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Since the launch of the current generation BT-50 in 2020, Mazda has consolidated its foothold in Australia's highly competitive 4x4 ute market.
Latest industry sales figures show the Isuzu-based ute is locked in a close battle with Mitsubishi’s venerable Triton for fourth place in the sales race behind the Isuzu D-Max, Toyota HiLux and market-leading Ford Ranger.
To capitalise on the BT-50’s popularity, Mazda has released a new addition to the local line-up based on the XTR model grade.
It's called the LE, which the company claims offers enhanced looks, greater functionality and added customer value.
We recently spent a week behind the wheel to assess its appeal for tradies and families alike.
Some people just want to save money.
They might know they could spend a little extra to get a brand that has a different reputation, or something that has been reviewed more favourably. Just think about the last time you thought about going to a restaurant for the first time - did you check its reviews? See what people thought? Roll the dice and head there anyway?
That’s the sort of equation you might be considering if you’re thinking about a Great Wall Steed. There are better utes from bigger brands that are available, but none come as cheap as this one if you just want something brand new and with lots of features.
The question is - should you consider it? Should you roll the dice? We’ll have to leave that call to you.
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.
If you simply want a new ute at a low price, the Great Wall Steed could offer a bit of appeal - it’s not terrible, but it’s also far from great…
My advice would be to see what sort of second-hand HiLux or Triton you could get for similar money.
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 Great Wall’s exterior styling is reasonably contemporary, even if the proportions are somewhat ungainly. Consider this - the Steed is one of the longest, lowest utes out there.
The dimensions are 5345mm long on a huge 3200mm wheelbase, with a width of 1800mm and a height of 1760mm. There’s just 171mm of ground clearance for this one, which is the 4x2 model.
The wheelbase looks enormous, and the back doors are quite small considering the length of the vehicle (plus the door handles are huge!). The B-pillars are set back further than they should be, and that makes it hard to get into and out of the second row seats.
The interior design is pretty smart, though — compared with some of the other older utes out there, the Steed has reasonable ergonomics and the controls and materials are of a passable quality, too.
But our car - which had just a couple of thousand kilometres on the clock - had a missing piece of exterior trim, along with a few loose bits and pieces inside. The quality is better than the first-gen Great Wall utes, but we hope the next-generation global ute from the brand will be better again. It’ll need to be.
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.
As mentioned above, the interior of the Steed is acceptable for a budget ute, but that’s as faint praise as saying “you look fine” to the reflection of yourself in the mirror after a big night out.
The cabin has a few elements to it that are decent - the dashboard design is decent, and the controls are pretty logically placed. If you’re stepping up from a first-gen Great Wall ute, you’ll be blown away.
Things like the big media screen and leather-lined steering wheel, as well as electric front seat adjustment and leather seat trim that feels more like cowhide than repurposed garbage bags this time around will all count toward some positive first impressions.
That said, the screen is one of the most confusing ones I’ve encountered - you have to pair your phone by hitting the icon that looks like a PC tower linked to a phone. Why? Also, the load times on the screen are terrible, and when you put it in reverse the screen simply goes black. There is no reversing camera as standard, which is poor form. You can option it if you want, likewise the sat nav is optional - and it looks a lot like a UBD or Melways. Plus the volume levelling is very inconsistent.
As mentioned above the ingress and egress for rear seat occupants is poor - anyone who has feet bigger than a size six will struggle to get in and out without getting tangled. Once you’re back there, the knee room is tight, but head room is fine.
There is reasonable storage throughout - there are cup holders between the front seats, door pockets with bottle holders and a few loose item cubbies up front, too. In the rear there are map pockets but no other storage options unless you fold the rear seat backrest down.
Our XTR LE test vehicle is available only with the top-shelf 3.0-litre turbo-diesel, six-speed torque converter automatic and 'Ingot Silver Metallic' paint for a list price of $64,295, plus on-road costs.
The letters LE usually stand for Limited Edition, but as Mazda does not have a capped build number for this ‘edition’ its production numbers will only be ‘limited’ by how many it can sell.
Based on the popular XTR grade, which is an enhanced version of the entry-level XT, the LE adds three good-looking items from the Mazda Genuine Accessories range comprising a single-hoop polished alloy bull-bar, polished stainless steel sports-bar and a heavy-duty tub-liner.
Mazda claims the LE pricing represents a $2500 saving compared to specifying these accessories separately. Even so, it surpasses the price of the GT which sits one grade above the XTR in the BT-50 model line-up at $62,510.
These accessories are in addition to numerous standard XTR features including 18-inch alloy wheels with 265/60R18 tyres and a full-size alloy spare, body-coloured power-folding door mirrors and LED headlights, daytime running lights and fog lights.
XTR cabin highlights include keyless entry (with auto central-locking when you leave the vehicle), dual-zone climate control, leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear-knob, auto-dimming interior mirror and rear seat fold-down centre armrest.
The eight-speaker multimedia system has a 9.0-inch colour touchscreen display, along with steering wheel controls and multiple connectivity including Apple CarPlay/Android Auto. There’s also a 12-volt accessory outlet and USB-A charging ports front and rear.
The Great Wall’s biggest redeeming feature is its price and specs.
You can get a base model single-cab-chassis version for less than twenty grand drive-away. This model is the 4x2 dual cab, which has a list price of $24,990 plus on-road costs, but it’s almost always on special at $22,990 driveaway. Need a 4x4? Pay an extra two grand and you’ll get it.
The Steed offers an extensive standard features list, including auto headlights, auto wipers, LED daytime running lights, front and rear fog lights, 16-inch alloy wheels, cruise control, single-zone climate control, heated front seats, leather trim, a leather-lined steering wheel, a six-speaker stereo system with USB and Bluetooth connectivity and the aforementioned optional camera and GPS navigation. You get carpet on the floors rather than vinyl, too.
The exterior is packed with features tradies will love - there’s a big step bumper to allow easy access to the tray, which has a tub liner as standard as well as a sports bar. Accessing the cabin will be easy for shorties as there are side steps fitted as standard.
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.
Great Wall uses a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder with 110kW of power (at 4000rpm) and 310Nm of torque (from 1800-2800rpm), which is only available with a six-speed manual transmission. There is no automatic transmission available. But you can get a petrol engine if you prefer, which is becoming rarer in the ute segment.
The payload capacity for the Great Wall Steed 4x2 is decent for a dual cab pickup at 1022kg, and it has a gross vehicle mass of 2820kg. The Steed has the standard 750kg un-braked towing capacity, but a meagre 2000kg braked towing rating.
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.
The Great Wall has a claimed fuel use of 9.0 litres per 100 kilometres in the spec we tested, and across our testing regimen - which included on-road driving laden and empty for a few hundred kilometres, it managed 11.1L/100km. Okay, but not great.
The fuel tank capacity of the Great Wall is 58 litres, which is small for the class, and there’s no long range fuel tank option.
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.
A lot of utes these days are aiming to be dual purpose vehicles, with passenger-amenable ride, handling, steering and powertrain combinations that mean you can use them for work and play.
The Great Wall? Well, it’s more work-oriented. That’s a nice way of saying you won’t want to subject your family to this truck, but your workmates? Too bad for them.
The ride is harsh without weight in the back, bucking over bumpy sections of road and jolting after a sharp edge.
The steering is light but requires a lot of turns lock to lock, and the turning circle is large. You need to keep that in mind when you’re parking, plus the vision from the driver’s seat isn’t as good as it could be.
The engine enjoys using every gear but first, but the manual shift action isn’t enjoyable and the torque on offer doesn’t come on smoothly.
I will say this - with 750 kilograms in the back, the rear suspension didn’t sag very much at all. The Steed offers a big payload, and the chassis can cope with it.
What can’t cope with the weight is the engine - we had 750kg in the tray and four adults on board, and it was worse than sluggish. I struggled to get it moving from a standstill, revving harder than I usually would in a diesel-engined ute. There’s a lot of lag to contend with, and the engine simply doesn’t like low-speed moves at all.
But at higher speed it got into a groove, and the ride was actually really well sorted with mass over the rear axle. Plus the fact it has four-wheel disc brakes - unlike many of its newer, more high-tech rivals - means the braking performance was pretty promising, too.
The BT-50 has a maximum five-star ANCAP rating awarded in 2020. Advanced safety includes eight airbags and a comprehensive list of active safety features headlined by AEB.
There are also ISOFIX and top-tether child seat attachments on the two outer rear seating positions.
There isn’t a lot of happy reading here.
The Great Wall Steed scored an abysmal two-star ANCAP crash test safety score when it was tested in 2016, though under the disclaimer that score applies to ‘4x2 petrol dual cab variants only’. That’s nasty, especially considering it has dual front, front side and curtain airbags as standard in dual cab form.
There is tyre pressure monitoring and rear parking sensors as standard, but a camera isn’t fitted as standard. There is no auto emergency braking (AEB) or any other advanced safety tech, either.
But it has ABS anti-lock brakes, electronic brake distribution, stability control, hill descent control and hill hold control. There are three-point seatbelt for all seating positions, and if you dare, there are dual ISOFIX child seat anchor points and three top tether points in both models.
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.
Great Wall introduced a five-year/150,000km warranty in April this year, which is good for a challenger brand but doesn't push the boundaries for the ute segment. There is three years of roadside assist cover as well.
There is no capped price servicing plan, but the Steed requires maintenance every 12 months or 15,000km (following an initial six-month checkup).
Concerned about problems, issues, faults, common complaints, transmission or engine reliability? Check out our Great Wall problems page.