Since the debut of the third-gen BT-50 in 2020, Mazda Australia has been continuously upgrading it with new trims and a large number of genuine accessories. The latest addition is two new accessory packs designed to improve its off-road prowess and visual presence – the sportier SP Pro and the rugged Thunder Pro.
Starting with the one that looks ready to conquer the Australian wilderness, the Thunder Pro is based on the flagship Thunder trim of the BT-50. The standard model already comes fitted with an off-road bumper, bullbar, lightbar, 18-inch alloy wheels, and fender flares, but the Pro adds a snorkel, a pair of additional Lightforce LEDs (1 lux of illumination at a distance of up to 1.1 km), and side decals.
More: 2023 Mazda BT-50 LE Adds Off-Road Style To Aussie Range
More importantly, the Thunder Pro package includes the locally developed and tested Old Man Emu BP-51 suspension featuring nitrogen-filled dampers with a remote reservoir. Mazda says that the suspension is destined for medium-load use and is manually adjustable for compression and rebound allowing drivers to personalize the driving experience according to the circumstances.
Next up is the Mazda BT-50 SP Pro, upgrading the stock SP trim with a new set of 18-inch wheels, a Lightforce LED lightbar integrated within the grille (1 lux of illumination at a distance of up to 569 m), and side decals. In the chassis department, the SP Pro gets a Nitrocharger suspension with upgraded springs, twin-tube shock absorbers, and a lift kit of up to 2 inches (51 mm).
The new Mazda Genuine Accessory packages for the BT-50 will be available to order from July 2023 through Australian dealerships. Interested parties can spec them as part of a new vehicle order, or install them to an existing BT-50. The SP Pro is priced at AU$ 7,668 (US$ 5,136) and the Thunder Pro costs AU$ 9,046 (US$ 6,058).
The Mazda BT-50 shares its underpinnings with the Isuzu D-Max and is available with two turbodiesel powertrains. The 1.9-liter engine produces 147 hp (110 kW / 150 PS) and 258 lb-ft (350 Nm) of torque, while the 3.0-liter engine is good for 188 hp (140 kW / 190 PS) and 332 lb-ft (450 Nm) of torque. Both are mated to a six-speed automatic gearbox sending power to all four wheels through a 4WD system.
