Fumio Tone, managing director of Mazda Sales Thailand Co Ltd (MST), made that prediction yesterday, despite the uncertain political climate plaguing the country.

The BT-50, the replacement for the Fighter-series pickup, is made at the AutoAlliance Thailand (AAT) plant in Rayong, a joint venture between Mazda and Ford.

Ford Ranger trucks are also made at AAT, and combined production capacity for both models is 150,000 units.

Like the Ranger, the BT-50 will also be exported on a large scale, with the AAT plant serving as the production base for both Ford and Mazda 1-tonne pickups.

Market response will determine the volume of pickups to be exported to global markets, say executives of the Japanese firm.

Last year, Mazda opened an Asean headquarters in Bangkok to support regional operations, stressing the strategic importance of Thailand to the company's operations.

Also last year, Mazda sold 18,668 vehicles in Thailand, a 32-per-cent surge over the level achieved in 2004.

"We have enjoyed 29 months of continuous growth, and that is more than two years," said Tone.

Tone also said Mazda increased the number of dealerships in Thailand by 11 last year, to 87.

The new Mazda pickup features a new design, with the interior offering a passenger-car atmosphere.

Power comes from either a 2.5-litre (143 horsepower/330Nm) or 3-litre (156hp/380Nm) common-rail diesel engine that is among the most powerful available on the market.

Tone said that apart from front air bags, the BT-50 was the first model in the segment to offer side air bags.

The 2.5-litre model starts at Bt452,900 for the regular-cab S-series, Bt516,900 for the freestyle cab, and Bt583,900 for the double-cab S-series.

Prices for the 3-litre version have not been determined.

Kingsley Wijayasinha

The Nation