At this year’s Australian International Motor Show in Sydney, Mazda is unveiling the All-New BT-50, which Mazada says, “signifies a new direction in the utility segment”. It was developed as an “Active lifestyle vehicle,” and is intended to further extend the appeal of a utility vehicle from traditional business users to a wide range of customers, including families and pleasure-seekers.
Ryo Yanagisawa, chief designer of the all-new BT-50, explains: “Mazda’s brand message is Zoom-Zoom, which refers to the emotion of motion first experienced as a child. With the All-New BT-50, we aimed to express this emotion through the design, and we drew a lot of inspiration from various “movements” in the world around us. For example, we had a photograph of a lion. He looked like a magnificent predator with his muscles all bunching up as though he was about to pounce on his prey. His sinews were stretched taut ready to strike, and his mane framed a sharp, masculine countenance that seemed to say, ‘I am the proud king of the beasts!’ In profile, that lion appeared to be both intelligent and powerful. I really wanted the design of the truck to project that kind of image. This kind of inspiration was the basis of the emotional design that we worked so hard to achieve with the all-new BT-50.”
Key characteristics of the bakkie’s exterior include wedge-shaped proportions, which Mazda say evoke an image of a large carnivore about to pounce on its unsuspecting prey. Sporty and dynamic lines are in tune with the rest of Mazda’s passenger vehicle lineup, while the Mazda family face and five-point grille is said to give the vehicle a more imposing expression with the headlights and a chrome crossbar forming a large pentagon. At the rear, the taillights are stretched horizontally, reaching around the corners and across the tailgate, for a sporty and refined rear view that is similar to a premium SUV.
Inside, the All-New Mazda BT-50 has been designed for a more sporty and personal feel to complement the dynamic exterior image, and create a comfortable space to rival Mazda’s current passenger car standard. The cockpit is designed to wrap around the driver and provide an environment that supports “enthusiastic driving”.
A flowing design connects the center of the instrument panel to the raised center console. Instrumentation is driver oriented and has been designed to be easy legible. The door trim and sides of the center console feature bold metallic panel strips for the purpose of expressing dynamism and appearing to be supporting the interior space.
With modern and refined styling both inside and out, Mazda hopes the All-New Mazda BT-50 will raise the bar in the utility segment and for the first time provide a realistic alternative to the family wagon and 4×4 SUV.
