Mazda BT-50 vs Toyota HiLux

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.

Given the HiLux BEV was developed in close cooperation with mining companies, its relatively short driving range appears tailor-made for that role given the daily driving distances (typically around 150km or less) in underground and open-cut mining operations. However, determining if our SR5 test vehicle is equally well suited to urban tradie duties would require careful analysis of driving range and payload/towing requirements, to determine if its emissions-free high purchase price can be justified.

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.

Externally the only visual differences between a HiLux BEV and its diesel SR5 equivalent are the BEV's solid front grille, a Type 2/CCS charging port for the propulsion battery located behind a hinged body flap on the front passenger side and aerodynamically-tuned 17-inch alloy wheels designed to minimise drag and optimise driving range. It also has unique rear suspension (see Motor).

The BEV variant has benefitted from the latest HiLux generation's exterior and interior styling updates in keeping this iconic workhorse looking fresh, particularly up front with its high slimline headlights, imposing body-coloured grille and trapezoidal side air intakes.

This more hard-edged look is also evident in the BEV's interior which although embracing new dash and centre console designs fortunately adheres to the time-proven practicality and user-friendliness of traditional 'piano key' buttons for its climate control plus a large dial for off-road drive settings (see Motor).

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 2455kg kerb weight is 300kg more than its diesel sibling, which combined with its 3170kg GVM leaves a 715kg payload rating that’s 250kg lower.

The HiLux BEV is also rated to tow up to 2000kg of braked trailer (1500kg less than the diesel) and its 4670kg GCM rating (or how much it can legally carry and tow at the same time) would leave just 215kg of payload capacity if towing its maximum trailer weight. This could easily be used up by two big tradies before you could add their tools, so it’s important to be aware of these load ratings if planning to tow.

tub, is equipped with anchorage points front and rear plus hydraulic tailgate dampers to assist opening and closing. Load tub access is made easier and safer by concave side-steps behind the rear wheels.

Like its diesel sibling, rear seating for tall people offers minimal knee/shoulder/head room, combined with a notably short distance between the top of the base cushion and floor creating a steep thigh angle that concentrates body weight on your lower back.

Driver and front passenger storage includes a bin and bottle holder in each door, cupholders on either side of the dash and upper and lower glove boxes. The centre console has wireless phone charging up front, two more cupholders in the centre and a lidded box at the back containing the V2L (Vehicle to Load) AC inverter with domestic three-pin plug and a 12V accessory socket.

Rear passengers get a bottle holder and bin in each door plus pockets on both front seat backrests, a fold-down centre armrest with two more cupholders plus two USB-C charging ports and adjustable air vents on the rear fascia of the centre console.

There’s no under-seat storage available and the vehicle’s portable AC charging cable, which is stored in a zip-up bag, has no dedicated storage area so must be carried on either the cabin floor or in the load tub.

The HiLux BEV range offers a choice of dual cab ute/dual cab-chassis in base SR model grade or the premium SR5 dual cab ute. Given its commercial fleet focus, exterior colours are limited to standard Glacier White or Frosted White/Ash Slate premium paint options.

Our SR5 test vehicle, like all HiLux BEVs, comes standard with a dual-motor 4x4 drivetrain and 59.2kWh lithium-ion propulsion battery for a list price of $82,990, before on-road costs. Its Ash Slate premium paint adds $675.

This list pricing is way above that of its SR5 48V diesel auto equivalent ($65,990) and its only full-electric ute rival in the form of KGM’s (formerly Ssangyong) Musso EV AWD ($64,000, drive-away).

For that sizeable spend the HiLux BEV’s standard equipment list contains unique features comprising a bespoke 12.3-inch driver’s digital cluster with EV instrumentation, an equally new electronic shift lever for the shift-by-wire BEV functionality plus exterior changes (see Design). Other standard equipment includes:

• 17-inch alloy wheels with 265/60R17 tyres and a full-size spare
• LED headlights/tail-lights
• Heated mirrors
• Rear privacy glass
• Body-coloured grille/bumpers
• Cabin side-steps
• Integrated rear/side load-tub steps
• Tailgate damper with lift assist
• Panoramic view monitor
• Smart entry/start
• Dual-zone climate control
• Heated front seats/steering wheel
• Leather-accented seating
• Eight-way power adjustable driver’s seat
• Wireless phone charger
• Vehicle-to-load 220V/1500W inverter with three-pin AC plug outlet
• Multimedia system with 12.3-inch touchscreen
• Eight-speaker audio (with digital radio)
• Multiple connectivity options (including Apple CarPlay/Android Auto

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.

The HiLux BEV is equipped with two electric motors delivering full-time four-wheel drive. The front motor drives the front wheels and produces 82.2kW of power and 205.5Nm of torque. The more powerful rear motor driving the rear wheels produces 129.3kW and 268.6Nm.

Combined maximum power output is officially rated at 144kW but there’s no official combined torque figure given that the electric motors produce their peak torque at different times.

These motors drive the wheels through chassis-mounted transaxles equipped with single-speed transmissions. They are synchronised electronically using ‘fly-by-wire’ accelerator and gear/mode selection.

The centre console-mounted shifter controls conventional drive selections (Park, Drive, Reverse) plus offers a ‘B’ setting for optimum regenerative braking, to minimise brake pedal use and maximise battery charging.

Its full-time 4x4 system automatically distributes torque on demand between the front and rear wheels according to traction sensors. The driver can choose between three drive modes (Normal, Sport and Eco) and has access to a multi-terrain system (MTS) which optimises traction in different terrain across six settings including Auto, Dirt, Sand, Mud, Mogul and Snow.

The strengthened chassis frame provides protection for the propulsion battery mounted between the main rails. Toyota claims the battery subframe has been designed for flexibility to tolerate high levels of torsional twist when off-roading. It features a full undercover to protect high voltage parts from water splash or other damage and shares the same 700mm wading depth as the diesel version.

HiLux BEV also features a unique De Dion-type (rigid hollow beam axle) leaf spring rear suspension, with the transaxle mounted on the chassis frame to reduce unsprung weight and the beam axle with traditional leaf springs allowing efficient load carrying and off-road performance.

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.

The HiLux BEV has an official driving range of up to 315km based on the optimistic NEDC combined cycle test procedure.

When we collected our test vehicle the propulsion battery charge was at 100 per cent but the displayed estimated driving range was 272km.

We initially drove 84km unladen in metro traffic (using only Normal/Eco drive modes and max regen braking) with average combined energy consumption of 28.3kWh/100km, which was way above the sub-20kWh/100km figure needed to crack the claimed 300km-plus of driving range.

After recharging to 100 per cent for our GVM test, the estimated driving range dropped to 266km. On this second charge we drove another 173km, of which more than 100km was hauling a full payload which saw a spike in energy consumption to 31kWh/100km. We finished our test with 19 per cent charge and 50km of driving range remaining.

Our total test distance was 258km during which we achieved average energy consumption of 27.8kWh/100km. Therefore, based on our consumption figure, you could expect a driving range in real-world urban use of around 200-220km.

Toyota claims a 10-80 per cent charge time of approximately 30 minutes using a (150kW) DC fast charger or 10-100 per cent in about 6.5 hours using (10kW) AC charging.

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.

It also rides and handles much like its diesel stablemate. The most noticeable differences are the smooth yet energetic power delivery and the near silence of its drivetrain, with most cabin noise coming from the tyres which is also far from intrusive.

Near instant torque from its dual electric motors provides lively response for a vehicle of this size and weight. While it doesn’t nail your eyeballs to the back of your head like some EVs, it does provide spirited acceleration from standing starts and takes less than 10 seconds to reach triple-digit speeds.

To test its GVM rating we forklifted 650kg into the load tub which with driver was lineball with its peak payload rating. The leaf-spring rear suspension only compressed about 40mm under this weight leaving ample bump-stop clearance that ensured no bottoming-out on our test route.

In true HiLux tradition, the ride quality noticeably improved and the chassis and drivetrain were more than capable of hauling this payload on a variety of roads. Overall, it’s a competent load hauler like its diesel stablemate, albeit always with an eye on the battery charge given its limited range.

Our test vehicle comes standard with a five-star ANCAP rating (tested 2025) and a suite of passive and active safety features including:

• Eight airbags including front-centre and driver knee-bag
• Autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian/cyclist/oncoming vehicle detection
• Active cruise control with curve speed reduction
• Lane keeping
• Speed sign recognition
• Blind-spot monitor with safe exit assist
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Tyre pressure monitoring
• Panoramic 360-degree view monitor
• Two outer rear seat ISOFIX child restraints
• Two rear seat top tethers

The HiLux BEV's advanced Active Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) display good refinement in terms of not being overly intrusive or reactive during normal driving, in stark contrast to some rivals equipped with often annoying (and ironically distracting!) driver distraction monitors.

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.

The HiLux BEV comes standard with a five-year/unlimited km warranty and separate five-year warranty covering the propulsion battery which can be extended for up to five years (so 10 years in total) with an annual battery health check. The propulsion battery is also covered by an eight-year/160,000km capacity warranty if its energy storage falls below 70 per cent of the original capacity.

Scheduled servicing is every six months/10,000km with capped pricing of $220 per scheduled service for the first five years (or 10 services in total).

The company has a vast network of more than 275 dealerships across Australia including all states and territories and many regional areas.