Avondale Mazda

SYDNEY, Australia ? Mazda has pulled the wraps off its new 2011 BT-50 pickup at the 2010 Sydney Auto Show, and, from the first glance, it's clear the Japanese automaker took considerable pains to differentiate its truck from the companion Ford Ranger.

Mazda said it developed the all-new BT-50, which shares its basic platform with the Ranger, under the styling theme "Sophisticated Beast." The exterior design is, to say the least, rather unusual for the compact-truck segment.

The BT-50 shares its powertrains, including a choice of four- and five-cylinder turbodiesel engines and new six-speed manual and automatic gearboxes, with the Ranger.

But while Ford seems to be appealing to traditional truck owners, touting such attributes as payload capacity, Mazda is emphasizing the BT-50's utility as an "active lifestyle vehicle" and "a realistic alternative to the family wagon and 4x4 SUV."

The BT-50 will join the new Ranger in production at the companies' Auto Alliance joint-venture plant in Thailand, for sale throughout the Asia-Pacific region, including Australia. Like Ford with the Ranger, Mazda has no plans to market the BT-50 in the U.S.