All-New 2011 Mazda BT-50 Global Pickup Truck

The Mazda BT-50 is the sister truck to Ford's all-new Ranger global small pickup. Both were developed by
a team led by Ford’s Australian engineering team, although Mazda had considerable input from the start.
While the trucks are almost identical underneath and share many parts, Mazda’s designers have given the BT-50 a radically different look. The Ranger is more traditional with predominantly straight edges, while Mazda
has gone for a much more shapely design that it describes as emotive.
The BT-50 shares certain hard-points with its Ford twin and has the same general dimensions, but it features a different shell and tub. Its dramatic nose sets it apart from other more conservative commercial vehicles and links it to the Mazda passenger car range. In Mazda’s own words, it wanted the BT-50 to look like a “sophisticated beast.”
The truck’s chief designer, Ryo Yanagisawa, said he looked to nature for inspiration when it came to shaping the BT-50 — more specifically, a picture of a lion.

The company says the BT-50 offers unique value with expressive styling, a comfortable and high-quality interior, the feel of a passenger car, and sporty and responsive driving dynamics that match the fun-to-drive characteristics that Mazda is all about.
While Ford released a lot of detail on its new Ranger, Mazda declined to release any information on the production BT-50.
It is likely there will be some sharing of the engine lineup Ford has announced, including the 2.2-liter four-cylinder and 2.5-liter inline-five-cylinder turbo-diesels and 2.5-liter naturally aspirated gas engine, but Mazda is tight-lipped. It has already been announced that the two vehicles will be produced in Thailand next year. This plant is a joint venture between Ford and Mazda.