Car Moon

Just shy of 8 months ago, Mazda unwrapped its all-new BT-50 compact pickup truck in double-cab form at the 2010 Australian International Motor Show (AIMS) in Sydney. Now, the Japanese automaker is preparing the next addition to its BT-50 family, the Freestyle Cab version featuring a similar door configuration to the firm’s four-door RX-8 coupe, which will also make its world premiere on Australian soil at the 2011 AIMS to be held in Melbourne from July 1 to 10. Read more »

As we're nearing closer to the 2011 Geneva Salon, automakers are providing us with more details about their plans. Today, Ford announced that it will display a number of new production and concept cars including what the company simply described as a "groundbreaking new vehicle" without getting into any specifics.

At the end of last week, Mazda lifted the covers off its all-new BT-50 pickup truck at the Australian Motor Show in Sydney. Now, the Japanese automaker has released three videos with static shots as well as footage from the motor show reveal. As a reminder, the BT-50 was co-developed with Ford, which also presented its proposal in Sydney, the new Ranger. The BT-50 shares its powertrains, including four- and five-cylinder diesel units and new six-speed automatic and manual transmissions, with Ford's pickup truck. Follow the break to watch the videos.

Shortly after the reveal of the 2011 Ford Ranger that we told you about in our previous post, Mazda released the first photos of the all-new BT-50. As we've mentioned many times before, the two pickup truck models are the result of a collaboration between Ford and Mazda and will both get their world premiere at this week's Australian International Motor Show in Sydney.

The Japanese automaker's iteration of the compact pickup truck theme gets its own unique exterior cues and interior styling inspired by the firm's passenger car range. Though far less aggressive than originally implied on the first teaser sketches, the BT-50's exterior design is more funky than it's Ford sibling. The same can be said about the interior which is said to feature all the accommodations of a passenger car.

The wraps are off the all-new for 2011, Ford Ranger pickup truck which makes its worldwide debut at this week's Australian International Motor Show in Sydney before going on sale in 180 markets around the world but not -you guessed it- in the USA.

Like its predecessor, Ford's new Ranger was developed in cooperation with Mazda, which will also unveil its version of the compact pickup truck called the BT-50 in Sydney.

The new Ranger moves a step closer to passenger cars in terms of styling, interior appointments as well as technology features. It will be available in three different cab body styles, 4x2 and 4x4 drivetrains, two ride heights and four series choices.

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.

Due to the impending death of the American compact truck market, Ford has officially decided to not sell the next generation Ford Ranger in the States after 2011. Instead, the Blue Oval will concentrate on making its half-ton F-150 an all-around contender with a broader engine range. Apparently Ford doesn't think the compact pickup truck market in the States is too important (and at 2%, it really isn't).

This year's Australian International Motor Show in Sydney, which runs October 15 -24, will see Ford taking the wraps off an all-new generation of its Ranger compact pickup truck. The new Ranger will be joined by Ford Performance Vehicles (FPV) first-ever supercharged V8 Falcons, and the Aussie debuts of the current Focus RS and Fiesta Sedan.

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".

Longtime partners Ford Motor Co. and Mazda plan to invest US$350 million in their AutoAlliance (AAT) plant in Thailand to support the production of the next generation of the Ford Ranger and Mazda B-Series compact pickup trucks, which are scheduled to be launched in the middle of 2011. The investment will go to plant upgrades and supplier tooling.

The redesigned Ford Ranger will makes its debut at next month's Geneva Motor Show. Built in Thailand, the new model will hit European showrooms this April and it will be available with two turbo diesel engines in 4x2 and 4x4 configurations and three body styles – Single Cab, RAP (Rear Access Panel) Cab and Double Cab. In design terms, the facelifted European and Asian market pick-up truck is inspired from last year's Ranger MAX Concept.

This summer, Ford will launch in the U.S.A its updated 2010 model year Ranger pickup truck. While the 2010 Ranger does not feature any cosmetic changes whatsoever, it does benefit from the addition of new standard safety technologies like the AdvanceTrac with RSC (Roll Stability Control) and new combination side air bags designed for head and torso protection. Power continues to come from the same engine range that includes the company's 2.3-liter 4-cylinder unit that offers the pickup an estimated EPA fuel economy of 26 mpg on the highway.

Less than a month's time after the unveiling of the Ford Ranger MAX Concept at the Thailand Motor Expo, and the first photos of the revised 2009 Ranger pickup truck have surfaced on the internet. These pictures, courtesy of the Thai-based Fordclub forum, reveal that the European / Asian market 2009 Ranger picks up several design cues from the prototype model including the 'in-your-face' three-piece chrome grille, the domed hood and the headlamp design. We are not aware of any other details, but expect to see an official release in the next few weeks. Hit the jump for more pictures.

The star attraction at Ford's stand at the Thailand Motor Expo that runs from November 28 to December 10 is the Ranger Max pickup truck concept. A team of Ford truck specialists in Thailand worked closely with Ford's Australia-based Asia Pacific and Africa design team, led by Paul Gibson, to create the Ranger Max. According to Ford, many of the design cues seen on the concept could find their way into the next-generation production model of the Ranger.

Orange paintwork aside, the Range Max sports a new fascia with a huge three-bar chrome grille, a customized hard tonneau cover at the rear of the vehicle and what Ford calls a "Sportsbar" which attaches to the pickup bed and arches across the vehicle. A set of deep-dish, 18-inch alloy concept wheels and custom technical-look P285/60R18 tires with a chunky tread pattern finish the Ranger Max's extreme look.

"The tough style of Ranger Max is based on the capability and versatility that make Ford Ranger the choice of the most demanding truck owners," said Mr. Saroj Kiatfuengfoo, senior vice president, Ford Thailand. "Ranger Max's high-impact design and tough style appeal will excite truck enthusiasts in Thailand."

"We recognise that Thailand is the home of Ranger for Asia Pacific, and from Thailand we export Ranger around the world. We know Asia is a fusion of many cultures, and we look to Thailand as a wonderful blend of tastes, styles and emerging ideas. For this very reason, we decided to create Ranger Max in Thailand and show the high-impact truck to the world at Motor Expo," added Mr. Kiatfuengfoo.