When you think of Mazda’s you probably think of a very stylish SUV. Or maybe it’s the compact and sporty MX-5 convertible. Or perhaps even its compact, city-friendly options.
What you don’t think of is climbing over rocks, scrambling up slippery slopes and generally getting down and dirty on some tough off-road trails. And yet, that’s exactly what the BT-50, Mazda’s ute, excels at.
In some respects, the Mazda BT-50 reminds me of James Bond, the suave and sophisticated British secret agent that has no trouble getting his hands dirty and doing the tough jobs when the occasion calls for it. Mazda as a brand is renowned for its design, specifically its ‘Kodo, soul of motion’ design language that carries across its entire range – including the BT-50. But at the same time, the BT-50 can tow up to 3500kg and carry more than 1000kg in the tray, so it’s more than just its looks.
Although, looks were the primary focus for this updated 2025 model. You see, Mazda knows that the modern Australian ute buyer may want a vehicle that can double as a family car, but they also want their ute to look ‘tough’ (which is another way to say boxy and angular). So for this refreshed model Mazda has given the BT-50 a restyled exterior, with a new grille and lower bumper, as well as a bigger Mazda logo. At the rear the tailgate has a redesigned top profile for better aerodynamics and a ridged design at the bottom for a tougher look, plus new LED taillights.
It isn’t a dramatic change, and you’ll need to see the old model alongside the new one to notice the details, but there’s no questioning the BT-50 is still amongst the more stylish, but perhaps less muscular utes on the market.
But, remember looks can be deceiving, because underneath the polished exterior the BT-50 shares its underpinnings with the unquestionably rugged and tough Isuzu D-Max, so it’s about as soft as a concrete pillow.
The majority of the BT-50 range (with the exception of the entry-level XS Single Cab model) is powered by a 3.0-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel engine that makes 140kW of power and 450Nm of torque. The previously available manual transmission has been dropped so all models have a six-speed automatic transmission with the option of 4×2 or 4×4.
We sampled the mid-range XTR dual-cab pickup variant with 4×4 and it impressed on both the road and in the forest trails in rural Victoria we visited. There’s no question the BT-50 isn’t quite as refined on-road as the Ranger, with heavier steering and noticeably busier, more jittery ride when unladen, but off-road it was a match for our experience with the Ford.
While Mazda’s SUV’s are (respectfully) best-described as ‘soft-roaders’ the BT-50 is a genuinely tough and rugged ute that can tackle most off-road challenges with relative ease. With its towing capacity and respectable payload this is a workhorse ute, not a show pony.
The cabin of the BT-50 has been redesigned for 2025 with a more premium look and feel, which somewhat ironically, is what modern ute buyers want – tough on the outside, comfy on the inside. There’s a new infotainment system as well as a new digital instrument display on the XTR model and above, with a new 7.0-inch digital display integrated into the dashboard.
Again, I wouldn’t call the interior a class-leading design, but it’s very nice and has all the key elements you need, including two new USB-C ports as part of the infotainment upgrade. The BT-50 cabin is also spacious, with room for a family or four adults.
What Mazda has done very well with the BT-50 is offer plenty of choice for the wide array of ute customers. There’s 15 individual variants to choose from spread across three body styles (single cab, Freestyle cab and double cab), two engine options, 4×2 and 4×4 as well as five different trim levels – XS, XT, XTR, GT and SP.
That means there’s simply too many models and prices for us to list here, but thankfully Mazda is offering drive-away pricing on selected models from launch, some of which are very sharply priced. The drive-away deals include the entry-level XS single-cab 4×2 starts from $38,990, the mid-range XTR version for $62,490 and GT from $65,990, while the SP that sits at the top of the line-up start at $67,990 drive-away (a big saving when you factor in its $71,500 list price).
While it may not be the most high-profile Mazda, it’s a steady performer for the brand. In 2024 it was the fifth best-selling ute in the country behind only the Ranger, HiLux, D-Max and Mitsubishi Triton. This latest update, combined with Mazda’s reputation, should keep its popularity up even as new challengers arrive to try and reshape the ute market. James Bond isn’t afraid of a fight and neither is the BT-50.
Discussion about this post