2025 SsangYong Musso XLV review

Utes proceed to dominate the Australian new automobile panorama, however some manufacturers aren’t cashing in as a lot as others.

Word: This text relies off our most up-to-date overview of the Musso, as specification has seen no main modifications since publication.

We’ve up to date key particulars resembling pricing and specs with the freshest data obtainable, and added imagery of the newest mannequin the place relevant.

Learn the newest worth and specs article here for all the small print.

Whereas it’s fairly low cost relative to the market-leading Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux, the SsangYong Musso is a distinct segment participant in one among Australia’s largest automotive segments, with simply 1.7 per cent section share in 2023.

However that’s not essentially a mirrored image of its skills. The Musso stays stable worth for cash as costs throughout the business proceed to creep up, and gives one of many extra SUV-like cabin and drive experiences of the section.

It was handled to some delicate modifications for 2024, bringing twin 12.3-inch shows within the cabin throughout the vary, in addition to an up to date dashboard and a brand new mid-range Journey variant.

The automobile you see right here is absolutely the flagship, the 2024 SsangYong Musso XLV Final. Absolutely optioned, however with normal white paint, you’re nonetheless taking a look at just below $50,000 drive-away.

How does the Ssangyong Musso XLV evaluate?

View an in depth breakdown of the Ssangyong Musso XLV towards equally sized automobiles.

SsangYong

Musso XLV

How a lot does the SsangYong Musso value?

To see how the Musso strains up towards its rivals, take a look at our comparison tool.

What’s the SsangYong Musso like on the within?

The MY24 Musso has some substantial modifications within the cabin, with new shows and a revised sprint design.

A pair of 12.3-inch widescreen shows now function, bringing the Musso in step with the associated Rexton SUV and making it extra aggressive towards the present crop of rivals.

The digital instrument cluster particularly is extra in step with what’s on supply within the passenger and SUV courses than something commercial-leaning, and the actual fact it’s normal throughout the vary is name for reward.

It gives excessive decision, enticing layouts and fluid animations. I like that there are a selection of themes, widgets and layouts, but it surely’s not fairly nearly as good because the high-grade digital cluster within the up-spec Ranger and Amarok.

In the meantime, the 12.3-inch central touchscreen is much less spectacular. Whereas a welcome enhance to total show actual property, it’s nonetheless restricted in performance – it has wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, however that’s about it.

Past your requisite Bluetooth and AM/FM radio features, there’s little else the show gives. It’s a bit aftermarket, and jogs my memory of a few of the new Chinese language manufacturers which have big screens however have eliminated quite a lot of the performance obtainable within the home market.

The Musso in any other case gives a variety of niceties, together with powered leather-based seats which are each heated and ventilated up entrance; a powered sunroof, in addition to heating for the outboard rear seats with the non-obligatory Luxurious Pack.

It’s all fairly uncommon for the section, not to mention the worth level. Consolation is mostly fairly good, although the leather-based seat trim is a contact slippery and the entrance seats aren’t large on bolstering so there’s a little bit of room to maneuver – notably given the high-set driving place.

Whereas it’s high-tech in look, the plastic guide handbrake, maze-like shifter and restricted frontal storage are fairly old-fashioned.

SsangYong has rolled out touch-capacitive controls for the local weather controls for this replace as nicely, which work high quality in comparison with a few of the fiddlier techniques in the marketplace however could be a little annoying to regulate on the transfer – and the gloss black panel can be a fingerprint magnet.

There’s an fascinating space beneath the centre stack that’s probably not designed to carry bigger telephones, however there’s a stand that lets you have the cellphone sitting in panorama and holds it in place… more often than not.

At the least there are twin USB-C ports there, in addition to a pair of 12V energy shops. Toothed cupholders, a big lidded central cubby and a rotary 4WD selector spherical out the centre console options.

The rear seat is giant sufficient for the Musso to make a cushty 4 seater, and consists of facilities like rear air vents and map pockets, in addition to heated outboard seats when you get the Luxurious Pack.

Leg- and headroom are good for taller adults even behind taller adults (I’m 6’1 and will sit behind my most well-liked driving place simply high quality).

However there’s a obtrusive problem although, the centre rear seat solely has a lap seatbelt as a substitute of a correct lap-sash restraint.

So, whereas there are three top-tether factors and ISOFIX anchors on the outboard pews, the Musso has a key space for enchancment if it needs to match rivals with this primary requirement as a 5 seater.

The rear ‘deck’ measures 1300mm lengthy in normal guise, or 1600mm within the XLV examined right here. Total width is 1570mm with 1100 between the arches, whereas depth is a quoted 570mm.

SsangYong additionally quotes a capability of of 1011 litres for the usual Musso, and 1262L for the XLV. Beneath the tray is a full dimension spare wheel, which is a part of the rationale the Australian-market Musso hasn’t moved to the newest iteration of the diesel powertrain obtainable in Korea – the AdBlue tank means you’ll be able to’t match the spare.

What’s beneath the bonnet?

Whereas there have been upgrades abroad, the Musso’s powertrain is carryover for 2024 in Australia.

To see how the Musso strains up towards its rivals, take a look at our comparison tool.

How does the SsangYong Musso drive?

The up to date Musso drives very very similar to the final one.

Whereas sharing its chassis and operating gear with the succesful and assured Rexton, the Musso XLV’s extra load-focused tuning means it’s not fairly as snug in experience as one thing like a Ranger – although it’s not worst at school both.

It feels good and softly sprung on the entrance, however impacts from growth joints and the like reverberate by the construction notably when driving unladen. That’s regardless of Journey and Final variations retaining a multi-link coil-sprung rear suspension system, in comparison with the bottom XLV EX’s heavy obligation leaf springs.

It may additionally jiggle a bit on the rear even over comparatively well-surfaced roads, and bounces round on rural roads. Physique management on undulating roads is common, and there’s some kickback by the steering over mid-corner bumps.

Like most dual-cab utes, this may be simply addressed with having a load within the again. However given the Musso is arguably extra way of life targeted than a few of its rivals, I’m unsure if a few hundred kilos price of instruments and gear goes to reside at the back of this – notably in Final Luxurious Pack guise.

The place the SsangYong claws again floor is in total refinement, with good insulation from powertrain noise in addition to street and wind noise.

Except you’re foot to the ground, the two.2-litre oiler will get alongside with out getting as vocal or rattly as quite a lot of the competitors. It performs high quality unladen, with good response and a sensible shifting six-speed auto.

Efficiency is nicely suited to city jaunts, with a torquey low and mid-range meaning you don’t need to push too laborious to get going – 420Nm obtainable from 1600rpm is fairly helpful.

The Musso gives a alternative of Eco, Energy and Winter drive modes, and you may manually shift gears by pushing the shifter to the left.

That’s to not say some further grunt to match the 450-500Nm made by most rivals wouldn’t be welcome, and an additional one or two cogs within the transmission can be helpful for the freeway – the Rexton has an eight-speeder with the identical drivetrain, so it will absolutely be high quality right here.

As industrial automobiles are persevering with to undertake extra refined energetic security and help techniques, the Musso is beginning to fall behind the pack, no matter worth.

AEB, ahead collision warning and lane departure warning are normal, as is a reversing digital camera with entrance and rear parking sensors. Nonetheless, the Musso nonetheless lacks each adaptive cruise management and lane-keep help – regardless of being obtainable within the SsangYong abroad

The Final examined right here completely picks up blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, which is helpful for that lengthy booty of the XLV, and the surround-view digital camera makes parking this 5409mm lengthy and 1950mm broad utility a lot, a lot simpler.

We didn’t take this specific Musso off the crushed monitor, however right here’s our findings from final 12 months’s Twin Cab Ute Mega Check:

“The Musso XLV on check was fitted with the non-obligatory lime inexperienced ironman suspension improve. Just like the Chevy Silverado the Korean eschews a manually-engaging rear diff lock, in favour of a self-locking unit that senses rotational slip.

The reality is, whereas we’d like the flexibility to regulate it ourselves, it really works nicely – if a bit of abruptly. Simply watch it slam into motion and ship the Musso chirping up the rollers, in 2H and 4H alike.

It labored equally on the offset moguls, kicking the rear out when pushing the Musso out of its predicament. “Very efficient,” mentioned Paul. Simply not refined – “Give me a button”.

“Word this was the one car on check that didn’t go the flex check, with the motive force’s door catching a bit of.

The Musso made an okay effort at Gravel Mountain in 4L with the auto-locker prepared, battling and squirming about three-quarters the way in which up earlier than shedding traction.

Paul didn’t price the downhill-descent management having to take over and commandeer the brakes, nor the tyres.”

MORE: Best off-road ute revealed

What do you get?

The Final sits atop the three-strong Musso lineup in Australia.

Musso ELX highlights:

• 17-inch alloy wheels
• Full-size spare wheel
• Automated high-beam
• LED daytime operating lights
• Entrance fog lights
• Rain-sensing window wipers
• Heated facet mirrors with built-in indicators
• Assisted tailgate operation
• 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster
• 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• Apple CarPlay, Android Auto (wired)
• 6-speaker sound system
• 2 x USB-C ports
• Cloth upholstery

Musso Journey provides:

• 18-inch black alloy wheels
• LED vertical entrance fog lights
• Pace-sensitive energy steering
• Attain-adjustable steering wheel
• Leatherette upholstery
• Heated, ventilated entrance seats
• Tyre-pressure monitoring

Musso Final provides:

• HID headlights
• Stroll-up welcome system
• Contact-sensing entrance door locks
• Stroll-away automated door locking
• Heated steering wheel
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Lane change collision warning
• Secure Exit Warning
• Encompass-view digital camera

Choices

A pair of key possibility packages can be found relying on variant.

XLV Pack: $1500

• +300mm tub
• Rear leaf springs (ELX)
• Elevated payload (1010kg EX, 880kg Journey, Final)
• Elevated torque output (420Nm)

Luxurious Pack: $3000 (Final)

• Powered sunroof
• Twin-zone local weather management
• Premium leather-based upholstery
• Energy entrance passenger seat
• Driver energy lumbar assist
• Heated outboard rear seats

Colors

• Grand White
• Pearl White
• Amazonian Inexperienced
• Marble Gray
• Area Black
• Indian Purple

Is the SsangYong Musso secure?

The present Musso hasn’t been crash examined by ANCAP or Euro NCAP.

There are two entrance airbags, entrance thorax airbags, and facet head-protecting curtain airbags masking each seat rows. The centre rear seat nonetheless retains solely a lap belt.

Normal security gear consists of:

• Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
• Driver consideration warning
• Ahead collision warning
• Lane departure warning
• Parking sensors entrance, rear
• Reversing digital camera

Musso Journey provides:

Musso Final provides:

• Blind-spot warning
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Lane-change collision warning
• Secure Exit Warning
• Encompass-view digital camera

How a lot does the SsangYong Musso value to run?

The Musso is backed by a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre guarantee.

CarExpert’s Tackle the SsangYong Musso

If you need a budget-friendly ute that doesn’t really feel like a workhorse inside, the Musso remains to be a stable choose.

With most rivals asking for tens of hundreds extra for related ranges of spec, the Musso Final packs fairly a little bit of equipment for beneath $50,000 drive-away, whereas additionally providing a comparatively easy and refined drive for a workhorse.

The choice of two tub lengths can be helpful, as is the three.5-tonne most towing capability, which the equally attainable GWM Ute can’t match when you want one thing low cost that may tow. I’ll say, nonetheless, given a few of the function shortcomings and lack of a lap-sash rear seatbelt, it’s the decrease grades of the Musso and Musso XLV which are extra interesting.

The Musso XLV ELX is simply $41,500 drive-away, and due to its heavy obligation rear leaf springs gives a 1.0-tonne-plus payload and the identical 3.5t towing capability, whereas masking the fundamentals when it comes to normal gear. It makes quite a lot of sense on this spec.

If you need some further luxuries the Musso XLV Journey scores heated and ventilated leather-based seats, tilt and telescoping steering wheel adjustment and flashier 18-inch alloys, and stays $5500 extra attainable than this decked out Luxurious Pack model.

Thinking about shopping for a SsangYong Musso? Get in contact with one among CarExpert’s trusted sellers here

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