Mazda BT-50 XTR 2024 Review
Seemingly small technical changes do more to benefit Mazda’s BT-50 than might be expectedPlatform sharing – two identical products made by one manufacturer and sold against each other out of different dealer networks – is rife in the car industry, and nowhere more so than in the light-commercial workhorse ute segment. Mazda’s BT-50 was once engineered by Ford Australia, but now shares more with the Isuzu D-MAX. As testament to the success of Mazda’s latest partnership, the BT-50 currently sits among the top five in the light commercial pickup segment. A mild update recently will inevitably help the Mazda maintain its standing in one of Australia’s more competitive market segments.
How much does the Mazda BT-50 XTR cost?
Facing direct opposition from its Isuzu D-MAX clone, plus dominant contenders such as the segment-leading Ford Ranger, Toyota’s omnipresent HiLux and Mitsubishi’s re-emerging Triton, the Mazda BT-50’s pricing is structured competitively.
The XTR-spec BT-50 reviewed here is priced, at $59,280, excluding on-road costs. That is virtually identical to the $59,500 LS-U-spec Isuzu D-MAX and $59,090 Mitsubishi GLS Triton, and not far short of the Toyota HiLux SR5 at $60,250. As befits its status, the nearest Ford Ranger is the XLT model tagged at $63,640 pre-ORCs.
The big pricing gaps come at the top end: The most expensive Ford Ranger is the petrol-engined Raptor at a sky-high $90,440, while the flagship BT-50 Thunder is priced at $74,095 which marginally undercuts Toyota’s $74,310 GR Sport HiLux.
What equipment comes with the Mazda BT-50 XTR?
Perhaps the most significant of the Mazda BT-50’s upgrades is a new button-operated Rough Terrain Mode fitted to all 4x4 variants. This feature activates as the engine comes off idle and modulates throttle and brake inputs to maximise off-road traction.
Mazda says this works in with the BT-50’s locking rear differential and hill-descent control system to increase its finesse in the bush.
The BT-50 XTR – and all variants above – also get an upgrade that is sure to be welcomed by owners faced with fumbling around on arrival at a darkened campsite: accessories and lighting remain active after the engine is switched off.
Otherwise, the BT-50 XTR’s equipment fit out is pretty much standard fare at this level: The cloth-trimmed four-door cabin gets dual-zone climate control, a single 12-volt power outlet, all-power side windows, a centre storage bin/armrest between the front and rear seats and a manual park brake. There are 18-inch alloy wheels with the bonus of a full-size, also-alloy spare. Mazda BT-50s are covered by a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty and servicing is scheduled for every year or 15,000km – whichever comes first – and the roadside assist program covers the full five-year warranty period.
Over five years or 75,000km, BT-50 XTR servicing costs work out to an ‘estimated’ total of $2443.
The Mazda BT-50’s five-year warranty is really the only point where its D-MAX Isuzu counterpart, which is covered by a six-year warranty – with a 150,000km limit – has an apparent advantage.
How safe is the Mazda BT-50 XTR?
The eight-airbag Mazda BT-50 scored a five-star ANCAP rating in 2022 and is equipped with comprehensive safety technology including high and low-speed autonomous emergency braking, pedestrian avoidance, lane departure warning with lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, front and rear cross-traffic alert, post-collision braking, rear parking sensors, driver fatigue monitoring, road sign recognition, tyre-pressure monitoring and a single rear camera.
What technology does the Mazda BT-50 XTR feature?
The Mazda BT-50 XTR comes as standard with GPS, employing a super-reflective nine-inch touch-screen in the dash centre which, is often almost impossible to read, like its D-MAX donor.
In addition, the BT-50 XTR comes with a conventional 4.2-inch two-dial instrument display ahead of the driver, wireless Apple CarPlay with (wired) Android Auto, wireless smartphone charging which is not always common at this level, eight-speaker audio and keyless entry/push-button start. The LED headlights are self-dipping and two USB points are provided, one in the front and one in the rear of the cabin.
What powers the Mazda BT-50 XTR?
The BT-50’s Isuzu 3.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel has a reputation for honest solidity if not refinement. Despite its capacity, the engine produces a relatively meagre 140kW at 3600rpm and a reasonably competitive torque figure of 450Nm between 1600 and 2600rpm.
The transmission, like the bulk of its rivals apart from the Ford Ranger’s 10-speed auto and the Nissan Navara’s seven-speeder, works with just six speeds.
The BT-50’s off-road credentials are enhanced by its part-time 4x4 with low range and a locking rear differential.
How fuel efficient is the Mazda BT-50 XTR?
The Mazda BT-50’s combined diesel-consumption figure is quoted at 8.0L/100km which puts it on the high side compared to its competition which generally manages to sneak into the low (Ford Ranger at 7.2L/100km) or high sevens (Toyota HiLux and Nissan Navara at 7.9L/100km and Mitsubishi Triton at 7.7L/100km).
What is the Mazda BT-50 XTR like to drive?
The Mazda BT-50 XTR doesn’t pretend to be especially suave in its on-road characteristics, but it’s more than competitive in its class and drives with the levels of stability, ride comfort and in-cabin sound attenuation you’d expect. Only the Ford Ranger pips it for overall refinement.
The steering is typically quite slow but not the slowest in the segment, and for a ute is responsive and composed enough to engender some confidence on the open road. At 12.5 metres, the turning circle is about average.
With the help of a slightly lower kerb weight than the Ranger-based BT-50, the power/weight ratio puts the 3.0-litre turbo-diesel BT-50 on an even footing with most 4x4 utes, so describing it as sluggish on the road would be unfair. And its low-end grunt is sufficient to keep the BT-50 grinding away on gnarly inclines with a reassuring confidence.
On rougher, faster surfaces, the BT50 can dance around a bit when unladen, or even lightly loaded, as the basic coil/leaf spring suspension combo does its best to control things. This gets progressively better as the weight being carried gets closer to the quoted 1070kg maximum payload capacity. Braking is by a disc-drum system which is on the verge of becoming passé.
How good is the Mazda BT-50 XTR off-road?
With a 240mm ground clearance, 800mm wading depth and favourable approach/departure and ramp-over angles, the latest iteration of the Mazda BT-50 has proven its off-road worth many times in innumerable comparison tests with its rivals.
The BT-50 XTR reviewed here wasn’t taken off-road, but past experiences comparing the pre-update Mazda with an Isuzu D-MAX – which incorporated the new Rough Terrain Mode off-road system – indicate big improvements for the BT-50 in properly rugged off-road driving.
How much can the Mazda BT-50 XTR carry?
Tub dimensions of the BT-50 XTR see a bit of mixing and matching with the Ford Ranger XLT. Although the Mazda’s load height and width between wheelarches are at a disadvantage against the Ford, the Mazda compensates with a slightly longer and wider load area. The BT-50 XTR is rated to carry a 1070kg payload while the Ranger XLT is quoted at 954kg.
The BT-50 XTR (kerb mass 2030kg) is rated to tow a trailer/van weighing up to 3.5 tonnes, which is pretty much the norm for a 4x4 pickup these days.
What is the Mazda BT-50 XTR like inside?
The Mazda BT-50 XTR’s cabin is spacious for adult passengers, with ample all-round legroom and generous, well-padded and bolstered seats (Power adjustment is not offered at this level). Two-zone climate control is standard, as is six-speaker audio with AM/FM and digital radio.
Two gloveboxes, four cup-holders (two each, front and rear), door pockets with bottle holders and pockets on the back of each front seat ensure there’s enough space around the cabin to locate the most portable paraphernalia.
From the driver’s viewpoint there’s a two-way adjustable steering wheel and the control systems are quite easily sussed, but the control ergonomics lack the strong, intuitive functionality of “real” Mazdas – and this is close to unavoidable in any model shared with another manufacturer.
Without Mazda’s rotating master-controller on the centre console, or even without the tactility of the switches on the multi-function steering wheel, there’s no evidence of the particular design thoughtfulness that is so identifiably a hallmark of Mazda design.
Should I buy a Mazda BT-50 XTR?
The Mazda BT-50 impresses as a nicely resolved, multi-purpose pickup that meets the required standard in terms of functionality, versatility, dynamic capabilities, equipment levels and pricing competitiveness – with any competitor short of a Ford Ranger.
There’s a lot to like. The only real area in which the Mazda BT-50 is hamstrung against the Isuzu D-MAX ute is its shorter warranty terms.
But better than most, the BT-50 XTR brings together all the things a 4x4 workhorse ute buyer wants, and probably needs.
2024 Mazda BT-50 XTR at a glance:
Price: $59,280 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 3.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 140kW/450Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 8.0L/100km
CO2: 207g/km
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP Year 2022)
Related: Mazda BT-50 LE 2024 Review
Related: Upgraded 2024 Mazda BT-50 arrives
Related: Retrofittable premium infotainment system revealed for Mazda BT-50
Tags
- The BT-50 looks more like a working ute than the previous, Ford Ranger-based model
- On-road demeanour feels more car-like, with reasonable ride comfort and acceptably-low cabin nose
- Safety tech is comprehensive and played a part in the current BT-50’s five-star ANCAP rating
- The highly-reflective centre-dash touch-screen is sometimes impossible to read
- Off-road utes would benefit from a road-departure warning system
- AEB in reverse, in a vehicle with compromised rear vision, would be a safety improvement
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
