Mazda Teases Interior of All-New BT-50 Compact Pickup Truck

In anticipation of the all-new BT-50's launch that will take place at next week's 2010 Australian International Motor Show in Sydney, Mazda has released a second teaser drawing of its compact pickup truck. This time, it's the BT-50's interior design that we get a peek at.

At least from the sketch, the cockpit looks very passenger-car-like featuring a modern design with a wrap-around dashboard layout and a relatively sporty instrument panel with two prominent and deeply set gauges.

Here's what Mazda had to say about the BT-50's cabin: "The interior of the All-New Mazda BT-50 has been designed to complement its athletic and refined exterior design and offers a comfortable and sporty environment to rival Mazda's current passenger car standard."

The Japanese automaker is pitching the new BT-50 not only for what it is - a compact pickup truck, but also as an "active lifestyle vehicle" and a "realistic alternative to the family wagon and 4x4 SUV."

The BT-50 will be joined in Sydney by its Ford sibling, the all-new 2011 Ranger. Both compact trucks are scheduled to go on sale globally (but not in the U.S.) in the second quarter of 2011.

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Paris Show: Mazda2 Facelift Makes Euro Debut

The subtly updated Mazda2 was given its European premiere in Paris today. The Fiesta's brethren enters the 2011 model year with a new face featuring a revised front grille and a re-sculptured front bumper. A fresh choice of exterior colors and alloy wheel designs complete the look.

On the inside, Mazda claims to have improved quality and feel with new materials, seat fabrics and colours, plus some other upgrades such as a new meter design with black background and a closed-type glove compartment.

Underneath the sheetmetal, the Japanese automaker has made changes to the chassis and suspension to provide a more comfortable and smooth ride. Completing the facelift package is the engine line-up that has been updated to comply with Euro 5 regulations.

There are three petrol engines including two 1.3-litre derivatives producing 75 PS and 84 PS, and a 1.5-litre with 102 PS, plus a revised 1.6-litre turbo diesel engine with 95 PS (+5 PS over the previous engine) and 205 Nm. Aside from being more powerful, the diesel unit is also more fuel efficient using 4.2 litres of fuel per 100 km (56 mpg US), while producing 110 grams of CO2per 100 km combined.

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Mazda Sketches All-New BT-50 Compact Pickup Truck, Also Previews New Ford Ranger

What you see pictured here is a teaser rendering of the all-new Mazda BT-50 compact pickup truck that will make its world premiere on Friday October 15 at the 2010 Australian International Motor Show in Sydney. The Japanese carmaker claims the exterior design of its next generation pickup truck will be amongst its strong points offering "a road presence that turns heads and makes it instantly recognizable as a Mazda".

No other details were given about the new BT-50, which is being developed in partnership with Ford. The 2011 Mazda BT-50 and its 2011 Ford Ranger sister model, which has not yet been revealed, will be built at a joint facility in Thailand.

The two companies recently announced plans to invest US$350 million in the AutoAlliance (AAT) plant in Thailand to support the production of both compact pickup trucks, which are scheduled to be launched globally in the middle of 2011.

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The Futuristic Concept of Mazda Taiki

Mazda Taiki has a very unique shape and the concept is based of a front-engine rear-wheel drive layout. The design of this concept car were inspired by flowing robes, it has a complex styling lines which represent the flow of air and it’s looks like a highly stylized sheetmetal sculpture. Mazda Taiki is the latest radical concepts that express organic themes from Mazda.

From the press release they claimed that Mazda Taiki reflects a future generation of Mazda sports cars that aim to create a sustainable society. Mazda Taiki based on the "flow" theme to establish a breathtaking presence which visually expresses the atmosphere (called taiki in Japanese) that wraps the Earth in its protective mantle. The basic proportions of the car begin with the stretched coupe form of a front-engine rear-wheel-drive layout, the short overhangs, and an all-glass canopy.

The Interior concept was based on an Air-tube, the interior space creates the dynamic sensation that the flow of the wind is being visually depicted. The effect of the design integrates the design theme perfectly to realize outstanding aerodynamic performance.

Mazda Taiki Specifications :

General Specifications :

Country of Origin : Japan

Numbers built : Not Available (Prototype)

Produced in : 2007

Introduced at : 2007 Tokyo Motorshow

Engine Type : Next Generation RENESIS

Transmission Type : Dry twin clutch 7-speed power shift

Suspension (Front/Rear) : Type Double wishbone

Tires : 195/40 R22 YOKOHAMA ADVAN Super-E spec PROTOTYPE 007

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