Item: Ssangyong Musso
Rating: 4
Author: Steve Huntingford

Fiat Fullback

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Ssangyong Musso

Toyota Hilux

Introduction

Performance & drive

Interior

Passenger & boot space

Costs & verdict

The cheapest Ssangyong Musso – in EX trim – looks startlingly good value against its rivals. However, unless you're planning to use&nbsp;your <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/category/pick-up/all">pick-up</a> solely as a working vehicle, we recommend going for the Rebel. It comes with a lot more kit, including 18in wheels, roof bars, side steps, a rear camera, heated and cooled front seats, a heated steering wheel and the 8.0in infotainment system.&nbsp;

The range-topping Saracen is still surprisingly good value and adds leather seats (versus the faux leather ones in the Rebel), cruise control, heated rear seats and a front skid plate. Rhino sits at the top of the range, featuring the longer bed and rear privacy glass, but replacing the 18in wheels with 17in.

The fact that the Musso’s engine isn’t particularly competitive on CO2 emissions won’t worry company vehicle buyers too much because pick-ups are classed as light commercial vehicles and are taxed at a single flat rate. If you're a private buyer, be warned that its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/the-best-cars-for-depreciation-and-the-worst/n23009">depreciation</a> is steep compared with rivals&nbsp;such as the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/toyota/hilux/pick-up/review/n17270">Toyota Hilux</a>.

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.

<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/ssangyong">Ssangyong</a> claims that the Musso is “one of the toughest pick-ups on the market” and backs this up with an impressive seven-year, 150,000-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&nbsp;automatic emergency braking&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/what-is-aeb-and-how-does-it-work/n3283">(AEB)</a> or road-sign recognition on any version. Blind-spot assistance and rear cross-traffic alert are available on Saracen and Rhino models. We’re still waiting to find out how the Musso fares in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/euro-ncap-safety-ratings-2019-%E2%80%93-how-safe-is-your-car/n17044">Euro NCAP</a>&nbsp;safety tests and a Thatcham security assessment.

The Ssangyong 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&nbsp;remotely fast, though – 0-62mph takes 11.9sec with an&nbsp;automatic gearbox and 11.3sec with a manual. That’s quicker than some <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/category/pick-up/all">pick-ups</a>, but the 2.8-litre <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/toyota/hilux/pick-up/review/n17270">Toyota Hilux</a>&nbsp;and punchier versions of the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/ranger/4x4/review/n17250">Ford Ranger</a> 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&nbsp;turn&nbsp;the wheel that really reminds you this in a utility vehicle, not an SUV. The Ford 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.&nbsp;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, <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/ssangyong">Ssangyong</a> has fitted stiff suspension. The result is a ride that's lumpy and 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.&nbsp;

Longer Rhino models get heavier-duty leaf springs instead of the more car-like coil springs of shorter models. Although the Rhino'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 Toyota Hilux and Isuzu D-Max. Indeed, the Musso was the only pick-up that managed to get stuck on our off-road test route

If you believe you have to pay more for something to get the best, you might well have crossed the Ssangyong Musso off your <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/category/pick-up/all">pick-up truck</a> shopping list already.

If you’ve made it this far&nbsp;though (congratulations),&nbsp;we can tell you that despite the Musso being one of the least expensive 'double-cab' models around, it’s actually one of the most impressive.

Indeed, if you’re coming out of a regular car or SUV and into a pick-up for company car tax reasons, its refinement will surprise you, as should its plush interior and high equipment level. So why would company car drivers benefit from a pick-up?

Well, dual-purpose vehicles that can carry passengers and more than 1000kg of cargo at the same time attract&nbsp;a flat benefit-in-kind rate, regardless of the emissions produced. That's why you see a surprising number of them on your local high street.

The Musso's double-cab set-up (four full-sized passenger doors) makes it a little unusual against the likes of the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/ranger/4x4/review/n17250">Ford Ranger</a>, <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/isuzu/d-max/pick-up/review/n17221">Isuzu D-Max</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/toyota/hilux/pick-up/review/n17270">Toyota Hilux</a>. You see,&nbsp;they can also&nbsp;be bought as two-door single-cab or extended-cab models too (with a second row of tiny seats).

<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/ssangyong">Ssangyong</a> does give you the option of&nbsp;selecting different bed lengths, though, so you can tailor it to your specific load-lugging needs. The Rhino version gets the longest (1.6m)&nbsp;bed.

We've already told you we're impressed with the Ssangyong Musso, but read on over the next few pages of this review to find out how it compares with other pick-ups. We'll rate its performance, handling, interior quality, running costs and more, as well as telling you which&nbsp;version is the best.

When you've chosen your next vehicle, we can help you lease it for the best price if you search the deals on our free&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/car-leasing/">What Car? Leasing section</a>. We can also help you save thousands off the list price of most new makes and models of car through our free What Car?&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals">New Car Deals</a>&nbsp;pages.

Given the Ssangyong Musso’s low price, 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 touch 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 <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/category/pick-up/all">pick-up</a>&nbsp;after all. All-in-all, it’s one of the plusher interiors in the class, rivalling even high-spec versions of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/ranger/4x4/review/n17250">Ford Ranger</a>.

You sit high up in the Musso, which makes for a commanding view of the road with very good visibility. We would&nbsp;like to see far brighter LED headlights because the halogen headlamps are rather dim for night driving.&nbsp;

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&nbsp;help, although the high tailgate can lead to cars being lost behind you. If you want front and rear parking sensors, you’ll need either a Saracen or Rhino trim.

If you go for entry-level EX trim, <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/ssangyong">Ssangyong</a> gives you&nbsp;a basic DAB radio with Bluetooth. Stepping up to Rebel adds an 8.0in touchscreen system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity.

If you want the range-topping 9.2in infotainment system (which also features sat-nav), you’ll need either the Saracen or Rhino trim level. Both sizes of touchscreen are responsive, have sharp graphics and are straightforward to navigate, although some of the display icons are rather small.

Estate

Ssangyong has made giant strides in recent years, after it was taken over by a new owner and given a injection of investment to help its bid to become a credible car maker.

The result so far is a range of cars dominated by SUVs (as well as a single pick-up), most of which are below the class average standard but all of which have merits, including the amount of space and practicality they offer for the money.

The highlight in the range is currently the Korando, a Nissan Qashqai rival that offers all the space of that car but for a price closer to the much smaller Nissan Juke’s. It is very roomy and has decent engines, but it’s let down a bit by interior quality, high running costs and poor resale values.

SSANGYONG

MUSSO

There are better pickups, but not for this sort of money. The Musso is surprisingly smart inside inside, too (by pick-up standards)

The front of the Ssangyong 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 Rhino has no more interior space than the smaller versions.

The Rhino’s load bed is where it has an advantage. There’s an extra 30cm of length, plus a payload weight limit of&nbsp;1140kg. That&nbsp;weight is matched by the (plush or practical) two-door&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/ranger/4x4/review/n17250">Ford Ranger</a>&nbsp;XL.&nbsp;

Like <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/category/pick-up/all">pick-up</a>&nbsp;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&nbsp;manual gearbox&nbsp;or 1095kg with an automatic, better than all but the XL and XLT Rangers. The Musso can carry its maximum payload at the same time as pulling its maximum towing weight, though – and that’s something rivals&nbsp;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.&nbsp;There are numerous other cargo accessories on the options list, including&nbsp;a lockable roll-top cover.

The Ssangyong Musso undercuts its rivals on price and is surprisingly good in many areas, particularly engine refinement and interior quality. Its ability to tow a 3500kg trailer even with the full load bed is also an impressive achievement, while the additional length and capacity of the Rhino will be handy to some. It's just a shame the ride isn't a bit more settled.

<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Go-anywhere capability</li> <li>Work-ready load bay</li> <li>Robust, durable yet also pleasant interior</li> <li>Commanding driving position</li> <li>Heavyweight towing capacity</li></ul>

The popularity of pick-up trucks is growing in the UK, thanks in part to a fixed-rate company car tax for business users, due to them being categorised as light commercial vehicles.

But it's not just those savings to your wallet that makes the pick-up a compelling buy; incredibly durability, huge towing capacity and the surprising about of technology available means the majority are worthy for much more than just working on building sites.

Prices start at under £30,000 for examples such as the Ssangyong Musso, while top-spec models, including the Volkswagen Amarok, feature rear-view cameras, heated seats and smartphone mirroring. Just beware high running costs, as might be expected for vehicles of this size.&nbsp;

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Buying advice for the Ssangyong Musso covering running costs, MPG, Fuel Economy, Reliability and Safety, from the expert What Car? review team.

The cheapest Ssangyong Musso – in EX trim – looks startlingly good value against its rivals. However, unless you're planning to use your pick-up solely as a working vehicle, we recommend going for the Rebel. It comes with a lot more kit, including 18in wheels, roof bars, side steps, a rear camera, heated and cooled front seats, a heated steering wheel and the 8.0in infotainment system. ,The range-topping Saracen is still surprisingly good value and adds leather seats (versus the faux leather ones in the Rebel), cruise control, heated rear seats and a front skid plate. Rhino sits at the top of the range, featuring the longer bed and rear privacy glass, but replacing the 18in wheels with 17in.,The fact that the Musso’s engine isn’t particularly competitive on CO2 emissions won’t worry company vehicle buyers too much because pick-ups are classed as light commercial vehicles and are taxed at a single flat rate. If you're a private buyer, be warned that its depreciation is steep compared with rivals such as the Toyota Hilux.,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.Ssangyong claims that the Musso is “one of the toughest pick-ups on the market” and backs this up with an impressive seven-year, 150,000-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) or road-sign recognition on any version. Blind-spot assistance and rear cross-traffic alert are available on Saracen and Rhino models. We’re still waiting to find out how the Musso fares in Euro NCAP safety tests and a Thatcham security assessment.

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