Articles by Stephen Ottley

Mazda is set to drop its most successful nameplate — the CX-5 — but that won’t stop it taking the fight to the Toyota RAV4, Kia Sportage and Mitsubishi Outlander in the highly-competitive mid-size SUV market.

Mazda's expansive BT-50 line-up is crowned by the SP. This is the style icon of the line-up, aimed at buyers who want a ute with a sporty, dynamic look.The SP is only available as a 4x4 dual cab pick-up and adds a range of gloss black elements for a unique visual appearance, including 18-inch alloys, sports bar, side steps, fender flares, roof rails, exterior mirror caps and door handles, while also getting a manually-operated roller tonneau cover and black and terracotta synthetic leather and suede seat trim.The SP is only available as a 4x4 pick-up and is exclusively powered by the 140kW/450Nm 3.0-litre turbo-diesel engine. Like the rest of the 3.0-litre 4x4 range fuel economy is rated at 8.0L/100km.Pricing for the SP starts at $71,500, plus on-road costs, but Mazda is offering a big saving at launch by doing a $67,990 drive-away deal.

Isuzu knows it took advantage of the Toyota Prado changeover in 2024 to claim second spot in the large SUV sales race, but is still hopeful that its refreshed MU-X can remain a favourite with local buyers.Following the mid-life updates to the D-Max ute in 2024, the MU-X SUV has been given a similar facelift. However, Isuzu Ute Australia boss Junta Matsui is adamant that this is no minor “nip and tuck” as the company has made some major changes. In addition to the refreshed styling, the 2025 MU-X features revised suspension and a new hero model atop the range.Isuzu has dropped the MU-X Tour Mate, a special edition that was the out-going flagship and has replaced it with the all-new X-Terrain trim level. X-Terrain sits at the top of the line-up that graduates from LS-M to LS-U and LS-T. Each of these models has been given some minor equipment adjustments and, subsequently, a price increase.The range now begins at $48,400 (plus on-road costs) for the LS-M 1.9L 4x2, which is a $1000 increase over the old model. But the LS-M does get some new equipment including updated cloth upholstery, a 4.2-inch digital display on the instrument panel, an 8.0-inch infotainment touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as well as USB-C ports and bi-LED headlights.The LS-M is also available with the 3.0-litre 4x2 powertrain (from $50,400 +ORC) and 3.0L 4x4 (from $56,400 +ORC).Next up is the LS-U, which is available as a 1.9L 4x4 (from $61,400 +ORC), 3.0L 4x2 (from $57,400 +ORC) and 3.0L 4x4 (from $63,400 +ORC). Upgrades for 2025 include new 12-spoke 18-inch alloy wheels, a new leather-wrapped steering wheel, piano black interior trims, a 7.0-inch digital instrument display panel, 9.0-inch infotainment touchscreen, USB-C ports, LED fog lights and tyre pressure monitoring.The LS-T is only available with the 3.0L motor but can be 4x2 (from $64,400 +ORC) or 4x4 (from $71,400 +ORC). Key equipment extras for this include a new 360-degree surround view camera system, 20-inch alloy wheels, leather-accented upholstery, black headlining, white ambient lighting and black elements on the front bumper, grille and rear bumper.Finally, the all-new X-Terrain (from $74,400 +ORC) comes with a range of unique black elements to help it visually stand out, including its 20-inch gloss black alloy wheels, the horizontal bars on the grille, fog light surrounds and fender flares. It also gets a 7.0-inch digital instrument display, red ambient lighting and leather-accented trim with red and grey contrasting stitching. The X-Terrain is also exclusively available in Slate Grey metallic paint.To offset these price rise, and help make sense of this expansive model range, Isuzu is offering drive-away deals on three models, starting with the LS-M 1.9L 4x2 for $46,990, plus the $69,990 LS-T and the new X-Terrain for $73,990.There’s also some significant safety enhancements across the range, starting with a new ‘Gen4’ stereo camera as part of the active safety suite, which now includes Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control (IACC), traffic jam assist and rear cross-traffic brake. The Lane Keep Assist and tyre pressure monitoring systems have also been updated. There’s also a new digital reversing camera across all models and a 360-degree surround view on the LS-T and X-Terrain variants.

The Mazda BT-50 GT is sandwiched between the popular XTR and stylish SP in the range.It includes all of the elements of the XTR but adds more, so the list of standard equipment is long. It comes with 18-inch alloy wheels, LED front fog lights, daytime running lights (DRLs), side steps, keyless entry, dual-zone climate control, navigation, a tub liner and tow bar plus leather seats, electronically adjustable driver’s seat, heated front seats, remote engine start and front parking sensors.The GT, is only available as a 4x4 pick-up and is exclusively powered by the 140kW/450Nm 3.0-litre turbo-diesel engine. Like the rest of the 3.0-litre 4x4 range fuel economy is rated at 8.0L/100km.The list price for the GT is $63,070 plus on-road costs for the cab chassis or $66,170 for the pick-up, but Mazda is offering the latter at $65,990 drive-away from launch. This puts it into the more premium ute market, up against the likes of the Ford Ranger Sport and Toyota HiLux SR5.

The Mazda BT-50 XTR is the sweet spot in the range, finding a nice balance between price and standard equipment.The XTR is only available with the 140kW/450Nm 3.0-litre turbo-diesel engine and six-speed automatic, but has the choice of 4x4 or 4x2. You can also choose between a pick-up or cab chassis. Fuel economy is officially rated at 8.0L/100km on the combined cycle.Standard equipment for the XTR includes 18-inch alloy wheels, LED front fog lights, daytime running lights (DRLs), side steps, keyless entry, dual-zone climate control, navigation and the pick-up variants get a tub liner and tow bar with receiver, tongue and wiring harness.The BT-50 XTR pick-up 4x4 is $62,490 drive-away at launch, with a usual list price of $62,750, plus on-road costs. The XTR 4x2 starts at $53,790, plus on-roads.

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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