The weeks preceding the official reveal of the Toyota Hilux saw 2 to 3 unofficial leaks in the form of images and stats. It almost seemed as if they were doing it on purpose. Now, we’re getting an all too familiar leak of the Mazda BT-50. Surprise, surprise, it’s from their Thai plant.
Does this coincidence have anything to do with the recent partnership between Mazda and Toyota? Probably not. But what’s important is that we’ve learnt a little about the upcoming pickup.
First of all, it’s still based on the Ford Ranger, so we can expect similar engine configurations, and perhaps that means fewer SkyActiv features will carry over. Other than that, the photo leak doesn’t exactly reveal all. We see a very familiar front fascia, but it has got a new grille and headlights. The new grille brings the BT-50’s looks up to date with the rest of its fleet. The hood is also reshaped and turn signals have now been integrated into the wing mirrors.
