Coming Soon: Isuzu D-Max and Mazda BT-50

What will they look like?

Stepping up to provide a more imposing stance than before, the D-Max mule has a heavily revised face with a bigger grille and squared-off fascia. Thinner LED lights with detailed globes make for a sharper appearance while around back the taillights have also changed.

Mazda, which developed its current BT-50 alongside the Ford Ranger, has been hush on any details surrounding the new ute, but will likely tweak key areas of the front with its own LED headlights and grille.

We've rendered what both new utes might look like above. 

What’s new?

We got the scoop on the next-gen Isuzu ute last year from director of product planning Yugo Kiyofuji, who told Drive that the current rear three-leaf suspension setup might change to a coilover arrangement.

“Potentially [we would go rear coil suspension], for the next gen,” he said.

“It’s a bit early stage still and whether the suspension changes or remains or not will be dependent on what customers feel. If this [three-span leaf] is not enough it will be fed back to the manufacturer and go into the plan on whether we change the three-leaf or go into something totally new.

Kiyofuji added that the maker was looking to move into the premium segment with the next-gen model, bringing safety technology required for a five-star ANCAP rating such as AEB and lane departure warning, and a more upmarket cabin.

“I think it’s a bigger challenge with the end of life of the current generation and something we’d look at with next generation,” he said.

“There are some features we currently don’t have that you would need to have to move into that premium category. We’re talking about adaptive cruise control and stuff which are features you’d get on those sorts of brands.”

Tipped to bring a much more contemporary interior, Mazda might further improve on the formula with its recent push to have more upmarket cabins.

Under the bonnet, the current Isuzu-built 3.0-litre four-cylinder diesel is likely to continue, though the brand says it is considering the European 1.9-litre diesel to supplement the range or could even build a whole new engine.

“Potentially [we’ll bring the 1.9-litre here],” Kiyofuji told Drive.

“We have to think about the whole uses of the customer, in case the 1.9-litre is too weak and it’s not a good choice for us. We’ll see what its potential is.

“Currently in the market Euro 6 is under discussion. Potentially (we’ll build a whole new engine), it’s still ambiguous how the Euro 6 regulation will go ahead.”

What’s on the wish list?

No longer a romantic fantasy, utes tricked up to the level of the Ford Ranger Raptor can bring a new level of ability. Riding better both on and off the road, an Isuzu rival based on the current-generation Arctic Trucks version could happen.

But so far, it seems a more powerful engine such as a petrol or diesel V6 is not on the table, according to Kiyofuji.

“Some boast about V6 and some about figures but we are not trying to go into the battle of the figures."

When are they coming?

The new Isuzu D-Max is slated to be revealed later this year and launch in 2020, before Mazda begin to preview its own version.