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The Japanese car giant has welcomed competition from the likes of the Kia Tasman, as its dual-cab ute prepares for a mid-life facelift.
Mazda says exterior design will remain a focus of the company – and "all" its models "need to look good" – as its third-best seller, the BT-50 ute, prepares to face a wave of new competition from South Korea and China.
While it is unable to match Chinese brands on price – nor has launched as many new models as rival marques in recent years – executives for Mazda say styling is "very, very important" for the Japanese brand, and something it invests heavily in.
Among the models most under threat from upstart rivals is the BT-50 ute – with the updated model due to launch early next year – which by mid-next year will face off against the controversially-styled Kia Tasman, as well as the likes of the BYD Shark 6.
Mazda Australia boss Vinesh Bhindi acknowledged design as "an important thing" for the brand, when asked by Drive if it sees style as a point of difference for the BT-50 in the ute class.
"It is a very, very important thing, and the investment that Mazda makes in designing [attractive] designs is up there," he said.
"All our cars need to look good. They need to get the Mazda design treatment anywhere and everywhere possible. So it's the strength of our brand."
He acknowledged styling as a reason customers say they bought a BT-50.
"It's not only style. I mean, we have been selling utes since 1966, in one form or another. We've had a long presence in this market with utes, and design is only one element. I think it's about all elements of the brand that our fans probably look at."
Bhindi welcomed competition from the Kia Tasman, which is due mid next year with similar engine outputs to the BT-50 from a turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine.
"Competition is not an issue. It's great, because it gives Australian consumers more choice, more comparisons and more options to really pick from.
"Whether it is existing brands adding new products to the portfolio or new brands bringing new products to the table … it usually drives innovation. Competition is good."
Mazda BT-50 sales are down 13 per cent so far this year, compared to a 4 per cent slide for the wider Mazda brand – and 4 per cent growth in 4x4 ute sales.
Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family.
