In the midst of a global pandemic, SsangYong’s Musso revisions may have gone unnoticed; the refined 4x4 pickup gained AdBlue in 2020 for cleaner emissions, almost without comment. You won’t miss the next revision, though, as the ‘longbed’ Musso Grand – now called the Musso Rhino LWB for the UK – is the longest, highest-capacity double cab pickup on sale here.
It’s taken a while to reach these shores, so pickup enthusiasts might already have an idea of what the Musso Longbed offers – an extra 31cm in the load area, a longer wheelbase, and rather more elegant proportions as a result. The bigger Musso has been on sale in Korea and Australia for some time though, so it’s a proven hauler elsewhere in the world.
What we didn’t know, until now, was the specification or price SsangYong GB would be able to offer. We’ve got good news, at least if you’ve been holding off to see if the 5.4 metre-long pickup’s extended 1.61m long loadbad could still carry over a tonne, or if the price would stay below £30,000.
What’s special about the Musso Rhino LWB?
SsangYong is already unique in the UK for offering a pickup that can tow and carry to its maximum capacity at the same time – although all rivals offer 3,500kg towing and over 1,000kg carrying, you can’t usually do both at once but the regular Musso can.
Now the Musso Rhino offers the largest load bed of any UK double-cab pickup, too – and an extra 35-45kg capacity in it – without compromise. It can tow 3,500kg and carry 1,140kg, giving the Musso Rhino LWB a total capacity of 4,640kg.
Unusually, the hardest-working pickup in the range is not the lowest-specification, and the Rhino adds some features that the regular top-spec Saracen really needs to be a complete luxury lifestyle pickup.
Where does the Rhino LWB fit in the range?
Stretched by 31cm, all in the bed, the auto-only Rhino LWB retains the Musso’s Rexton-derived cab and interior. It’s positioned at the top of the range, gaining dual-zone climate control and additional technology, but it’s also the hardest-working Musso, carrying more weight in a larger load bay.
Underneath, the stretched Musso features rear leaf springs, essential for the truly astonishing simultaneous 1,140kg payload plus 3,500kg towing capacity. We look forward to finding out how this affects the ride and handling compared to the SWB model, which has coil spring rear suspension. Promisingly, it looks like disc brakes all-round have been retained despite the change.
The Rhino shares the regular Musso automatic’s 181hp, 420Nm 2.2-litre diesel engine and six-speed automatic gearbox, going 0-62mph in 11.9 seconds but with a lower top speed of 107mph. WLTP fuel economy comes in at a claimed 28.2mpg, a drop of 1.2mpg, while CO2 emissions are 262g/km.
Bigger, carrying more and still towing to the max?
Do the maths and you’ll arrive at the most remarkable feature of the Rhino; an unprecedented 6,900kg GTW (gross train weight), encompassing the 2,260kg pickup, load and trailer legally.
Off-road performance of the LWB Musso should be similar to the existing model. Ground clearance has been increased by 5mm to 220mm, though approach and departure angles are less off-road-friendly than before, as rear overhang has grown by 10cm – reflecting the 21cm increase in wheelbase.
This does mean the turning circle has gone up – it now needs 6.1m to change direction, and that’s not including the overhangs…
How well equipped is it?
SsangYong has revised the specifications of the Musso range quite a bit, though there are no immense alterations. The most notable technical change is that they now have AdBlue for reduced NOx emissions – without any reduction in power.
The Rhino inherits the specification of the top-spec Saracen and adds dual-zone climate control, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert and lane-change assist. It also adds privacy rear glass, though the wheels drop to a more spine-friendly 17-inch style.
In addition, you’ll find a 9.2-inch touchscreen infotainment system with TomTom navigation, electrically-adjustable heated and cooled driver and passenger seats, plus heated steering wheel and heated rear seats too, all trimmed in Nappa leather.
It’s got keyless remote central locking which includes the tailgate (and official accessory hardtops), and comes with a load bed liner included, plus a 12V/120W power outlet in the bed. There’s a reversing camera and front and rear parking sensors are now standard – welcome on a vehicle that’s just over 5.4m long before you’ve added the towbar…
How much is the Rhino LWB?
The SsangYong Musso Rhino LWB costs £29,995 – an extra £1,749 over the Saracen SWB model. Apart from the drop to 17-inch wheels, it includes all the comfort and convenience features of the Saracen and adds dual-zone climate control, blind-spot monitoring with cross-traffic alert and lane-change assist.
Plus an extra 310mm of Musso. Unless that 5.4m length is going to cause you parking problems, the Rhino LWB is the Musso to get.
It’s still going to take a little while for us to test a Musso Rhino LWB in the metal, too – SsangYong’s fleet is currently deployed supporting the NHS response to the coronavirus. But we’ll bring you a review as soon as it’s possible.
Also read:
>> Our main SsangYong Musso review
>> 2020 SsangYong Musso range update
>> Best pickups
