Mazda BT-50 or its sibling Isuzu D-Max: Which 4x4 pickup truck is more interesting to buy right now?

KUALA LUMPUR: The all-new model of the Mazda BT-50 4x4 pickup truck has arrived in Malaysia. First some history on the BT-50 truck. Mazda has never been involved completely in the design and manufacture of 4x4 pickup trucks.

Earlier BT-50 trucks were sharing the platform of the Ford Ranger and they were also built at Ford’s Auto Alliance 4x4 pickup truck factory in Rayong, Thailand.

The last generation BT-50 which arrived in Malaysia in 2014 had a completely new face designed by Mazda but under its sloping hood, it was using all of the Ford Ranger mechanicals. Then sometime in March 2017, the Mazda BT-50 got an aggressive facelift but sales were slow as the competitors were launching fresh new trucks.

Fast forward to 2020 and Mazda Motor Japan decided to end their long-standing 48-year partnership with Ford Motor. Yes, Mazda and Ford have been working together in ASIA for almost 5 decades and it includes cars and vans also.

Remember the Ford Laser and Mazda 323 family cars? Then there was the Ford Spectron van and the Mazda Bongo van. There were also large family sedans, the Ford Telstar and Mazda 626.

So, this relationship came to an end as Mazda worked on SkyActiv technology for the engines and Kodo Designs for the cars, MPV’s, SUV’s and also crossovers.

However, when it came to their BT-50 pickup truck, they decided to look for a new partner and this is why we have this new relationship with Isuzu Motor and their best-selling D-Max.

This new BT-50 is jointly developed with Isuzu and is built on the very same production lines at the Isuzu factory in Thailand. Both share the very same underpinnings and engines and carry unique body panels to differentiate their purpose.

Yes, it is clear from the marketing and promotional material provided that the all-new award-winning Isuzu D-Max continues to be a segment-best workhorse with an up-market cabin as requested by pickup truck customers over the years.

Meanwhile, the all-new Mazda BT-50 looks more like a class-act SUV (very similar to the CX-8 SUV right up to its rear doors only) with a luxuriously appointed interior. Once inside the BT-50 cabin, you might easily forget that you are inside a pickup truck.

With all the necessary SUV cabin features, touchpoints and quality, this BT-50 looks like it is targeted for urban cowboys who want that added open cargo space at the rear for their lifestyle activities.

Activities like cycling, camping, trekking, motor cross, and more that require a rear deck that is easily washable whilst keeping its cabin spotless and clean.  

The Isuzu D-Max in Malaysia is priced from RM 88,599.20 for the base single cab manual gearbox version and goes right up to RM 141,938.40 for the 3.0L double cab automatic gearbox X-Terrain model.

Whereas the all-new Mazda BT-50 is priced in Malaysia at RM 124,179.20 for the 1.9L model and RM 143,218.40 for the high specification 3.0L model. It is only available as a twin cab with an automatic transmission, which clearly means that this new BT-50 is leaning more towards the ‘lifestyle’ pickup market.

There is no ‘farmers’ or ‘plumbers’ version of the Mazda BT-50 on sale.

Also read: Mazda 2 Hybrid unveiled in Europe