2025 Mazda BT-50 GT review

Yesterday at 08:30 PM

2025 Mazda BT-50 GT

The big news for the updated BT-50 range isn’t what you might expect. Instead of a major engineering overhaul, Mazda has used this update to usher in styling changes that update the BT-50 to better fit with the brand’s SUV range.

It’s not devoid of updates elsewhere, but the engineering package and interior have only been lightly tweaked. It’s a little bit more than a model-year change, but not quite a traditional midlife facelift.

Arguably, the BT-50 already impressed with a chassis, engine, transmission, and 4×4 hardware developed by Isuzu and shared with the D-Max ute. This hardworking base ensures the BT-50 isn’t out of its depth when the going gets rough.

Being Mazda, though, the brand has something of a premium reputation to uphold, so high-end models in the range, like the BT-50 GT shown here, need to blend towing, payload and off-road credentials with Mazda’s typical focus on comfort and technology.

I spent a week behind the wheel of the new BT-50 to see if this latest round of updates delivers the iron-fist treatment in a typically-Mazda velvet glove.

How much is a Mazda BT-50?

With plenty of competition in the dual-cab ute segment, Mazda looks to have paid attention and rolled out drive-away deals on some variants in the BT-50 range.

Taking a leaf out of development partner Isuzu’s book, the BT-50 GT shown here is currently on offer for $65,990 drive-away, or the next step up the ladder, the BT-50 SP, with bolder styling tops the range for now from $67,990 drive-away. At normal retail the BT-50 GT would be priced from $66,170 plus on-road costs, so there are decent savings wrapped into the offer pricing.

The variant I drove is the BT-50 GT Pickup, with a tub mounted at the rear, but the GT is also available as a cab-chassis ready for you to add your own tray to. It’s the highest variant in the BT-50 range available with a naked rear, with the BT-50 SP moving to a ute body only.

As before, the BT-50 GT continues with a 3.0-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel engine, six-speed automatic, and part-time four-wheel drive. Engine outputs remain the same as last year, with 140kW and 450Nm, and while the BT-50 range is now auto-only, the GT has been that way since 2022 anyway.

The GT picks up some worthwhile equipment upgrades with leather seat trim, rear air vents, heated front seats, a powered driver’s seat, front park sensors, remote start, and a tailgate assist damper added on top of the equipment found in the XTR, one grade below it.

Equipment shared with other grades in the range includes a 9.0-inch infotainment display, LED head, fog, and tail-lights, 18-inch alloy wheels, keyless entry and start with walk-away lock, side-steps, dual-zone climate control, carpet flooring, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and other small odds and ends.

There’s a locking rear differential, a Rough Terrain mode for the 4×4 system, and a comprehensive list of updated and more capable safety systems with autonomous emergency braking, lane keeping and centring, rear cross-traffic alert, and speed sign recognition, plus more, detailed further down in this review.

For anyone considering the BT-50, the Isuzu D-Max should also be on your shopping list. The closest you’ll get on price is the D-Max X-Terrain, from $67,990 drive-away, with a slightly higher spec level and a more aggressive appearance package. Without the drive-away deal, the D-Max LS-U+ starts from $65,500 and lines up against the BT-50 GT in the model range, but would push past $70K with on-road costs added.

Mitsubishi’s reputation for strong value in the dual-cab ute segment holds up with the top-spec Triton GSR priced from $63,840 plus on-road costs normally and drive-away pricing at the time of writing at the same $65,990 drive-away as the BT-50 GT. Mitsubishi’s twin-turbo 2.4-litre engine might be down on size, but manages 150kW and 470Nm, plus the Super Select 4×4 system allows four-wheel drive to be used on and off-road, adding to its all-terrain versatility.

Shopping for Australia’s most popular ute, the Ford Ranger, would limit you to a Ranger XLT dual-cab. From $63,640 or a V6 from $68,840 before on-road costs. To match the Mazda’s sharp drive-away deal, you would potentially need to look lower down the range at something like an XLS.

MORE: 2025 Mazda BT-50 price and specs: Manual variants discontinued in big ute update

Mazda BT-50 best deals

While Mazda is running a current drive-away offer on the BT-50 GT, you might also want to search new, used, and ex-demo Mazda BT-50s for sale around Australia on Drive Marketplace. You can connect with trusted dealers to find your next car.

You can find your local Mazda dealer at this link to check out vehicles in stock. If you’re interested in the latest Mazda news, or if you’re looking for the latest BT-50 updates and offers, click here.

How big is a Mazda BT-50?

Because this 2025 update is largely focused on aesthetics, key body dimensions are unchanged. Same goes for the interior, which has only had a couple of small detail changes and not a major refit.

The major difference on the inside is a switch from the black and ‘driftwood’ brown leather trim. Instead, the new GT comes with a black-on-black interior colour scheme that’s less likely to split opinion, but is less adventurous at the same time.

Front seat accommodation is quite generous. There’s a good amount of space side-to-side, and after you step up into the cabin, the ergonomics line up well. The driving position is tall and upright, but nothing is out of reach, and visibility out of the cabin affords a great view of what’s around.

The driver’s seat features electric adjustment with lumbar support, but no memory function. The leather-wrapped steering wheel is tilt and reach adjustable, there’s leather seat trim, heated front seats, and dual-zone climate control to take care of cabin comfort.

Ahead of the passenger, there are a pair of gloveboxes, with the upper lid featuring a new notched edge (to match the detailing on the tailgate), and the driver gets a small coin compartment to the right of the steering column. The console design remains the same with a pair of cupholders lined up next to the manual handbrake, a decent-capacity lidded armrest, and a small tray under the centre stack that would be perfect for a wireless charger – but that’s a feature not included in any BT-50 model.

The rear seats are comfy, with the seat backrests sculpted to give the outboard seats a slightly more supportive shape. Slightly higher rear seat bases give good forward visibility, but come at the cost of head room for passengers over 180cm. Leg room is workable if you’re putting kids in the back, but if you’re lugging growing apprentices, they may run out of knee room.

In the back, the BT50 GT gets a tub liner and four tie-down points but no power outlets or lighting. The GT spec is also free from sports bars and sailplanes (the latter is included on the BT-50 SP), making it owners’ choice when it comes to cargo covers, tonneaus, or canopies.

Does the Mazda BT-50 have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto?

Infotainment stats look familiar, with the same 9.0-inch infotainment screen and 7.0-inch instrument cluster display sizes as before. The main display has been overhauled, though, with a new, more functional software that’s more user-friendly than before, yet still no leader in that regard.

Rather than use one of Mazda’s in-house infotainment interfaces, the BT-50 uses the Isuzu system, which isn’t the most advanced of its type. The update brings a more information-rich home screen, adds volume and tuning dials in place of the old buttons, and includes a row of shortcut buttons along the bottom of the screen.

The system provides access to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, both via wireless or USB-C connection, and comes with inbuilt satellite navigation, Bluetooth, and AM/FM/DAB+ radio. The GT gets an eight-speaker sound system, which offers average sound quality.

On the CarPlay side of things, I had trouble connecting wirelessly with the car struggling to locate my phone and finish the set-up process. The wireless connection was then slow to connect or simply failed to connect entirely, so mid-week I reverted back to a cabled connection, which was a much smoother experience.

Because this system isn’t Mazda’s own, remote connection to the vehicle via a smartphone and the MyMazda app isn’t supported.

Is the Mazda BT-50 a safe car?

The Mazda BT-50 range received a five-star crash assessment result when tested by the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP). This result is based on ANCAP’s 2022 test program.

Individual sections break down to an 86 per cent adult occupant protection score, 89 per cent for child occupant protection, 67 per cent for vulnerable road user protection, and 84 per cent for safety assist systems.

Eight airbags are standard across the range, including a driver’s knee airbag and a centre airbag between front seat occupants.

MORE: Isuzu D-Max and Mazda BT-50 buy more time with reissued five-star safety ratings

What safety technology does the Mazda BT-50 have?

More than just a software tweak, the Mazda BT-50 gets upgrades first introduced on the Isuzu D-Max range, including new stereo cameras with a wider field of view to provide coverage over a wider range of scenarios.

The camera system runs features like the lane-assist and autonomous emergency braking, as well as adaptive cruise control. On the road, the BT-50 now offers more natural intervention for cars that move into, or out of, a lane ahead, and triggers fewer false alerts when passing trucks and semi-trailers.

Motorcycle detection has been added to the AEB’s range of detection situations too.

Lane centring is easy to toggle on and off via a steering wheel button, and the system is easy to interact with and use on the go. The speed sign detection worked well for me, and can be used in conjunction with intelligent speed limit assist.

Mazda describes the cruise control as including ‘stop-and-go’, but while the system can bring the car to a complete stop and move off again as the car ahead does, it can only remain stationary for a couple of seconds before the system disengages and the car rolls forward. Without a brake hold function, it doesn’t provide full traffic jam assist, but at lower speeds the adaptive cruise struggles to drive smoothly.

For a vehicle positioned at the higher end of its range, the reverse camera feels a little behind on clarity, particularly in low light. As rivals move to surround-view cameras, it would be nice to see Mazda add something similar.

How much does the Mazda BT-50 cost to service?

Mazda offers a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty and, in a break from most rivals, no kilometre limit is applied for cars used commercially, so delivery and hire vehicles maintain the same warranty period. Roadside assistance is also offered for five years.

Capped-price servicing is available with service intervals set every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first. The capped-price program spans seven years. Scheduled visits are priced at $458, $425, $478, $679, $458, $561, and $360, respectively. Over five years that’s a $2498 tally, compared to a slightly lower $2345 for a D-Max, or $2445 for the same period of time on a Mitsubishi Triton.

Running the numbers on insurance, a comprehensive policy from a leading insurer was quoted at $1988 per year for the BT-50 GT based on a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male living in Chatswood, NSW. The same details for a Mitsubishi Triton GSR came to $1962, while an Isuzu D-Max LS-U+ came to $1984, leaving little to separate the three.

Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.

Is the Mazda BT-50 fuel-efficient?

My time behind the wheel focused largely on the Monday-to-Friday run, from the outer suburbs to the inner-city job site. A mix of heavy city traffic, slow-moving freeway merges, and some steady-speed cruising.

By the first 500km, fuel consumption was sitting at 8.8 litres per 100 kilometres. The official figure is 8.0L/100km, and while that might be achievable on the open road with nothing in the rear, add some weight and it’ll be a bigger challenge to achieve. For all of that, though, the vehicle driven here was fairly fresh with under 4000km on the odometer at the time of testing, so more time running-in may improve things.

With a 76-litre tank, you can expect a 950km cruising range, and based on the as-tested consumption achieved here, a theoretical range of over 860km is possible.

What is the Mazda BT-50 like to drive?

If you’ve already got the keys to an earlier BT-50 (or D-Max) in your pocket, don’t expect a massive overhaul to the 2025 version. The playbook remains much the same as before.

The Isuzu-supplied engine and transmission are built for work. The 3.0-litre four-cylinder’s 140kW and 450Nm don’t sit at the front of the pack for outputs, but still work well for the BT-50. The engine offers strong torque nice and low in the rev range, so rather than needing to push it hard, you can let it build steam without feeling too frantic.

While it’s not the smoothest or fastest revving engine, the 3.0-litre unit loves loping along at low RPM, making for a relaxed cross-country tourer. The six-speed automatic transmission is similarly relaxed in its approach, but it’s a smooth unit and is clever enough to keep things reasonably responsive in busy traffic.

On the highway it’s quick to shift down out of sixth gear, so overtaking speed can be piled on quicker. On undulating roads, though, it can feel a bit busy, kicking down with each incline.

The steering is quite slow, and although it’s not heavy there’s a weighty feel to the wheel. It’s set up right for stability, but can make tight turns at low speeds busier.

Despite the cabin’s more upmarket look, the suspension still aims for a more work-ready approach, which is handy. Ultimately, unladen comfort comes second to load capacity. The BT-50 GT’s payload is just short of a full tonne (998kg), and unless you carry some ballast in the rear, the back axle can buck and skip over even minor hits.

By the time you add the work crew, or a weekend’s worth of camping and adventure gear, the BT-50 feels more settled.

Refinement shows possible room for improvement. Around the mirrors and front pillars there’s plenty of wind noise. Road noise is fairly well isolated, and running on highway-terrain tyres helps here too. The engine carries a level of diesel hum at all times, but can get quite vocal and vibey as you build pace if you accelerate slowly.

MORE: Mazda BT-50 six-cylinder diesel unlikely with CX-60 power

How much weight can a Mazda BT-50 tow?

Towing specs for the BT-50 4×4 range max out at 3500kg with a braked trailer, or 750kg unbraked. Typical for dual-cab utes at this end of the market.

With a 2102kg kerb weight and a 998kg payload, the gross vehicle mass maxes out at 3100kg, while the gross combination mass is rated at 6000kg. This means you couldn’t go full payload, plus full towing capacity, so you’d need to balance one or the other out to keep things legal. With a full 3500kg on the towbar (and assuming a ball weight of 350kg), you’d have barely enough weight in play (48kg remaining) for the driver.

Should I buy a Mazda BT-50?

With sharper value thanks to drive-away pricing, the BT-50 is worthy of serious consideration. While it tries to pitch itself as a flash ute with a more upmarket look inside and out, the underpinnings are well suited to hard work.

The evolutionary approach to safety systems and infotainment sees the BT-50 become a bit more user-friendly, but for all of the positives, there’s still some coarse refinement. Tradies might not mind too much, but families looking for a ute that can cover the weekend escape might notice more.

With a market filled with a variety of dual-cab 4x4s at various price points, Mazda seems to have the middle ground securely covered.

The post 2025 Mazda BT-50 GT review appeared first on Drive.