Mazda BT-50 SP review: Aus-spec pickup tested

What’s this, then?

Mazda’s new fighter jet.

Really?

Yep.

You’ve used the wrong pic-

Just kidding. But with a name like BT-50 it ought to be, right? It’s actually a Mazda pickup, and one that’s likely to be unfamiliar if you’re reading this in the UK. Not so much if you’re logging in from Australia, where this thing sells in the thousands.

A quick history lesson before we go any further, then. The first generation BT-50 was launched way back in 2006. The Mk2 followed in 2011, followed by the third (and current) gen in 2020. Where the first two attempts were based on the Ford Ranger, this latest one is basically an Isuzu D-Max. No doubt you've heard of both of those.

Following the 2008 global financial crisis, Ford gradually sold off its shares in the Japanese firm, forcing Mazda to look elsewhere for a new pickup partner. Isuzu offered a convenient solution, with the BT-50 sharing not only the same engines and underpinnings as the D-Max, but Isuzu handling the build at its Thailand plant.

Some might call that cost effective. Us? We reckon it's a bit lazy... and it's not the only rebadging job we've seen from Mazda recently – see also its rehash of the Toyota Yaris as the 2 Hybrid.

Anyway. Where the D-Max is aimed at working folk, the BT-50 has lifestyle types in its crosshairs.

It looks hefty.

Oh it's big all right. In dual cab ST guise as tested here its footprint goes toe to toe with an S-Class at 5.3m long and 1.8m wide. Taller though, obviously, at 1.8m high. You’re looking at a 2,115kg kerbweight and 985kg max payload. It’ll also seat five and tow 3,500kg.

Two powertrains are available, and opening the batting (actually, given England’s recent record in the Ashes, maybe we should stay clear of cricket puns) is a 1.9-litre turbo diesel four-cylinder engine with 148bhp and 258lb ft of torque. That’s available in single cab base spec XS guise only, and if you’re buying a pickup of any kind you might as well do it properly. Which is why here we’ve got the superior 3.0-litre turbo diesel with 188bhp and 332lb ft. Much better.

It sure looks the part from where I'm sitting.

Indeed, though it's slightly strange to see the face of a Mazda 6 saloon on a pickup. The Japanese firm will tell you that’s just its Kodo design language, helping to bring familiarity to every model in the range.

Mazda introduced this SP trim in 2021, wearing a number of 'sportier' styling tweaks with the hope of convincing family folk that a pickup is a better option than the SUV they've got their eye on. Five seats, a load bed bigger than your living room and more off-road knowhow than the average Joe Public... hold up, they could be onto something here.

It brings with it a ginormous black grille, 18in black metallic alloy wheels, gloss black wheelarch trim, gloss black exterior mirrors… sensing a theme here? Mazda has embellished the Batman trim with dark grey roof rails and dark grey side steps. As if a mahoosive pickup in the rearview mirror wasn’t intimidating enough.

The price for all this seriousness? You’re looking at a starting figure of $41k AUD (£20.5k) for a single cab BT-50, or just shy of $48.5k AUD (£24k) for a dual cab. In the spec we tested, prices start from $66k AUD (£33k).

How does it go?

Climb into the cabin (and we do mean climb), press the start button and you’re greeted by a chattery diesel idle. So far, so ordinary. And all very workmanlike, too.

Mazda has a different target audience in its sights here, so the steering and controls are all lighter than you might expect of something this size. It feels no more difficult to navigate around around city streets than an SUV. Not that Aus is all that cramped in the first place.

If an SUV imposter is what you're after then the ride will single-handedly give the game away, with a fair amount of jostling, turbulence and vibration in the cabin. It’s not uncomfortable, mind, there's minimal body roll, and it also feels well insulated with little wind and road noise. Which goes hand in hand with the lifestyle vibe.

And there are few surprises when it comes to the 3.0-litre powertrain: it's far from refined, but pulls strongly (at least when lightly loaded) with plenty of low down torque. Although it becomes pretty vocal should you try and coax any meaningful speed out of it. Mazda claims 29.4mpg (8.0L/100km), we managed 28mpg (8.4L/100km).

A mixed bag, then. Mazda has tried to make the BT-50 a jack of all trades, and in doing so it's got lost in the middle ground.

What about the off-road stuff?

With various drive modes, switchable high/low 4WD and a locking rear diff (plus a wading depth of 800mm) it ticks all The Beginner’s Guide to Off-Roading boxes. It won’t take you as far as a truly dedicated off-roader, but it should get you out of any sticky situations without too many problems.

The bigger question, though, is whether you’d want to take this BT-50 off-roading. The SP feels a bit too glamorous, a bit too Made in Chelsea for a real work out. Like going to the gym in chinos. Black metallic alloys? Gloss black wheelarches? You’re not going to be too happy if you scratch those.

No, we reckon you’d be better off with a more hard-wearing spec. Or the tough as old boots range-topping Thunder, which looks every bit the part.

Is it as glamorous inside?

SP trim variants get brown driftwood leather and black synthetic suede interior trim, which is actually smarter than it sounds. Directly in front of you sits a half analogue, half digital instrument cluster with a 4.2-inch TFT display, while in the centre of the dashboard sits the nine-inch infotainment display, which we found slow, and the interface rather tired looking. Below that sits a row of physical climate controls.

It's far more utilitarian in here (which is slightly at odds with the exterior image in this spec), but it feels dated compared to a Ford Ranger or VW Amarok, both of which get iPad style touchscreens. If you’re using it as its maker intended then more physical switchgear isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but there’s nothing particularly innovative about it either. Ho hum.

Still, there’s plenty of space for passengers both front and back, dual-zone climate controls and more cubbyholes than we could count, while the SP kit list also includes a manual roller tonneau cover and drop-in tub liner. And it's worth pointing out here that since our visit Mazda has revealed an updated BT-50, complete with slightly revised looks, a refreshed interior including a bigger driver’s display and overhauled infotainment system, and more safety tech.

Verdict time. Is the UK missing out?

Crumbs, no. Look at it this way. My colleague Tom Ford once noted that as soon as you drive a particular car, you immediately start to pick up on when you see another one. Except, during our week with the BT-50, I can count on one hand how many other BT-50s I saw. Rangers? Everywhere. Hiluxes? Loads. D-Maxes? Plenty. Telling.

Indeed, the Ranger (which has a pretty much identical list price) outsold the BT-50 more than four times over in 2024 according to the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) in Australia, and it lagged well behind the Hilux and D-Max too. Seems like people know a half-hearted effort when they see one.