The midsize pickup segment is booming. And it has reached the point where unexpected automakers are considering the segment. Kia has confirmed a new EV truck is in development for America. Hyundai may partner with GM on a new midsize truck. Even Volkswagen is discussing and not ruling out an American pickup. And we can now add another brand to that list.
Mazda CEO Masahiro Moro spoke to Car and Driver about the possibility of an electric pickup. He did not confirm that a new truck is in development. However, he did not rule out the possibility of one coming in the future.
Key Takeaways
- Mazda is not ruling out a pickup for the American market
- The new truck would require a partner with an existing platform
- Mazda does have an existing technical partnership with Toyota
- It would be Mazda’s first American pickup since 2009
Mazda Is Not Ruling Out A New Pickup
Moro spoke to C&D about the prospect of a pickup truck for the American market alongside its electrification plans. He noted there was a potential for a Mazda small pickup. However, Mazda would need to partner with another truck manufacturer that already had an existing platform.
“We get requests from our data partners to see a small pickup truck, but we don’t have the platform to do it.”
“We could work with other OEMs to get it. Pickup truck is good for many people. Our coverage of the total industry is only 50 percent because we don’t have a pickup truck. It’s good time to think about a future portfolio.”
Mazda Has Sold A Pickup Truck In America Before
Mazda would not be a complete newcomer to the American pickup game. Mazda sold the B Series, also known as the Mazda Truck, in America earlier this century. It was a rebadged version of the Ford Ranger, built alongside the Ranger in Minnesota. It left production in 2009, shortly before Ford dropped the Ranger itself from the American lineup for a hiatus that lasted until 2019.
Mazda currently sells a body-on-frame pickup in Asian markets and Australia, the BT-50, which is a rebadged version of the Isuzu D-Max pickup. That truck, entirely diesel-powered, won’t be a candidate for import into the US.
TopSpeed’s Take
Mazda is selling record numbers of cars in America right now. We would not be surprised to see Mazda expand its lineup to additional segments. A smaller pickup truck built in partnership with an existing manufacturer could make a lot of sense. That route would require minimal technical development on Mazda’s part, and the truck would be profitable.
The question would be who Mazda would partner with on the potential truck and what type of powertrain it would use. Mazda does have an existing financial and technical partnership with Toyota. Toyota being willing to rebadge the Tacoma feels improbable. But the brands teaming up on a different Ford Maverick competitor could be a possibility.
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