The Philippines is no stranger to toughened-up pickup variants hoping to cash in on buyers’ obsession with rugged looks. Toyota Motor Philippines has the Hilux Conquest, and Nissan Philippines has the Navara Pro-4X—Japanese trucks that both boast a host of add-ons meant to beef up their stock look.
That said, our market’s examples are no match for the kind of stuff Australia comes up with. Down Under, even the Mazda BT-50 double cab gets a substantially more off-roadish appearance through its new XTR LE variant.
The Mazda BT-50 XTR LE’s biggest highlight is the brutish new bullbar that’s been installed on its face. The component flaunts an attractive polished alloy finish and has been tested thoroughly to ensure its compatibility with the BT-50’s crumple zones and safety assist technologies. This upgrade gives the truck a substantially tougher look, too.
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Out back, Mazda has given this variant a polished stainless steel sports bar equipped with an integrated LED brake light. The rear of the vehicle now also features a new heavy-duty bed liner that supposedly provides superior scratch and dent protection.
All Mazda BT-50 XTR LE units come equipped with a 3.0-liter DOHC turbodiesel capable of churning out up to 188hp and 450Nm of torque. Shifting is handled exclusively by a six-speed automatic transmission as well, and the truck comes with a 4x4 drivetrain (naturally).
Locally, the toughest version of the Mazda BT-50 you can get without going the aftermarket routes is the limited-release 4x4 Pangolin Edition 2. How do you think Australia’s XTR LE stacks up against this? Chime in.
More images of the Mazda BT-50 XTR LE
