Mazda BT-50 SP Pro 2024 Review

Adding $7668 to the 2024 Mazda BT-50 SP ute’s standard ask of $68,660 plus on-road costs, the Pro Enhancement Pack lifts the price beyond $76,000, which takes it beyond even the range-topping BT-50 Thunder at $74,095 plus ORCs.

It also puts it towards the top of the dual-cab tree alongside rivals like the Ford Ranger Wildtrak X (from $76,890 plus ORCs), Nissan Navara PRO-4X Warrior (from $70,765 with auto), Toyota HiLux GR Sport (from $73,990) and the Volkswagen Amarok PanAmericana (from $75,990).

For the added dollars, the 2024 Mazda BT-50 SP Pro Enhancement Pack brings a significant suspension rework, lifting the ride height by around 40mm and adopting twin-tube dampers, which claim to improve on- and off-road ride comfort.

Cosmetically, there’s not much to write home about, just a bit of decal work on the BT-50’s flanks, as well as bespoke black steel wheels wearing the same 265/60R18 tyres as the regular SP but widening the front and rear track measurements by 12mm.

Peeping out from within the corporate Mazda grille is a Lightforce LED light bar that adds depth and brightness to the already-effective LED headlights.

Otherwise, it’s all regular BT-50 SP. There’s a part-Alcantara-clad interior, heated front seats – eight-way powered on the driver’s side only – dual-zone climate control, embedded sat-nav, a pleasantly-punchy eight-speaker sound system and a roll-out tonneau cover.

Two gloveboxes are provided – the lower one lockable – as well as dual cup holders in the centre console, bottle holders in all four doors and a rear fold-down arm rest.

The side windows are powered – with single-touch up-down only on the driver’s side – and there’s an overhead sunglasses container beneath the auto-dimming rear-view mirror.

All BT-50 variants are covered by Mazda’s five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, with the Enhancement Pack included if it’s already there at the initial purchase. If fitted retrospectively, the warranty is limited to two years.

Servicing is scheduled for every year or 15,000km, depending on which comes first, and the roadside assist program stretches to cover the full five-year warranty period.

Servicing a BT-50 over five years or 75,000km – whichever comes first – will cost an ‘estimated’ total of $2443.

Scoring a full five-star ANCAP rating in 2022, the 2024 Mazda BT-50 SP has eight airbags that include a knee airbag for the driver, plus a front centre airbag, full-length curtain airbags and side and frontal airbags for the driver and front passenger.

High- and low-speed autonomous emergency braking (AEB) – not necessarily shared by all BT-50 competitors – pedestrian avoidance, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning with lane keep assist, post-collision braking, blind spot monitoring, front and rear cross-traffic alert, driver attention detection, tyre pressure monitoring and a single rear camera are all standard.

Unlike, say, Ford’s all-disc Ranger, the BT-50 is fitted with a front disc/rear drum brake combination but includes all the usual active safety gear including ABS and stability control, plus off-road workhorse-friendly tech like rollover mitigation, hill descent and trailer sway control.

There are no changes to the 2024 Mazda BT-50 SP’s in-cabin tech specs with the addition of the Pro pack.

Included is a 9.0-inch touch-screen with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity (both USB-connectable but only CarPlay is wireless), sat-nav, Bluetooth phone and audio, USB points front and rear, a single 12-volt outlet and AM/FM/DAB+ radio.

With outputs of 140kW/450Nm, the 2024 Mazda BT-50’s 3.0-litre four-cylinder Isuzu turbo-diesel doesn’t have as much power or torque as the 2.0-litre twin-turbo Ford Ranger’s 154kW/500Nm or the 2.8-litre Toyota HiLux’s 150kW/500Nm, and this can be felt from the driver’s seat.

The six-speed auto gearbox delivers to a dual-range, part-time 4x4 driveline with a rear diff lock.

The official fuel economy claim for the 2024 Mazda BT-50 SP is 8.0L/100km, which compares well with the Toyota HiLux (7.9L/100km) but is behind the high-tech Ford Ranger four-cylinder biturbo that quotes a combined consumption figure of 7.2L/100km.

Our review BT-50 with the Pro Enhancement Pack averaged what we consider to be a class-competitive figure of 9.4L/100km in relatively mild conditions with no off-roading involved. Not bad considering the lift.

The BT-50’s fuel tank, at 76 litres, is a little down on Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger, which both have a slightly more generous 80 litres.

It’s necessary to concentrate hard to distinguish any obvious differences in general road manners between a standard 2024 Mazda BT-50 SP and one fitted with the Pro Enhancement Pack.

Engine response and noise levels are no different but it’s possible that ride quality has been minimally improved via the new shocks and springs which, if little else, allow for a bit more suspension travel.

Considering what we are talking about here is a simple double-wishbone/leaf-spring layout, the worked-over SP does a good job of absorbing roughed-up road surfaces and feels less unwieldy on the bends than some competitors (particularly the previous Mitsubishi Triton ) as its steering goes from lock to lock in just 3.3 turns.

The 3.0-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder delivers sturdy power but doesn’t have quite the urgency of response experienced in, say, Toyota’s HiLux. And it’s well short of the Ford Ranger.

Smoothness and noise levels aren’t brilliant either but – apart once again from the Ford Ranger – that’s a normal expectation of a large-capacity four-cylinder diesel. The 450Nm of torque, even if it’s 50Nm shy of Ranger and HiLux, means the six-speed auto gearbox is adequate for the task – although it gets more needy on the highway where steep hills require some downshifting.

The discreetly-hidden light bar enhances the brilliance a lot, but in our review car it didn’t appear to be aimed effectively and, rather than extending the forward field of vision, threw most of the added illumination directly in front the car.

The 2024 Mazda BT-50 SP in standard form is very capable off-road and the Pro Enhancement Pack is designed to make it even moreso.

With an extra 40mm of ground clearance, the Pro Enhancement Pack brings added confidence off-road without noticeably affecting the Mazda’s poise on regular roads.

A total 280mm of clearance and 40mm of extra travel are very handy, while the BT-50’s rear diff lock makes a difference between what can be a struggle and what is possible.

Equipped with the Pro Enhancement Pack, the 2024 Mazda BT-50 SP has the same tray dimensions, load-carrying and towing abilities as the regular model.

Tray load length and width measure 1571mm and 1530mm respectively, there’s 1120mm between the wheel-arches and the load height is 833mm – all comparable with the bulk of its competitors.

The quoted payload of 892kg is down on the D-MAX (985kg) and below the HiLux (1000kg) and Ranger (942kg), but the braked towing capacity is identical at 3500kg.

Inside, the Mazda BT-50 is clearly a Mazda, with an appealing dash that’s more conservatively styled but shares essentially the same functional hardpoints – push-button starter, console shift controls, 4x4 selector dial, pull-up handbrake, instrument panel readouts and steering wheel buttons – as the Isuzu D-MAX.

There’s generally no problem coming to terms with the technology, and the seats, dimensions and comfort facilities are all up to speed in the segment.

There’s ample room in both front and rear ends of the cabin and the appealing ambience is anything but what would once have been expected of a 4x4 ute.

The only real problem is the large but archaic LCD screen reflects mightily – rendering it almost impossible to read in some lighting conditions – and the hopelessly unintuitive touch-screen controls.

Learning to operate just the sat-nav without deeply consulting the handbook is all but impossible.

Adding the various items of the Pro Enhancement Pack to the 2024 Mazda BT-50 SP might cost a bit less than if the items were added individually, but even with the in-house development expertise and factory-warranted security, there doesn’t seem to be an awful lot to show for $7668.

Mazda BT-50 buyers will undoubtedly scope out the other options available in this aftermarket-hungry segment before stumping up for the enhancements.

2024 Mazda BT-50 SP Pro at a glance:
Price: $76,328 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 3.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 140kW/450Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 8.0/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 207g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2022)