For years, the Mazda BT-50 has lived in the shadows. A ute with plenty of capability but not much to set it apart from the crowd. It currently shares its bones with the Isuzu D-Max, wears a polite Mazda face, and quietly gets on with the job. Dependable? Yes. Memorable? Not so much.
But that might change for 2025. Mazda has given the BT-50 a mid-life makeover, adding new styling at the front and rear, a more polished cabin, and some infotainment upgrades.
At the top of the range sit the GT and SP variants; one is all about premium comfort, the other boasting a sporty, blacked-out style. Both want to prove the BT-50 deserves more than a supporting role. We’ve spent a week in each and come up with a list of top 5 five pros and cons.
2025 Mazda BT-50: Pros
1. Stylish design with Kodo charm
Mazda’s design language – Kodo: Soul of Motion – always seemed a bit high-concept for a dual-cab that spends most of its life carting mulch and towing boats. But somehow, it works here.
The new front bumper and grille now have more grunt to them, with angular LED headlights giving it a meaner stare. Around the back, the easy-down tailgate wears a “mountain ridge” pattern along the base that’s surprisingly cool for something you’ll just lean against at the job site.
The SP variant, meanwhile, dials up the drama. Black alloy wheels, wheel arches, side steps. Black everything. It’s the BT-50’s version of a tuxedo with steel-capped boots. It doesn’t scream performance, but it does shout presence.
2. GT and SP packaging
Inside the BT-50 GT, you’ll find a mildly premium cabin with black leather trim, heated seats, and electric driver’s seat adjustment, which make it feel like an SUV in workwear. It’s comfortable and won’t punish you after six hours behind the wheel. It also scores remote engine start, front parking sensors, and heated exterior mirrors.
The SP gets all that gear, but goes a different route. It swaps out the executive vibe for something sportier with black and terracotta suede/Maztex seats, adds a roller tonneau cover, and more gloss black than a 2000s Hot Wheels car. It won’t go any faster, but all that contrasting black will sure turn heads in the Bunnings car park.
3. Off road performance
Without aggressive all-terrain tyres and without a front or centre diff lock, the BT-50 performs very well off road. Isuzu’s Rough Terrain Mode is carried over here and provides a traction control-like function for the front axle even if the rear diff is locked. It is very good. Check out our video below and see it climb up our tricky (and soaking wet) hill climb.
4. Safety suite
All BT-50s – from the fleet-spec XS to the range-topping SP – get a generous dose of active safety tech. There’s blind-spot monitoring, lane-keeping assist with overtaking and road edge detection, lane departure warning and prevention, rear cross-traffic alert and brake, adaptive cruise control, driver attention alert, autonomous emergency braking, trailer sway control, turn assist, and more.
5. Towing
Mazda has given the BT-50 GT and SP a factory tow bar, including receiver, tongue, and wiring harness, so it’s ready to hitch the boat, the camper, or the tradie trailer the minute you roll it out of the dealership.
Additionally, it offers the segment benchmark 3500kg braked towing capacity, with a 3100kg GVM and 6000kg GCM. It means you have 648kg leftover from the GVM at 3500kg, using the GT’s kerb weight of 2102kg and 350kg download. You have 398kg leftover from the GCM at maxing towing. And with Trailer Sway Control included as part of the safety package, it is made for towing.
2025 Mazda BT-50: Cons
1. Just a rebadged Isuzu?
Here’s the reality; the BT-50 may wear Mazda’s grille and claim Kodo heritage, but beneath it all, it’s still fundamentally an Isuzu D-Max. That’s not inherently bad – the D-Max is a tough, well-respected platform. But it does mean Mazda’s promises of luxury and refinement bump into the same bones and bolts as its sibling.
Step out of a Ranger or even an LDV Terron 9 – or Mazda CX-5 for that matter – and into the BT-50, and you’ll notice it; a bit more vibration, a bit less polish, and a bit less refinement in material quality. There are some hard Isuzu-like plastics inside, a semi-digital instrument cluster that looks aged already, and missing touches of elegance that Mazda is known for.
2. No performance upgrade for SP
Despite the SP badge history, the BT-50 SP is all show and no extra go. It doesn’t offer a sportier suspension setup, different tuning, or even off-road trickery to justify the “Special Performance” acronym. It’s strictly cosmetic.
So, if you’re hoping for a Ranger Raptor rival or something that corners harder or climbs steeper, this isn’t it. It’s a great cruiser and looks premium, but performance-wise, it’s identical to lower variants. And the 3.0-litre engine’s 140kW isn’t awe-inspiring when compared to other ute top-spec variants. In saying that, it does perform quite well across the 0-100km/h sprint for this class (and for a four-cylinder).
3. Warranty and service plan
The BT-50 comes with an industry standard five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty, and five years of free roadside assistance. This isn’t anything to write home about, although solid. Servicing is required every 15,000km or 12 months.
Service costs are set out upfront, but are not capped, and they are not competitively priced. There is also no prepaid package option to bring the costs down. The first seven services are advertised at $465, $434, $487, $696, $465, $572, and $367. Toyota HiLuxes are all set at $290 (bearing in mind they are more frequent).
4. Price is getting up there
The BT-50 GT is priced from $66,865 and the SP starts from $72,195. That’s getting very close to serious territory. Think Nissan Navara PRO-4X Warrior (from $71,643), Toyota HiLux GR Sport (from $74,310), or even a Ford Ranger Wildtrak 2.0TTD ($69,890). Even the Volkswagen Amarok Style 2.0TTD is not far off (from $73,740).
For a ute that hasn’t changed under the skin, with no performance upgrades, and still carries Isuzu DNA plainly, that premium price might be a stretch for some buyers.
5. 2025 model update is minor
This latest update is described as the biggest applied to the nameplate in four years. But, really, it’s basically the same vehicle only with some light styling tweaks that don’t actually do anything. And the interior gets some new tech screens that already seem out-of-date.
For some buyers, this is exactly what they will want; old-school simplicity and ruggedness. But for others shopping against the more modern rivals, this will look basic and outdated.
2025 Mazda BT-50 GT: Specifications
Engine: 3.0-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder
Output: 140kW@3600rpm / 450Nm@1600-2600rpm
Gearbox: Six-speed auto
Drive type: RWD/4WD, dual-range
Wheels: F & R: 18×7.5, 265/60
ANCAP: Five stars
Tare weight: 2046kg
Power-to-weight: 14.61:1 (kg:kW)
Official consumption: 8.0L/100km
Our consumption: 8.7L/100km
Fuel tank/Fuel type: 76L/DieselPower efficiency: 17.5kW:L/100km
0-60km/h: 3.92 seconds*
0-100km/h: 9.33 seconds*
60-110km/h: 7.30 seconds*
1/4 mile: 16.70 seconds at 134.7km/h*
Max acceleration: 0.734g*
100-0km/h braking: 44.13m in 3.57 seconds*
Max deceleration: -1.120g*
Decibel at idle: 48*
Peak decibel at 60-100km/h: 80*
Starting price: $66,865
*Figures as tested by Driving Enthusiast on the day. Manufacturers’ claims may be different
2025 Mazda BT-50: Video
2025 Mazda BT-50 GT & SP: The verdict
These two dual-cab utes deliver decent comfort, toughness, and a proper dose of off-road capability. Real-world fuel economy is also very good for this class. The GT is your weekend tourer with some luxuries, while the SP goes further to add visual flair and street appeal.
If you value reliability, real-world usability, and a ute that looks like it belongs both on the job and at the surf coast cafe, the BT-50 GT and SP are strong contenders. Just don’t expect cutting-edge performance or a radically different drive from what came before it.
