Mazda/Isuzu hook-up

As Holden and Isuzu were announcing the end of their Colorado/ D-Max collaboration, Mazda and Isuzu put out a press release advising their intention to take up where the Holden/ Isuzu deal leaves off. According to Mazda New Zealand, “Mazda Motor Corporation and Isuzu Motors Limited have reached a basic agreement on next-generation pickup truck collaboration, allowing Isuzu to enhance its product competiveness and Mazda to strengthen its product line-up and maintain own-brand market coverage.” Translated from ‘corporate- speak,’ that means that Isuzu will do the bulk of the design and building work with Mazda getting a version it can sell as its own. “As with the current arrangement with Ford, both the BT- 50 and Ranger are well differentiated for competition in the market although they share a common platform,” explained Andrew Clearwater, Managing Director Mazda New Zealand. “This same level of product differentiation will continue with this new arrangement, with Mazda taking the lead design and development of Mazda unique content.” What all this means here is that the current, and only recently upgraded, BT- 50 will be the last based on Ford’s top-selling Ranger. That said, the next generation Mazda ute will still be built in Thailand, just at Isuzu Motors’ manufacturing facility rather than Ford’s. It will be by no means the first or indeed only collaboration between Mazda and Isuzu either. For more than 10 years now, Isuzu have been producing Mazda trucks for the Japanese market for Mazda.