Mazda BT-50 vs GWM Cannon

What's the difference?

Key to the success of the BT-50 XS will be acceptance by fleet buyers. The vehicle, however, seems to be pretty well considered as far as that goes, although as with any stripped-down model, there are features that will be missed. Things like the manual air-conditioning probably won’t make much difference, but the lack of a tyre pressure monitoring system is a bigger issue for a working vehicle. Performance from the smaller engine is still well within acceptable parameters, but we reckon any buyer considering using much of the 3500kg touring capacity would be better off with the 3.0-litre engine offered in the rest of the BT-50 range.

The Mazda is not the best riding of its ilk, and there are competitors with bigger cabins, although, notably, at this point on the pricing ladder, these are often from China rather than Thailand where the Mazda is built. Ultimately it will come down to whether the smaller engine and reduced performance is an issue and also whether the money saved over the bigger-engined BT-50 is enough to justify that and the loss of some creature comforts. But since fleet managers are notoriously hard-nosed about this stuff, there’s a good chance to BT-50 XS will find a market.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with meals provided.

It combines big payload and towing capabilities with a standard tray and luxury appointments not usually offered as standard equipment in a single cab-chassis 4x2. And all at a price that matches more basic alternatives from the major players. So, for tradies, farmers or fleets wanting more bang-for-buck style than the usual entry-level workhorse, this could be just what they're looking for.

Targeting tradies and fleet customers has meant Mazda has embraced the concept of factory accessories. Right now, there are options for tougher front bumpers, bull-bars, snorkels, drop-side trays, an awning, wheel-arch flares (for bigger, aftermarket wheel and tyre packages) driving lights, roof racks, canopies, tub-drawer systems and even a dual battery set-up. All these factory options carry the full Mazda warranty.

But Mazda has gone even further with accessory packs aimed directly at different fleet markets. For instance, there’s the Mine-Spec Pack which incorporates a park-brake alarm, high-mounted brake lights, a reversing buzzer, work-lights, LED rear lighting and pre-wired switches for auxiliary and beacon lighting.

Externally, Mazda's design brief for the BT-50 has clearly been to not frighten the horses. But it's better than that, because it has actually emerged as one of the better looking utes out there. In XS trim, even the steel wheels add a no-nonsense flavour to the overall effect. And where some of the competition appear to be trying very hard to ape the full-sized US-made pick-ups, the Mazda is its own thing.

Inside, the smaller info screens and simple layout in basic black tell the budget story. At the same time, there's a lot to like in terms of the clear, simple analogue gauges and the no-fuss controls including the conventional T-bar, park-brake and ignition key. There's a look and feel that also suggests this is a ute that should be able to take a few knocks in the course of earning a living.

Our test vehicle rides on a unique 3470mm wheelbase, which is 240mm longer than the 3230mm dimension shared by other Cannon utes.

This is designed to improve load distribution and therefore vehicle dynamics, given the 4x2’s sizeable payload is also unmatched by its siblings (see Practicality). The longer wheelbase results in a 13.9-metre turning circle, which is the largest of the Cannon fleet.

It features double-wishbone/coil-spring front suspension, a leaf-spring live rear axle, four-wheel disc brakes, electric power-assisted steering and under-carriage armour.

The cab’s exterior has an upmarket appearance that’s unusual in this space, matched by an interior which looks more like those found in SUVs and higher-grade dual cabs with faux-leather upholstery, soft-touch surfaces, exposed stitching, contrasting textures and satin chrome highlights throughout.

There’s even a neat line drawing on the passenger-side dash depicting the silhouette of a ute, which highlights its attention to detail.

With a choice of cab-chassis of pick-up tub, not to mention the option of a single or dual-cab body in cab-chassis form, the XS allows for a fair bit of creativity in how it’s configured. The cab-chassis, for instance, will accept a conventional drop-side alloy tray or any number of service body configurations right up to camper bodies.

The stock tub on the pick-up version gets a drop-in liner but there’s no power outlet or light that some of the competition offer. The tie-down points are also a bit disappointing with two lower points in the rear of the tub and a pair of higher points in the front. Experience tells us that high-mounted tie-down points are vastly less practical than anchor points mounted close to the cargo floor.

The move to the larger engine has, however, increased the Mazda’s towing ability. From the previous version’s 3000kg towing limit, the new 2.2 can now legally tow 3500kg (with a braked trailer and approved tow-hitch). Payloads vary according to specification, but range from about 1000kg right up to 1379kg for the XS singe-cab-chassis.

The factory-option drop-side tray carries it’s load up high, but offers a flat floor with no wheel-arch intrusions. The standard tub is not as large in any direction, but does have a damped tailgate for safety (you can’t drop it) and convenience (the gas struts help raise it).

In the cabin, you get USB charging ports (two in the front, one in the rear seat) and there are central air-vents for the rear seat of dual-cab models. The dual-cab also has an under-seat storage area, two gloveboxes and a 60/40 split fold rear bench. The doors feature bottle holders and there’s a flip-down glasses compartment in the roof lining.

While the front seats are comfy enough for bigger drivers, the rear seat also goes against dual-cab tradition a little by having plenty of room in every direction, as well as a rational seat-back angle.

Our test vehicle’s relatively light 1900kg kerb weight includes the standard tray. So, its 3050kg GVM results in a substantial 1150kg payload rating that's in addition to the tray, rather than the tray's weight being part of the payload which is usually the case with cab-chassis models.

It’s also rated to tow up to 3200kg of braked trailer, which is 300kg less than the class-benchmark 3500kg its Ranger and D-Max 4x2 rivals can tow, but still ample for most trailering requirements in real-world use.

However, with its 5590kg GCM (or how much it can legally carry and tow at the same time), towing its maximum trailer weight would require a substantial 660kg reduction in payload (from 1150kg to 490kg) to avoid exceeding the GCM limit.

The tray appears to have sturdy construction, complete with a tube-frame front bulkhead that includes a full-width welded mesh insert to protect the rear window from load damage.

According to our tape measure, the tray is internally 1845mm wide and 2580mm long, with hinged and removable drop-sides that stand 260mm tall and feature neat flush-fitting lock mechanisms.

However, there are no internal anchorage points, so all loads must be secured externally using the rope-rails positioned along each side beneath the tray.

Cabin storage includes a large bottle-holder and bin in each door and the driver gets two small nooks on the right side of the dash. There’s also a long and narrow bin provided in the upper left side of the dash, above a usefully sized glovebox.

The centre console has a pad that’s ideal for storing a phone, plus two USB-A ports and a 12v socket. There’s also buttons for controlling other 12v accessories, along with two cupholders and a lidded box at the rear that's usefully deep with an internal vent to control temps for drinks and food. The box lid is also nicely padded to serve as a driver’s elbow rest.

Our Pearl White test vehicle comes standard with the 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel and eight-speed automatic drivetrain carried over from the previous model, for a list price of $34,490.

That compares favourably with single cab-chassis diesel 4x2 rivals like the manual-only Toyota HiLux Workmate Hi-Rider 2.4L ($32,970), Isuzu D-Max SX High Ride 2.2L auto ($36,200) and Ford Ranger XL Hi-Rider 2.0L auto ($37,130), given the Cannon comes standard with an aluminium tray which rival buyers must pay extra for. Our example is also fitted with GWM’s genuine accessory towbar which adds $1449 to this price.

The tray is one of many items on the Premium’s generous standard equipment list that also includes 18-inch two-tone alloy wheels with 265/60R18 tyres and a full-size steel spare, ‘Machine Grey’ grille with body-coloured front bumper/wheel-arch trims/mirror caps/doorhandles, auto LED headlights with DRLs/sequential indicators/follow-me-home lighting, front fog lights, LED tail-lights, side-steps, reversing camera, rear parking sensors and more.

Smart keyless entry provides access to a well-appointed cabin with carpet, synthetic leather bucket seats, single-zone climate control, electronic parking brake, push-button start, height/reach adjustable steering wheel with paddle-shifters and three comfort modes, adaptive cruise control, 7.0-inch driver’s instrument cluster, four-speaker audio system with a 12.3-inch multimedia touchscreen and more.

The new engine capacity of 2.2 litres is up from the 1.9 of the previous XS version but still well short of the 3.0 litres of the more expensive BT-50 versions. And the specifications are pretty much exactly what you’d expect with the new 2.2 just about splitting the difference between the old 1.9 and the 3.0.

In this case, that equates to 120kW of power and 400Nm of torque, while the 1.9 was good for 110kW and 350Nm, and the 3.0 sports 140kW and 450Nm. So, yep, somewhere right about the middle. And that makes sense given the new 2.2 uses the basic mechanical architecture of the 1.9.

But the switch up to the new engine brings one very important change and that’s the adoption of an eight-speed automatic to replace the six-speed unit fitted to the previous XS and the other BT-50s. That has an obvious potential benefit for drivability, but also for fuel economy.

Mazda has also added stop-start tech to the XS in the name of efficiency. But, as we’ve found many times before, the fuel economy benefits seem restricted to the official test results rather than the real world where this technology serves to annoy many drivers more than anything else.

If you opt or the four-wheel-drive variants, you’ll get a rear diff lock but you miss out on an on-road 4x4 setting. Considering the 2.2-litre’s newfound towing capacity (the full 3500kg of the competition), that lack of a 4x4 Auto setting is a shame, but not an unexpected one at this price-point.

With the rest of the Cannon fleet recently upgrading to a larger 2.4-litre turbo-diesel, its 2.0-litre predecessor is now exclusive to the Premium model grade, producing 120kW of power at 3600rpm and 400Nm of torque between 1500-2500rpm.

It also retains the previous eight-speed torque converter automatic (2.4-litre has a nine-speed unit) offering the choice of sequential manual-shifting using the steering wheel-mounted paddles. And there are three selectable drive modes comprising ‘Normal’ (default), ‘Sport’ and ‘Eco’.

While one of the expected benefits of the 2.2-litre engine compared with the three-litre unit is a reduction in fuel consumption, the new 2.2 engine goes one big step further by actually being more frugal than the 1.9-litre engine it replaces. Well, in terms of the official government test, anyway.

The single cab-chassis model in new 2.2-litre, two-wheel-drive form posted a combined (urban-highway) fuel number of a creditable 6.9 litres per 100km. Compared with the mechanically similar 1.9 single cab-chassis, that’s a saving of 0.1 litres per kilometre, and a corresponding drop in tailpipe carbon emissions of 1 gram per kilometre.

To be honest, this small improvement is probably largely due to the stop-start system now fitted, which many drivers will turn off at the first opportunity. Even so, the new eight-speed transmission must also be playing a part, so let’s call the old and new engines line-ball in the real world.

The rest of the XS line-up scored official figures of 6.3 litres per 100km for the double-cab pick-up 4x2, 7.1 litres for the double cab-chassis 4x4 and 6.6 litres per 100km for the dual-cab pick-up 4x4.

With the BT-50’s standard 76-litre fuel tank, the theoretical range is more than 1000km. In reality, that’s going to be closer to 800km.

The BT-50 engines do not require AdBlue additive to reduce exhaust emissions.

GWM claims official combined average consumption of 7.6L/100km but the dash display was showing 9.5 when we stopped to refuel at the completion of our 290km test, which included the usual mix of suburban, city and highway driving of which about one third was hauling its maximum payload.

Our own figure, calculated from fuel bowser and tripmeter readings, was almost identical at 9.7L/100km. That was within the usual 2-3L/100km discrepancy between official claims and real-world consumption and thrifty sub-10L/100km economy for a light commercial in daily urban use.

So, based on our test figure, you could expect a realistic driving range of around 770km from its 78-litre tank.

Striking the right balance between ride comfort and load-lugging capacity has always been the big trick with utes in general. The fact is, there’s probably no ideal setting, especially considering the range of payloads a ute can be expected to carry on any particular day. In the BT-50’s case, Mazda has opted to go for a stiffer suspension tune. That means it can technically tow and haul with the best of them, but it also dictates that ride quality is far from what you’d call plush, even in this market segment.

The ute handles bumps best when the undulations don’t come too hot and fast. But strike a patch of high-frequency lumps and bumps and the suspension, particularly at the rear, starts to pogo about with a corresponding decline in ride control. The steering, too, seems to lack a little feel and is relatively slow-geared (although that has its benefits off-road).

The engine certainly does the job in isolation, but it’s likely to struggle a little with the full three-and-a-half tonnes on the hitch. It’s pretty noisy, too, and definitely sounds like a diesel, unlike some modern diesel designs that are more refined. There’s also a sense that Mazda has ditched some of the sound deadening of other BT-50 models, as the engine is certainly heard and felt. The optional snorkel moves the induction noise right into the driver’s window when it’s open, too.

But the new eight-speed automatic transmission is a beauty. Upshifts are crisp and smooth and even the downshifts as you approach a full stop are measured and calibrated to never intrude. And it’s nice to see a conventional T-bar shifter with no separate park button or non-intuitive movements required.

We didn’t get a chance to try the BT-50’s off-road chops, but past experience tells us that the Mazda will be pretty good. As with many four-wheel-drive utes, the limiting factor will be the standard tyres fitted at the factory.

The GWM Cannon has generous external dimensions which translate to a spacious and airy cabin. In this case, the usually restrictive single cab can easily accommodate taller drivers, given I’m 186cm and found a comfortable driving position.

The door mirrors provide good rearward vision along both sides, but there's no blind-spot monitoring or rear cross-traffic alert. Even so, when carrying a load that blocks the central mirror, the rear camera and parking sensors assist when reversing.

Given our test vehicle’s kerb weight is less than two tonnes, the 2.0-litre turbo-diesel is a better fit in terms of power-to-weight ratio, as it can feel underdone in heavier Cannon ute variants.

As a result, it has livelier response, particularly when operating in its peak torque band between 1500-2500rpm which it does most of the time. We trialled the different drive modes but found the ‘Normal’ default setting an ideal compromise between ‘Sport’ and ‘Eco’ modes.

It has very firm rear suspension, as you’d expect given its big payload rating. This results in a harsh ride over bumps when unladen, as the relatively light weight of the aluminium tray can’t match a heavier steel tray or custom work body in providing the sprung weight needed for a smoother ride. So, ideally it should be carrying a decent load most (if not all) of the time for optimum comfort.

On the highway it only requires about 1800rpm to maintain 110km/h, which is bang in the middle of its peak torque band. At those speeds there is noticeable rear tyre noise along with wind-buffeting from the tray’s bulkhead, but they’re not intrusive enough to require raised voices.

To test its payload rating we forklifted 975kg into the tray, which combined with the weight of the towbar and driver equalled a total payload within 50kg of its 1150kg limit.

The rear leaf-springs compressed 60mm under this weight, which still left about 40mm of static bump-stop clearance that ensured no bottoming-out on our test route.

As expected, the ride quality greatly improved with such a big increase in sprung weight, which is what it’s primarily designed for. And thanks to the extended wheelbase, most of the tray’s load was positioned ahead of the rear axle, which provided ideal weight distribution and good handling stability.

The 2.0-litre drivetrain also performed well on our 13 per cent gradient, 2.0km-long set climb at 60km/h, easily hauling this load to the summit without downshifting lower than fourth gear.

In a manually selected second gear, it also displayed strong retardation when testing engine-braking on the way down, easily staying beneath the posted 60km/h limit until the engine reached 4400rpm on overrun (no redline is displayed) and automatically shifted up a gear.

These engine-protecting calibrations are becoming common in utes and vans, so keeping the revs below that threshold with regular applications of the brake pedal is the best way to share engine and wheel-braking on steep descents with heavy loads.

Our only gripes are, firstly, the intrusive engine clatter between 1000-2000rpm which detracts from its otherwise good performance.

And secondly the emergency lane-keeping assist, with its weird fluctuations in steering weight and aggressive tugs at the wheel when making corrections which are often not justified. Fortunately, this annoying function can be switched off. Unfortunately, you must do it before every drive, which requires accessing the touchscreen each time.

The GWM Cannon has a five-star ANCAP rating (awarded 2021) which includes seven airbags and a suite of active safety features including auto emergency braking (AEB) with junction assist, front collision warning, trailer sway mitigation, tyre pressure monitoring, traffic sign recognition, reversing camera, rear parking sensors and more. However, we wish it also shared the ‘rear cross-traffic alert with brake’ function that’s standard on the higher Lux-grade dual-cab-chassis 4x4 variant.

Mazda’s standard five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty applies to the BT-50 range, and includes the first five years of roadside assistance, too.

Service intervals are every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first. Capped-price servicing is available with the first five years of servicing costing $2188 on 4x2 versions and $2302 for 4x4 variants.

It’s worth mentioning that the BT-50’s new engine is Euro 5 compliant but doesn’t require AdBlue, reducing running costs.

It comes with a seven years/unlimited km warranty, plus five years of roadside assistance. Scheduled servicing starts at six months/5000km whichever occurs first, then every 12 months/10,000km. Capped pricing applies to the first five scheduled services up to 54 months/45,000km, which totals $2065 or an average of $413 per service.

GWM currently has a network of 121 dealerships throughout Australia, with expectations of 135 by 2026. They are located in metropolitan and regional areas in every state and territory. And every dealership provides accredited vehicle servicing.