KGM Musso pickup review (2025)

• Rugged and noisy on the road
• Old-fashioned gearbox
• Only the one diesel engine available

Despite quite clear intentions to feel like a luxury vehicle, there’s no disguising the fact that this ladder-chassis-equipped vehicle has rudimentary roots. There’s quite a bit of noise and vibration which makes its way into the cabin and quickly becomes tiring on longer journeys. It’s nowhere near as well damped as a D-Max in this respect.

While it boasts an easily switchable four-wheel drive system (only to be used on slippery surfaces, not for everyday driving), and a low-range gearbox for tougher terrain, it also goes without a differential lock, which means ultimately the chances of getting stuck in the mud are somewhat higher. This locking rear axle is standard on all but the Utility versions of the D-Max, but not available on the Musso at all.

Those venturing onto the rough stuff regularly may want to investigate some high-quality knobbly tyres too, because the standard Maxis rubber on the Musso isn’t particularly grippy. On icy roads we found ourselves having to use four-wheel drive, because the rear wheels kept slipping and then the traction control would cut all power.

But with that said, the turning circle is tighter than the Isuzu which makes it more pleasant in traffic and when parking. The Saracen we’ve been driving in our long-term test has speed-sensitive variable steering, so the electrical assistance varies depending on the road speed. This feels a little unnatural to start with, but you soon get used to it.

The Musso’s also easy to drive, if a little old-fashioned. The automatic gearbox is a six-speed torque convertor type, which means it’s a little dim-witted at times, finding itself in the wrong gear at the wrong time. This, coupled with the heavy-handed traction control system, can result in a frustrating lack of progress when the roads are slightly slippery.

There is only the one engine in the Musso’s range, which is a fairly old-school 2.2-litre diesel. This gets the same 202hp power output in all versions, although the EX gets less torque than the other models with only 295lb/ft versus 325lb/ft in the rest of the range. As a result, the EX can’t tow as much as its range siblings.

• Lots of kit on higher models
• Noisy on the move

Depending on the trim level you pick, the Musso’s cabin can feel like a very luxurious location, thanks partly to the equipment but also the materials. At Saracen level you’re looking at heated and ventilated front seats, Nappa leather seating all round, a heated steering wheel and electric front seat adjustment.

Despite all this equipment and adjustability, we took a while to find a comfortable seating position. The electric adjustment means you can fine tune things with small movements though.

It’s not particularly quiet on the move either, with considerable road noise making its way into the cabin through the chassis.

The latest facelift has brought about a redesign to the cabin, which has resulted in a larger screen and relocation of the air vents. The latter are now all arranged in a smart horizontal line across the lower part of the cabin. This frees up more room for a larger screen up on the dash, which is now a clean, wide and freestanding screen that sits proud of the main body of the interior.

It does have some shortcuts down the side, but these are all part of the screen rather than physical buttons, with the latter always being easier to operate without taking your eyes off the road.

Thankfully there are some separate controls lower down on the central dashboard for features such as the climate control, but again these are on a screen style arrangement rather than actual dials and buttons. Won’t someone think of the gloves wearers?!

Cabin space

The seats in the rear have a good amount of space for passengers, and there is a slight angle to their backs so you don’t sit bolt upright as you have in some pickup trucks in the past. Granted, the major rivals such as the Ford Ranger and Isuzu D-Max both do the same these days, but it makes the Musso a little more comfortable on longer journeys.

The storage space in the cabin is decent but fairly typical by pickup standards, with a decent box between the two front seats and some good door pockets on either side. A large chunk on the central console is taken up by the fairly old-fashioned gear lever and manual hand brake. Most modern vehicles are switching to smaller and more subtle electronic equivalents.

• Attractive cash prices
• Three main trim levels

Value is very much the KGM Musso’s USP, particularly when you look at the basic cash prices. The Musso is the cheapest five-seater pickup truck on sale in the UK, with the basic EX trim undercutting the entry-level rivals at all of the other manufacturers.

But KGM has backed this up by making the rest of the range really competitive as well, with the Rebel and Saracen both comparatively well priced. Then you factor in the equipment, which is generous on all versions as well.

In short, the Musso is the best value pickup truck out there, when you consider the price and spec.

KGM Musso mpg

With all versions of the KGM Musso having the same diesel engine, there is little difference between the fuel economy of each model. The most efficient is the EX, which is the only one with a manual gearbox which promises 34mpg. The good news is that the rest of the range, which all come with an automatic gearbox, are not far behind.

The standard-length versions both claim 32mpg while the longer Saracen+ isn’t far behind with a 31mpg rating. This is pretty much identical to the Isuzu D-Max.

KGM Musso servicing

The KGM Musso’s service intervals are pretty standard for a pickup, at one year or 12,500 miles, whichever comes sooner.

KGM Musso warranty

The KGM Musso warranty is better than the industry basic, with five years or 100,000 miles of cover.

KGM Musso standard equipment

There are three trims of KGM Musso available to pick from – EX, Rebel and Saracen. However, there is also a longer version of the top-level Saracen, which is dubbed the Saracen+. This is unchanged from the Saracen, though, apart from having a bigger loading bay.

The highlights of the three models are as follows.

KGM Musso EX equipment highlights

• 18-inch alloy wheels
• Chrome front grille
• Powered and heated door mirrors
• Body coloured door handles and bumpers
• Manual air conditioning
• Fabric seats

KGM Musso Rebel equipment highlights (in addition to EX):

• Side steps
• Roof rails
• LED front fog lights
• Heated and ventilated leather seats
• Heated steering wheel
• 3-inch screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Rear-view camera

KGM Musso Saracen equipment highlights (in addition to Rebel):

• 18-inch black alloy wheels
• Black exterior details
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Rear privacy glass
• Front and rear LED daytime running lights
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Reversing camera
• Nappa leather seats
• Leather steering wheel
• Automatic dual-zone air conditioning
• 3 digital instrument cluster
• Electronic cruise control

You might spot in the lists above that side steps only come as standard from the Rebel trim onwards, which might be worth bearing in mind for shorter drivers.

There is also a wide range of accessories, which allows you to make more of the loading bay in particular. These include an electric cover, a hard top, a ladder rack and a tailgate damper. It’s a shame the latter is only a dealer-fit accessory – the Isuzu D-Max offers it as standard.

KGM and its predecessor SsangYong have never sold vast numbers of vehicles in the UK, so it is tough to get a massive database for reliability purposes. The evidence there has been looks promising, though. There haven’t been any recalls for the Musso under SsangYong or KGM, which bodes very well and the brand has a reputation for robust build quality.

• Six airbags and plenty of systems
• Lots of steel helps boost rigidity

As well as the various systems and the six airbags, KGM points to the ratio of high-density steel in the Musso’s chassis as being a major contributor to its safety. This providing rigidity in the case of a crash, it says.

We can’t point to a Euro NCAP crash score to back this claim up, though, as the Musso hasn’t been assessed by the body either in its current form or under SsangYong branding.

There are lots of driver assistance systems as well as the passive safety kit, though, with the following highlights included as standard:

• Brake assist
• Hill start assist
• Hill descent control
• Trailer sway control
• Front, side and curtain airbags
• Blind spot detection
• Isofix points on the outer rear seats

The Saracen model also adds rear cross traffic warning, safety exit warning and blind spot detection systems. An alarm and immobiliser are also standard across the range.