Ssangyong Musso long-term test: report 5
The Ssangyong Musso has been our favourite budget pick-up for the last two years. But now we're seeing if it's as impressive when you live with it every day...
The car Ssangyong Musso 2.2 Saracen Auto 4WD Run by Oli Kosbab, senior videographer
Why it’s here To discover if a pick-up can really be an alternative to an SUV, and whether this bargain-priced Musso is the best in its class
Needs to Offer masses of storage for video equipment and be a comfortable place to spend time during the many miles that will be racked up travelling from shoot to shoot
Mileage 2104 List price £33,831 Target Price na Price as tested £36,306 Test economy 26.0mpg Official economy 29.7mpg
2 October 2020 – Stack 'em high
Choosing a Ssangyong Musso pick-up truck to be my new car has once again proved to be an extremely wise decision. You see, my family has been doing some work on the house, including losing some trees from the drive, and the Musso is, naturally, the best car for the job of heading to the tip.
With the boot and rear seats loaded to the rafters, it takes on the job of moving stuff in a way that a regular SUV simply wouldn't manage. The ride is a lot more planted when there’s so much extra weight on board, too. That's typical, I'm told, for a pick-up; they're designed with firm, beefy rear suspension that can withstand more than a tonne of load in the back.
Stacked high, the Musso feels a lot less like it’s going to topple over in corners – although there's still some bounce to it. A regular SUV, though, would feel worse, not better, once you'd loaded it so heavily.
On a less positive note, although I'm pleased that the Musso comes with Apple CarPlay phone mirroring, the infotainment screen is placed quite low down on the dashboard, so you have to take your eyes off the road for longer than in some other cars. I've been impressed with the actual quality of the audio hardware, though; the sound system is pretty decent, with strong and defined bass. I'm grateful for some of the other equipment, too; the cooled seats have been useful for the summer months and, in a flash, now the seat heaters are getting a good workout. I'm still working on getting the fuel economy up to scratch, but at least my 26mpg isn't too far away from the official figure.
Meanwhile, I'm seldom short on company when I'm out and about in the Musso. Passers-by keep coming over to ask about it, or to say they like it. Perhaps unsurprisingly, a lot of people don’t recognise the Ssangyong badge, so the first thing they'll ask is what brand it is; most people have then gone on to express how much they like the look of it. I'm pleased to tell them it's also pretty good to live with.
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