KGM Musso review

Focus on the pictures alone, no peeking at any other information. Would you be able to tell that the KGM Musso is one of the most affordable pick-up trucks money can buy? 

Well, it is. In fact this truck costs less than an entry-level Ford Kuga, yet it gets alloy wheels, heated and ventilated front seats, and a double-cab setup, all as standard. 

Speaking of Ford, the Ford Ranger is one of the few pick-ups to undercut the Musso on price. By our measure it’s also the very best truck on the market – the Musso’s toughest rival. Other rivals include the Isuzu D-Max and Toyota Hilux. 

The KGM Musso’s 2.2-litre diesel engine is pleasingly strong, so it feels perfectly comfortable whether you're driving in town or out on the open road.

It's not remotely fast, though – 0-62mph takes 11.9sec with an automatic gearbox and 11.3sec with a manual. That’s quicker than some pick-ups, but punchier versions of the Ford Ranger and the 2.8-litre Toyota Hilux soundly thrash it. Nevertheless, it’s quieter than nearly all rivals when pushed hard.

We’d pick the six-speed automatic gearbox over the perfectly pleasant manual alternative, despite its occasional hesitancy when swapping gears. Why? Because it has a towing limit of 3500kg, against the manual version’s (still-impressive) 3200kg, which up there with the most muscular pick-ups.

Sadly, the steering in the Musso isn’t particularly pleasant to use, with inconsistent weight and a vagueness as you start to turn the wheel that really reminds you this is a utility vehicle, not an SUV. The Ranger has much smoother steering and feels more car-like as a result.

Body roll is reasonably well controlled, helping to keep the Musso stable through corners, almost to the point where you could describe it as being nimble. That resistance to lean comes at a price: poor ride quality.

To prevent pitching and rolling in corners, and to cope with really heavy loads, KGM has fitted the Musso with stiff suspension. The result is a rather rough ride and one that can feel unsettled on anything other than the smoothest sections of motorway. You feel plenty of shudders over lumpy Tarmac, along with kickback through the steering wheel, which can be disconcerting if you hit a mid-corner bump.

We tried the Musso with a 700kg stack of bricks in the load bay, and that extra weight did help settle things down a bit. There was still plenty of shudder through the body over imperfections in the road, though. 

Longer Saracen+ models get heavier-duty leaf springs instead of the more car-like coil springs of shorter models. Although the Saracen+'s ride isn't any worse as a result, the way it shudders over bumps and crevices is similarly irksome.

Those shudders also make the Musso feel the least comfortable off road, and can lead to you going quite slowly. That’s far from ideal because you need momentum to make up for its lack of traction relative to the Isuzu D-Max and Toyota Hilux. Indeed, the Musso was the only pick-up that managed to get stuck on our off-road test route. 

“I prefer the Ranger to drive. The Musso feels a bit more utilitarian by comparison.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

Given the KGM Musso’s relatively low pricing, you might expect the interior to look and feel somewhat low rent, but it doesn't. There’s a good spread of soft-touch plastics on the dashboard and other areas that you interact with regularly, and the buttons operate precisely.

Lower down on the dashboard, you'll find some harder plastics that aren't as well finished, but it’s unlikely that you’ll come into contact with these regularly – and this is a pick-up after all. All-in-all, it’s one of the plusher interiors in the class, rivalling even high-spec versions of the Ford Ranger.

You sit high up in the Musso, which makes for a commanding view of the road with very good visibility. Every Musso gets LED headlights, with Saracen trim getting upgraded ones. 

Judging the proportions is simple and the deep side windows make easy work of negotiating roundabouts and T-junctions. Rearward visibility isn't usually a strength of pick-ups, but the Musso has a huge rear screen and thin rear pillars that help, although the high tailgate can lead to cars being lost behind you. If you want front and rear parking sensors, you’ll need at least Saracen trim. 

Every Musso gets a 12.3in infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity as standard. It’s easy to operate, crisp and clear – even if it’s not the flashiest, most colourful system around. 

“It feels plush and sturdy inside. I was impressed, especially given the low pricing.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

The front of the KGM Musso has plenty of head and leg room, and the interior is really wide, so you won't be clashing elbows with your passenger. There's a big storage area under the armrest, big door pockets and a tray for odds and ends in front of the gear lever.

The back seats are pretty roomy, too. Head room is good for all three rear passengers, and there’s a nice flat floor for the middle occupant's feet, with decent foot room for the other two. That said, tall adults in the outer seats might find their knees brushing the front seatbacks, and the middle passenger has a slightly protruding backrest to contend with. Despite being longer, the Saracen+ has no more interior space than the smaller versions.

The Saracen+’s load bed is where it has an advantage. There’s an extra 30cm of length, plus a payload weight limit of 1140kg. That weight is matched by the two-door Ford Ranger XL. 

Like its rivals, all Mussos will take a standard European cargo pallet between their wheelarch intrusions. Standard length Mussos have a maximum payload of 1105kg with a manual gearbox or 1095kg with an automatic, better than all but the XL and XLT Rangers. Nevertheless, the Musso can carry its maximum payload at the same time as pulling its maximum towing weight, though – and that’s something rivals can’t do.

Other practical touches include a standard plastic bedliner, a 12V/120W socket in the load bay for use with power tools and the like, and a selection of hooks so you can strap things down. There are numerous other cargo accessories on the options list, including a lockable roll-top cover.

“How much it can lug around is a key area for a pick-up, and I’m happy to say the Musso doesn’t disappoint.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

The cheapest KGM Musso – in Rebel trim – looks startlingly good value against its rivals. Sure, basic (and we really mean basic) Ford Ranger undercuts it, and so does the GWM Poer 300, but not by much. Rivals like the Toyota Hilux and VW Amarok are firmly pricier buys. 

Our recommended version is the entry-level Rebel, which comes with kit such as heated and ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, dual-zone air conditioning, 18in alloy wheels, roof bars, side steps and a six-speaker sound system.

In case you’re interested, Saracen adds automatic air conditioning, electric power adjustment for the front seats, cruise control and 18in black alloy wheels. Saracen+ has all of that, plus (as we mentioned) it’s longer. 

Unlike the Hilux and Ranger, there’s no single-cab version of the Musso, meaning company car buyers can’t benefit from the single flat rate for light commercial vehicles. A lack of an electric or plug-in hybrid version means the Musso isn’t the cheapest double-cab pick-up truck to get as a company car, either.

As you might expect from such a large vehicle, fuel economy is nothing special, with the trip computer giving mpg readings in the high 20s at best. That's true of most of its rivals, though.

KGM claims that the Musso is “one of the toughest pick-ups on the market” and backs this up with a five-year, 100,000-mile warranty. That's good news for buyers planning to use their Musso as a serious workhorse. 

The Musso isn’t the most sophisticated vehicle, and that’s reflected in the safety equipment. All models come with six airbags, but there’s no automatic emergency braking (AEB) on any version. Blind-spot assistance and rear cross-traffic alert are available on Saracen and Saracen+ models. We’re still waiting to find out how the Musso fares in Euro NCAP safety tests and a Thatcham security assessment.

“You might think that the low price means basic levels of kit (like it does with comparable Ford Rangers), but I can tell you that’s not the case.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

Buy it if..

- You appreciate a refined diesel engine and good handling

- You need to carry and tow a lot at the same time

- You want a low price but lots of standard kit

Don’t buy it if…

- You want a range of engines, because there’s just the one diesel unit

- You want a smooth ride

- You’d like all the latest and greatest safety kit

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