Fans of the Mazda BT-50 bakkie should reach for the tissues as this vehicle will no longer be imported or distributed in South Africa.
“The South African LCV, and in particular the double cab market, is extremely well developed and competitive with locally manufactured brands and nameplates dominating sales. This factor, as well as an extremely challenging landscape for imported vehicles, competing directly with locally manufactured products has led Mazda SA to make this difficult decision,” says Craig Roberts MD of Mazda SA.
The BT-50 made its first appearance in 2008 when it replaced the original Mazda B-Series bakkies – at the time manufactured in an alliance with Ford Motor Company of SA at its Silverton plant.
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The current version, which launched in 2021 and was manufactured in Thailand as part of an alliance with Isuzu, has not made headway into our extremely competitive double-cab market, especially in comparison to brands that manufacture locally.
The existing Mazda BT-50 car parc, both current generation as well as previous generation vehicles both under Warranty and in Service Plan as well all vehicles currently in service on SA roads will continue to be supported by Mazda SA and it’s 42 Dealers around the country. As with the run-out of any specific model, Mazda SA will continue to support BT-50 with all service, repair, and replacement parts.
Mazda Corporation will continue to manufacture the BT-50 as part of its alliance with Isuzu for other global markets.
Colin Windell
Proudly CHANGECARS
