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Australia will be the world stage for the global unveiling of Mazda's suicide-door ute, but it's mainly our market that is being targeted by the vehicle.
The BT-50 Freestyle will be revealed at the Australian International Motor Show in Melbourne, following in the tracks of the world's first look at the dual-cab version at last year's show in Sydney.
While a future single-cab version is a forgone conclusion -- but hasn't been officially confirmed- Mazda spokesman Steve Maciver said leading with reveals of the first two body styles would raise moreinterest in the ute sub-segments where the BT-50 is lagging.
"We certainly perform very well with the single cab, but where we're a little underdone is the 4x4 dual cab area," Maciver says. "That's where we want to grow the business, and the features on the BT-50 will help us compete better in that segment."
Based on the Ford Ranger, the BT-50 in Freestyle form has rear-hinged panels that mirror the front-hinged doors to make for a very wide - 1408mm in this case - pillarless opening, offering easy access to both front and rear seats.
While a large cabin usually tends to eat into tray capacity, Mazda has increased the tub volume of the Freestyle by 266 litres for a total of 1453 litres. This is further boosted by making more cargo space with the ability to remove the rear seat cushions - which Mazda says have been enlarged and improved for better comfort.
Although it's largely a Ranger twin under the skin, the BT-50's "all-new drivetrain" (promised at last year's motor show) will not be following the Ford down a petrol path, and will instead continue with the ute's turbodiesel focus but with improvements on the outgoing model's 105kW/330Nm 2.5-litre and 115kW/380Nm 3.0-litre.
The BT-50 will go on sale later this year, with pricing and final specifications to be announced closer to the launch date. The BT-50 Freestyle will be revealed at the Australian International Motor Show in Melbourne, following in the tracks of the world's first look at the dual-cab version at last year's show in Sydney.
While a future single-cab version is a forgone conclusion -- but hasn't been officially confirmed -- Mazda spokesman Steve Maciver said leading with reveals of the first two body styles would raise more interest in the ute sub-segments where the BT-50 is lagging.
"We certainly perform very well with the single cab, but where we're a little underdone is the 4x4 dual cab area," Maciver says. "That's where we want to grow the business, and the features on the BT-50 will help us compete better in that segment."
Based on the Ford Ranger, the BT-50 in Freestyle form has rear-hinged panels that mirror the front-hinged doors to make for a very wide - 1408mm in this case - pillarless opening, offering easy access to both front and rear seats.
While a large cabin tends to eat into tray capacity, Mazda has increased the tub volume of the Freestyle by 266 litres for a total of 1453 litres. This is further boosted by making more cargo space with the ability to remove the rear seat cushions - which Mazda says have been enlarged and improved for better comfort.
Although it's largely a Ranger twin under the skin, the BT-50's "all-new drivetrain" (promised at last year's motor show) will not be following the Ford down a petrol path, and will instead continue with the ute's turbodiesel focus but with improvements on the outgoing model's 105kW/330Nm 2.5-litre and 115kW/380Nm 3.0-litre.
The BT-50 will go on sale later this year, with pricing and final specifications to be announced closer to the launch date.
