The What Van? Road Test: Ssangyong Musso

Date: Monday, May 15, 2023

The biggest drawback of the SsangYong Musso double-cab four-door 4x4 pick-up has always been the manufacturer’s name.

Tongue-tied Brits have never been able to get to grips with it. Is it Chinese? Is it Japanese? And how on earth do you pronounce it?

So perhaps it is no bad thing that products from the South Korean manufacturer will eventually bear the far simpler KG badge. It is the consequence of the company’s acquisition by South Korea’s KG Group last November after a, to say the least of it, chequered financial history.

KG has interests in a variety of industries, including chemicals and steel. The UK import rights for SsangYong vehicles have been held by the independent Bassadone Automotive Group for the past 12 years.

The Musso received a facelift a couple of years ago, with new front-end styling which gives the truck a tough and purposeful look.

Both short and long-wheelbase models are marketed. The former, which is the one tested here in Saracen guise, is up for grabs in EX, Rebel and Saracen specifications while the latter comes in Saracen + trim only.

The long-wheelbase model is a late arrival to the latest Musso line-up. Its price had yet to be revealed at the time of writing.

Short or long, power comes courtesy of a 202hp 2.2-litre diesel delivering 12% more power than the engine in the previous model.

It is married to a six-speed manual gearbox if you opt for the EX. Everything else comes with a six-speed Aisin automatic transmission.

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