Launched in 2020, the third-generation Mazda BT-50 transitioned from using the underpinnings of a Ford Ranger to those of the Isuzu D-Max. It’s more along the lines of a rebadged truck with a restyled front fascia in keeping with the corporate Kodo design language. Isuzu makes the pickup in multiple body styles for Mazda at its plant in Thailand, but the utilitarian vehicle with its body-on-frame architecture is sold only in select markets.
One of them is Australia where the ute has received two accessory packs to toghen up the BT-50. The SP Pro debuts a Nitrocharger for the truck, featuring new springs to lift the vehicle by two inches (five centimeters) for better all-terrain capabilities. The kit comes along with twin tube shock absorbers, exclusive 18-inch wheels, and a light bar inside the front grille that can illuminate the road ahead by up to 1,866 feet (569 meters). Rounding off the list of items is a decal applied on the bottom section of the doors. Mazda is charging 7,668 AUD or about $5,100 at current exchange rates.
Step up to the BT-50 Thunder Pro and the pickup truck is fitted with an Old Man Emu BP-51 suspension equipped with nitrogen-filled dampers with a remote reservoir. Compression and rebound are both manually adjustable, while the addition of a snorkel allows you to tackle deeper waters. It too gets a light bar, plus two round LED driving lights to illuminate more than 0.7 miles (1.1 kilometers) ahead. Decals are also included. Mazda Australia says the package costs 9,046 AUD ($6,060) and mentions a customer saves 500 AUD ($335) compared to ordering the items individually.
You don’t have to buy a new truck to have these goodies as the SP Pro and Thunder Pro can be retrofitted to existing vehicles, complete with a two-year warranty. Should you want to acquire a new BT-50 with either of the two packages, the warranty increases to five years and unlimited mileage. These kits have been tested in Australia and Mazda has taken extra measures to make sure the ABS and electronic stability control system have not been negatively impacted.
