The Ssangyong Musso with more standard kit and an upgraded interior for 2018, increasing the value for money on offer from one of the pick-up segment’s cheapest options.
The Korean firm’s cut-price Nissan Navara alternative is due on UK roads this summer with an all-new look. Its front end bears strong resemblance to that of the Ssangyong Ssangyong Rexton SUV, with which the Musso is heavily technically related.
Using the same architecture as the new Rexton, the Musso’s body-on-frame construction is 81.7% high-strength steel. Ssangyong says this not only enhances the Musso’s rigidity for better safety but also boosts its handling and off-road abilities.
Taking a Ssangyong Musso racer round Britain's Nürburgring
The pick-up’s off-road ability is helped by a 215mm ground clearance and relatively short overhangs. It measures 5095mm long and 1950mm wide, with the roofline set at 1840mm. It features a load deck with a rear door that folds flat to provide space for a full-sized Euro-pallet – the wooden base for transporting heavy goods often used by industry.
Inside, where there’s space for five passengers, Ssangyong has significantly upgraded the cabin. A more cleanly designed dash features a centrally mounted 8.0in touchscreen that’s standard, with DAB radio, Bluetooth and MP3 connectivity. High-spec models gain Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Ssangyong is displaying its new Musso at the Geneva motor show before it arrives in showrooms. Prices, although yet to be confirmed, are unlikely to change significantly from the outgoing model’s £16,795 to ensure the Musso remains one of the cheapest offerings in its class. By comparison, alternatives include the Nissan Navara, which starts at £24,280 and Ford Ranger, which opens from £22,244.
Ssangyong UK chairman Jim Tyrrell believes the company can sell around 7500 cars a year and become 'a nice little business' following the arrival of the Musso pick-up. The brand's current volume sits at around 4000 units per year, and the same number is predicted for 2018.
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NORMAL CHEP AUSSIE PALLET?
DOES IT FIT A STD. CHEP BLUE PALLET BETWEEN THE HUNGRY WHEELARCHES AS DOES THE TATA AND VW DUAL CABS?
YOU CAN THANK FRUGAL ONE FOR THIS, HE IS A WORLD-LEADER ON UTES AN VANS
What happened to the back of the cab?
Overall the design is quite smart, inside and out, but why does the back of the cab look like someone has taken a cheese wire to it. Agree with Sabre that a long term test would be good though Ssangyong have been making pickups for years so should prove dependable.
Long term test
It would be interesting to put a SSangyong through a long term test. The readers wish to know whether a cheap car may last reliably.