Articles by Stephen Ottley

The Mazda BT-50 XT is one of the most versatile members of the range. It's available as a single cab or dual cab and is the only option if you want the Freestyle cab.It's available with the 140kW/450Nm 3.0-litre turbo-diesel engine and six-speed automatic transmission, with the choice of either 4x2 or 4x4. Fuel economy is rated at 8.0L/100km for 4x4 models and 7.7L/100km for 4x2.It comes equipped with 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, black cloth seats, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, an 8.0-inch colour multimedia touchscreen, a rear locking differential and rough-terrain mode on 4x4 models, rear-air conditioning (for dual cabs) and tailgate assist and rear parking sensors for pick-up models. The BT-50 XT is priced from $39,400 for the single cab, from $43,000 for the Freestyle and starts at $46,610 (all prices exclude on-road costs) for the dual cab.

Mazda won’t go on a Raptor hunt.The Japanese brand recently revealed its updated BT-50 range and noticeably absent was its previous Ranger Raptor competitor, the flagship Thunder or SP Pro special editions. Instead, Mazda Australia has introduced a wide range of genuine, dealer-fit accessories for off-roading that customers can add directly at purchase. These include an integrated bull bar, roof platform, Light Force spot lights, dual battery set-up and more. It is also packaging some of these accessories up to make it easier for buyers to customise their ute for off-road adventures without going to the aftermarket.Still, the launch of the new BT-50 range with the SP model as the flagship does leave the brand lagging behind the likes of the Ford Ranger Raptor, Nissan Navara PRO-4X Warrior and the new Isuzu D-Max Blade - which shares its underpinnings with the BT-50.Mazda Australia managing director, Vinesh Bhindi, defended the decision not to introduce a new ‘hero model’ and instead focus on individual customisation for buyers.“I know others are calling it different names, but it's more of a cosmetic treatment, right?” Bhindi said. “So it's not a performance package, and we think  it's better to give our customers choices with a larger variety of accessories, which they can create their own customisation. “So in the previous model, we've had Thunder, Thunder Pro, SP Pro, those things are where we will go, rather than a third party.”Notably in that comment, he didn’t rule out bringing back a special name for a future hero BT-50, so the door remains open for Mazda to offer a more direct Raptor/Warrior/Blade rival in the future.“At some point we will consider it,” Bhindi admitted. “So at the moment, SP is our hero, with the latest one, and it's got a  lot of new cosmetic changes to it so that's our starting point, and at some point we will consider Thunder or SP Pro, but all those accessories, all those items are available via the accessory catalog anyway from day one.” Mazda Australia introduced the original BT-50 Thunder in 2022, two years after the latest generation of the ute launched, and then added the Thunder Pro in 2024 as part of the run-out plan ahead of this new facelifted model.

The XS single cab chassis is the entry-level model to the 2025 Mazda BT-50 range.Priced from $36,400 (plus on-road costs) - but available at launch for $38,990 drive-away - the XS comes equipped with 17-inch steel wheels, LED headlights, black cloth seats, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and an 8.0-inch colour multimedia touchscreen.The XS is powered by a 1.9-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, which makes 110kW/350Nm, and is paired with a six-speed automatic transmission. The engine is unique to the XS and is only available with 4x2.It's smaller engine makes it the most frugal member of the range, using just 7.7L/100km.

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The Mazda BT-50 is the under-rated star of the Japanese brand's line-up. Often overshadowed by its SUV siblings, the 'black sheep' of the Mazda family is actually one of its best-sellers.It has been updated for 2025, with a fresh look to try and attract more ute buyers who prefer a tough-looking truck. We put it through its paces on- and off-road to see how this new model stacks up.

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Australians could be the big winners of the car industry fight between the two biggest powerhouses, as the American and Chinese duke it out on electric vehicles and tariffs.

They don’t have enough range. They take too long to charge. There isn’t enough charging infrastructure. I’d kept hearing the same complaints over and over again, from both friends, random strangers on the internet and even car industry executives, for years now. So I decided to find out for myself what the reality of living with an electric vehicle (EV) in 2025 is actually like. 

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