Bolder Is Better

Redesigned BT-50 Kicks It Back Into The Limelight.

- Toby Hagon

NEW bumpers are nothing new when it comes to jazzing up the look of a car that’s been on sale for a while, but the one added to Mazda’s BT-50 has a distinctive local flavour.

That’s because it was designed and conceived in Australia, primarily for the local market.

It’s an unusual move and one that came about due to model cycles and a lack of planned visual changes. With no prospect of a styling refresh coming from the brand’s design studios in Japan – Mazda’s next BT-50 replacement being developed as part of a joint venture with Isuzu is not due until 2020 – Mazda Australia executives decided something was required to update the look and keep the car fresh at a time when so many utes are being replaced or upgraded.