Mazda BT-50 vs Hyundai Iload

What's the difference?

The XTR LE adds polish to the BT-50 line-up, in more ways than just its silver metallic paint and highly buffed accessories. It also has exceptional fuel economy and is equally competent as a suburban daily driver, tradie’s workhorse and weekend escape machine, with robust load-carrying and towing ability. For those wanting an upmarket version of the popular XTR, the LE has plenty of appeal. 

The iLoad remains one of the most competent all-rounders in the business. This highlights the excellence of its original design, as it hasn't changed much since it launched here more than a decade ago.

However, it's starting to show its age a bit, particularly in terms of safety compared to HiAce and Transit Custom rivals which have aggressively raised the mid-size van benchmark to a five-star standard that rivals most sedans and SUVs.

We hope Hyundai will soon do the same with the iLoad, because apart from increasingly outdated safety it's pretty hard to fault. We're sure its army of loyal customers would agree.

The XTR is a happy medium between the work-focused XS and XT models and higher-grade GT, SP and top-shelf Thunder offerings, so the additional equipment that comes with the LE enhances the appeal of this popular model grade.

The bull-bar integrates with the BT-50’s safety systems ensuring crumple zones, airbags and driver assistance systems are not compromised. 

This bull-bar design also ensures no adverse effect on engine and transmission cooling and its single hoop is ideal for mounting extra driving lights.

The load tub-mounted sports-bar includes an integrated brake light for enhanced safety, while the heavy-duty tub-liner protects against dents and scratches.

The XTR interior has a quality look and feel with a tasteful blend of piano black and satin chrome highlights on the dashboard and door linings, contrasting fabric seat trim, exposed stitching along numerous seams and adjustable centre console a/c vents for rear seat passengers.

Driver and front passenger get comfortable bucket seats and the rear seating is also accommodating, with ample head and kneeroom even for tall adults. 

However, shoulder room is tight when travelling three-abreast, so like most dual cabs of this size it’s most comfortable as a four-seater.

The iLoad is 5150mm long, 1920mm wide and 1935mm high with a 3200mm wheelbase. That height means it can access underground and multi-storey carparks, in which it's also easy to manoeuvre with a relatively compact 11.22-metre turning circle.

No doubt a big factor in the rear-wheel drive iLoad's enduring appeal is its simplicity and ruggedness, combining MacPherson strut front suspension with rack and pinion steering, leaf-spring live rear axle and four-wheel disc brakes. A sliding door on each side of the cargo hold come standard. The large tailgate window, equipped with a wiper/washer and demister, provides the rear-view mirror with a relatively clear picture of what's behind even with the cargo barrier and clear plastic covering on it.

The cabin environment is bright and airy with a tasteful mix of light and dark grey surfaces. The light grey cloth seats with their colourful striped inserts look sharp but we reckon they would also show some grime pretty quickly in a working role.

Our only criticisms are that, like the new HiAce, there's no fold-down inboard armrest for the driver. We don't know why Australia's top two mid-size vans do not have this simple feature, because it's standard issue in numerous rivals and creates a more relaxed driving position.

Our other gripe is the centre passenger seat, which shares the outer passenger's base cushion but has a separate backrest which can be rotated forward through 90 degrees to reveal a handy storage tray and dual drink holder on the back of it.

However, passenger comfort and safety are compromised as the seat is too narrow for an adult, the backrest has no head restraint, there's very limited leg room and only a lap seat-belt. And to make matters worse, the belt's buckle digs firmly into your right butt cheek when it's clicked in. This ‘seat' should be for emergency use only and, if you must, only for short distances.

The addition of the LE’s accessories adds 81kg to the XTR’s kerb weight, which increases from 2030kg to 2111kg. As a result, the payload rating must drop by the same amount, from 1070kg to 989kg, to avoid exceeding the vehicle’s 3100kg GVM. 

The LE retains the XTR’s class-benchmark 3500kg braked tow rating but to keep below its 5950kg GCM (how much it can legally carry and tow at the same time) while doing that, the payload limit would have to be reduced by a sizeable 650kg. 

Alternatively, you could lower the trailer weight limit by the same amount (to 2850kg) and keep the full payload, which is not only more practical but also safer for towing.

The lined load tub is 1571mm long, 1530mm wide and 490mm deep with 1120mm between the wheel housings, which means it can’t carry a standard Aussie pallet but will take a Euro. There are four sturdy load anchorage points.

Cabin storage includes a large-bottle holder and bin in the base of each front door. The dash offers a closable compartment to the right of the driver’s knee for small items, upper and lower glove boxes and an overhead glasses holder. 

The centre console has an open tray at the front, dual small-bottle/cup-holders in the centre and a small box at the rear with a contoured lid that doubles as a driver’s elbow rest.

Rear passengers get a large-bottle holder and small bin in each door, plus pockets on the front seat backrests and two pop-out cup holders in the fold-down centre armrest. So, in total that’s four large-bottle holders and six small-bottle/cupholders. 

The 60/40-split rear seat base-cushions can also swing up and be stored vertically if more internal load space is needed. This also reveals two underfloor compartments with lids for keeping valuables out of sight, so there are plenty of places to store things.

The iLoad's 2062kg kerb weight and 3160kg GVM results in a genuine one tonne-plus payload rating of 1098kg and up to 125kg of that can be carried on roof racks. It's also rated to tow up to 1500kg of braked trailer and with a GCM rating of 4660kg (or how much you can legally carry and tow at the same time), that means you can do it at maximum GVM.

In other words, it can legally carry more than a tonne while towing 1.5 tonnes. Those numbers make the iLoad a very practical and versatile workhorse, well suited to a variety of trades and other working roles beyond the usual delivery chores.

The cargo hold, with its 2375mm length, 1620mm width and 1340mm height, offers a total load volume exceeding 4.4 cubic metres and is accessed through sliding doors on each side or via the single-lift tailgate. The load floor with its protective vinyl mat has a total of 10 load anchorage points.

There's no full-length roof lining like the new HiAce but the cargo hold walls and doors are lined to hip height and there's one internal light at the rear. The load floor length and 1272mm between the rear wheel housings means the iLoad can theoretically take two 1165mm-square Aussie pallets (without the cargo barrier installed).

However, loading these could be an issue if fitted with the single-lift tailgate, as it blocks forklift access when opened. And the 870mm side door opening (even less with the cargo barrier fitted) is not wide enough to allow a pallet to pass through it, so do your homework on the iLoad's suitability for your loading requirements.

The cabin has storage bins and bottle holders in each door, plus a shallow tray in the centre dash-pad, two different-sized gloveboxes, a cubby near the gearshift for small items like chewy etc and a pop-out dual cup/bottle holder in the centre console. The centre seat backrest also folds forward to reveal a large open storage tray and two small bottle/cup holders.

Our iLoad test vehicle, with single-lift tailgate, 2.5 litre turbo-diesel engine and optional five-speed automatic transmission has a list price of $41,790, which compares favourably with Toyota HiAce ($44,140) and Ford Transit Custom ($43,790) equivalents.

The recent upgrades brought not only the new grille design but also automatic dusk-sensing headlights, tilt-and-reach adjustable steering wheel and a new design instrument cluster with trip computer. There's also an updated infotainment system (first featured in Kona) featuring a 7.0-inch touchscreen and multiple connectivity including Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Other useful features are a rear-view camera (tailgate models only), power windows with one-touch auto down, height adjustable driver's seat and cruise control (auto variants only). The iLoad rolls on 16-inch steel wheels with 215/70R16C tyres and a full-size spare.

It's also available with a six-speed manual transmission, plus there's a choice of three-seat single cab or six-seat crew cab. Both cabin variants offer a choice of single-lift tailgate or forklift-friendly twin barn-doors with 180-degree opening, plus there's numerous genuine accessories available including the steel-mesh cargo barrier fitted to our test vehicle.

The Isuzu-sourced 3.0-litre four-cylinder intercooled turbo-diesel is a refined and proven performer, producing 140kW at 3600rpm and 450Nm of torque which peaks across a 1000rpm-wide band between 1600-2600rpm.

This is paired with a refined Aisin six-speed torque converter automatic, offering fast but smooth shifting and intelligent protocols that prompt automatic downshifting to assist with engine-braking on steep descents. 

It also has sequential manual-shifting plus overdrive on the top two ratios to optimise fuel economy during highway driving.

The part-time, dual-range 4x4 transmission has 2.482:1 low-range reduction and a switchable locking rear diff.

The iLoad's 2.5 litre four-cylinder DOHC 16-valve turbo-diesel is a refined and proven performer with Euro 5-emissions compliance (so no AdBlue needed), common rail direct injection (CRDi) and variable vane turbocharging with impressive flexibility. It produces a class competitive 125kW at 3600rpm and peak torque of 441Nm between 2000-2250rpm, but there's ample throttle response and pulling power on tap either side of those figures.

The five-speed torque converter automatic is an equally robust and proven transmission, although most rivals have updated to closer ratio six-speed units. Even so, the iLoad delivers crisp and smooth shifts in auto mode, with the option of sequential manual shifting if required. The transmission's gearing and 2.92:1 final drive ratio provide a good compromise between stop-start city delivery work and economical highway driving.

Mazda claims official combined cycle consumption of 8.0L/100km which was close to the 8.4 showing on the dash display at the end of our 276km test. 

Both were close to our own figure of 8.7 calculated from fuel bowser and trip meter readings, which is outstanding single-digit economy for a 4x4 dual-cab ute weighing more than two tonnes. 

So, based on our numbers, you could expect an excellent real-world driving range of around 870km from its 76-litre tank.

Hyundai's official combined figure of 8.8L/100km seemed realistic at the beginning of our road test which included a variety of roads and payloads, from near empty to three-quarters of a tonne. So we were impressed to see near-identical numbers after crunching trip meter and fuel bowser readings. Needless to say, that's great economy for a one-tonne van and no doubt another reason for its enduring popularity. Based on our figures, you could expect a realistic driving range of around 870km from its 75-litre tank.

There are big handles on the front windscreen pillars to assist entry and it’s easy to find a comfortable driving position given the spacious cabin, height/reach adjustable and leather-wrapped steering wheel, big left footrest and adequate adjustment in the driver's seat which includes variable lumbar support. However, some rake adjustment in the seat base would be welcome.

It has solid build quality with low engine, tyre and wind noise. All-round vision is good, enhanced by useful driver aids like blind-spot monitoring and a reversing camera. 

Our only criticisms are an annoying glitch in the design of the driver’s sun-visor, which clips the edge of the rear-view mirror enough to dislodge it each time the visor is swung down. 

And there are no rotary dials on the media screen for quick and easy adjustment of audio settings. Buttons are not as user-friendly.

Handling is sure-footed for a high-riding 4x4, the braking is reassuringly strong (particularly under load) and steering feel is amongst the best in class. 

The engine has good response and never feels sluggish in city and suburban driving thanks to its broad spread of torque, enhanced by an automatic transmission that generally gets the best out of this engine without the need to manual-shift.

It’s also a comfortable and economical highway cruiser. With the overdriven top gear and full torque converter lock-up, it can consume long distances with minimal effort as the engine requires only 1600rpm to maintain 110km/h. The adaptive cruise control works well.

We didn’t forklift a load into the LE as we have already tested the standard XTR on which it’s based with a 950kg payload, which was only 40kg under the LE’s maximum rating. 

On that occasion the leaf-spring rear suspension compressed 75mm, but there was still more than 30mm of stationary bump-stop clearance remaining. That ensured it never bottomed-out, floating over large bumps and through dips with ease.

We have also towed a 2.5-tonne dual-axle caravan with an XTR during which it also excelled, so in LE form it’s not only a comfortable daily driver but a competent load-hauler, too.

The iLoad has big grab handles on the windscreen pillars to assist entry and once aboard it's not hard for drivers of most shapes and sizes to find a comfortable position, thanks to the height-adjustable seat, height-and-reach adjustable steering wheel and decent-sized left footrest.

The instrumentation is easy to read and dashboard controls are clearly marked and intuitive to use. There's a clear eye-line to the left door mirror but given that there's no blind-spot monitoring, this mirror would benefit from the addition of at least a dedicated wide-angle lens.

In city and suburban driving the iLoad is surprisingly quiet for a van without a sealed bulkhead between cabin and cargo hold. However, tyre roar emanating from the rear wheel housings does become quite intrusive at highway speeds, particularly on coarse bitumen surfaces.

The over-driven fifth gear ensures the engine isn't working hard though, with only 1800rpm at 100km/h and 2200rpm at 110km/h, which contributes to good fuel economy on long hauls. The cruise control also works well and is a big improvement on the last iLoad we tested in 2017.

The 2.5 litre turbo-diesel and five-speed auto are well-honed for this working role. They provide ample performance in city and suburban driving, even though the gaps between five gears are more noticeable now given the increasing use of six gears in rival automatic vans.

Only a four-star ANCAP rating achieved back in 2011, plus no AEB, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keeping assist etc which are the new benchmarks in this category. There's front and side (thorax) airbags for the driver and outer passenger seats, but none for the centre seat with its lousy lap-belt. The iLoad's safety menu is overdue for an upgrade.

The BT-50 is covered by a five-year/unlimited km warranty.

Scheduled servicing is every 15,000km or 12 months, whichever occurs first. 

Minimum combined cost is $2404 for the first five scheduled services, for an annual average of $481.

Five years/160,000km warranty. Scheduled servicing every 12 months/15,000km whichever occurs first. Lifetime Service Plan includes capped-price servicing for first five scheduled services ranging from $356 to $506.