicles.

“We have a long, long relationship with Isuzu through Japanese commercial trucks, so I think the good commercial relationship is already done. It is a good result,” he said.

MazdaBT-50 center imageLeft: Mazda Motor Company senior managing executive officer research and development Kiyoshi Fujiwara.

He declined to divulge specific details of the next-generation truck, which competes locally in a competitive segment dominated by the Toyota HiLux and Ranger, as well as the Mitsubishi Triton and the Holden Colorado and Isuzu D-Max that currently share underpinnings, but did say that it needed to fulfill some basic tenants.

“We want styling, of course, and good vehicle dynamics,” he said. “BT-50 is also our product and under our brand image. I cannot say which direction we are going, but this product is under our Kodo design and brand image.”

Under its current partnership, Mazda adds its own external and internal styling elements to a Ford-bodied and powered pick-up.

Isuzu’s next-generation D-Max will serve as the donor for the BT-50 range that is expected to offer 4x4 and 4x2 variants in cab-chassis, extra cab and dual-cab styles.

“I trust Isuzu as I trusted Ford in the past,” said Mr Fujiwara. “We have requested our requirements for the product, and I trust Isuzu’s capability the same as Ford.”

He also highlighted the importance of Australian input, referring to Mazda Australia managing director Martin Benders for a question about localised development.

“Mr Benders requested strongly for the BT-50 in Australia,” he said. “Australia is the biggest market, and therefore I always listen to him.

“Australia is the strongest market in the Mazda company, so I always learn a lot of things from Australia, like sales, marketing, how to establish a brand network… everything. They are the best people for Mazda.”

Mazda Motor Corporation managing executive officer and head of design Ikuo Maeda, meanwhile, said that designing the new ute will present its own challenges as the brand moves into a new era of more considered design.

“We want to make it beautiful, but we still have to have the box (on the back),’ he said. “If possible, we want to make it art. We want to try that.”

However, he wasn’t prepared to answer questions around whether the company’s latest design philosophy, ‘car as art’, would be implemented for the BT-50.