SsangYong Musso pickup review (2023)

• Decent refinement for a pickup
• Rear suspension can be crashy and offers poor steering feel
• Capable off-road although ground clearance is limited

Our initial impressions of the SsangYong Musso's driving experience at its launch in 2018 weren't overly positive.

SsangYong fitted very stiff rear springs order to achieve that outstanding gross train weight rating, and this caused some unpredictable behaviour on bumpy roads, especially when going round corners.

However, revisions have been made since then and there is an improvement, although it is still far from great in this area.

What’s the SsangYong Musso like on the road?

SsangYong might make claims about the Musso being more like an SUV than a traditional pickup, but that does need a caveat; its own highest-specification SUV uses an old-school ladder-frame construction just like a pickup. It is to this that the Musso's driving experience should be compared, rather than a modern Skoda Kodiaq or BMW X5.

However, multi-layer door seals and an all-round bonnet seal keep the 2.2-litre diesel’s noise subdued in town as it busies itself producing 202hp and 441Nm. That's enough power for the Musso to reach as much as 121mph and accelerate briskly; manual gearbox models go from 0-62mph in 11.3 seconds, while automatics take 11.9 seconds. These acceleration figures haven't changed with the increase in power brought about in 2022.

Speed-sensitive power steering and brakes that are smooth to apply (discs all-round, unlike the rear drums of many rivals) make it a very light-touch pickup to drive in urban situations, and it’s a lot more stable under unladen emergency braking than some rivals.

The suspension is capable of tackling the likes of mid-corner drain covers and bumps, although as with most pickups there remains a constant background jitter on all but the smoothest surfaces. Pressing on along more rural routes, passengers will probably appreciate a more sedate pace than the performance allows, as there’s a lot of body roll that takes time to settle in sequences of bends – though if you’re driving alone there’s plenty of grip.

The biggest challenge comes when the rear suspension encounters bigger vertical bumps - speed humps for example. It is stiff enough that when the rear wheels come off the obstacle they do so with a crash. This will be tempered by adding more weight to the loading bay, but it does make it a little wearing to drive the Musso around town when you don't have a need to carry much out back.

The steering could be a bit better too, as it lacks in terms of feedback. This isn't unusual for a modern vehicle, but the extent you can move the steering wheel around the centre point in the Musso without anything seeming to happen takes a bit of getting used to, and at speed this can contribute to a slightly lurching action when changing direction.

As such, the Musso is at its best when driven with smooth, delicate inputs, but ultimately you’re very aware that this is a large, heavy vehicle without much feedback from the controls.

Visibility is good – though the blind-spot monitoring is needed on the Saracen model as the rear privacy glass is very dark and can be hard to see through on a quick glance. Although it isn't quick, in-gear acceleration on the automatic is ample for keeping up with traffic or overtaking safely.

SsangYong Musso – one diesel engine, manual or automatic gearbox choice

The Musso’s 2.2-litre turbodiesel engine is SsangYong’s own design, and as of the 2021 update it produces 202hp and 441Nm – decent figures, especially given the Musso’s budget-conscious cost. Its sound is also well insulated from the cabin, which helps the SsangYong to feel robustly built. The upgrade in power makes it a more relaxed vehicle to drive, with the increased urgency mainly apparent in overtakes.

The engine comes with a six-speed manual gearbox as standard. This has a long, notchy shifting action, and isn’t particularly nice to operate.

As such, the Musso is far better with the optional six-speed Aisin automatic gearbox, which replaces the more expensive seven-speed Mercedes-Benz auto fitted in the Rexton. You won’t notice much of a penalty in the way Musso drives relative to its SUV sibling, as neither transmission is particularly quick-shifting.

The Musso’s six-speed is smooth enough, however, and doesn’t feel demonstrably worse than any other torque-converter auto in the pickup market.

Our only gripe is that if you want to manually select a gear you have to use a tiny thumb switch on the side of the automatic transmission lever. It would be so much easier with paddleshifters, or the more typical lever movement of other pickups.

What's the Musso LWB like to drive?

Launched in May 2020, the LWB version of the Musso isn't just bigger, it's also got different rear suspension - using more traditional leaf springs in place of the standard Musso's more car-like coil springs.

While this is definitely likely to be good news for strength, load carrying and towing, driving the now 5.4m long Musso Saracen+ is, for the most part, exactly like the conventional one. However you can really feel the move to leaf springs on poor roads, and where you'd anticipate the longer wheelbase yielding a more chilled-out motorway ride, it's scuppered by that beefed up rear suspension.

So, the price you pay for a near 7.0-tonne gross train weight, 3.5-tonne towing and 1.6m long load bed that can carry over a tonne at the same time is the sort of suspension suited to a 7.5-tonne van, and it's actually a bit harsher than the standard Musso. You can see the load bed shimmy over bumps in the mirror, which was never that obvious in our long-term Musso Saracen, for example.

It still has curiously light steering - a child could steer this with one finger - and the brakes are still impressive despite the cruder rear suspension, but it's been dropped from an SUV-like ride to 'an average pickup', though that's in the context of it being above-average in terms of hauling capacity. Standard-fit blind-spot monitoring is welcome, though visibility is good enough, and the reversing camera is essential given the length and turning circle.

It is very good value. It is still very comfortable, and nicely trimmed. But it still falls short of greatness for the smallest of tweaks to the way it steers and the finish of the trim. One thing's for sure, though, you will not want for space - and despite the stretched appearance, it is only 10cm longer than most pickups on sale in the UK.

If you don't need the long load bed, the standard Musso is the nicer family-pickup in terms of comfort and ride quality, and if you do need it - you don't have many options for a high-capacity double cab pickup like this.

Off-road in the SsangYong Musso

SsangYong’s official figures put the Musso at a disadvantage off-road because of the low wading depth of 350mm; the deep, sill-covering doors and large side steps also reduce the ground clearance, which falls as low as 215mm (220mm for the LWB).

Even so, the chassis is deep, and offers good protection for the transmission.

The all-wheel drive system is part-time selectable 4x4 with locked centre differential, and a low-range mode. The rear differential has electronic traction control, but no manual lock for dealing with really slippery conditions, and the hill descent control system only has a fixed speed, so you can't adjust this. It works perfectly well, though.

Part-time 4x4 means it's rear-wheel drive only by default - and this is the only way it should be driven on the road - and though engaging one of the two four-wheel drive modes is no more strenuous than twisting a knob by the gearlever, you do have to stop and put the Musso into neutral before selecting them.

Visibility is excellent, so placing the Musso in the environment is straightforward. A metal skid plate on the front of the Saracen model offers protection for the radiator while reducing approach angle, but as it doesn’t extend to similar protection under the body it’s largely cosmetic. Likewise the plastic arch trim is recessed, and the bumpers deep, leaving a lot of vulnerable bodywork and trim exposed during more extreme green-laning attempts.

But stay within the chassis' limits and the Musso proves basically effortless off-road, especially when fitted with the automatic transmission. Traction is good, the light steering works in the Musso's favour when tackling undulating terrain, and there's plenty of power for climbing hills.

Towing with the SsangYong Musso

We’ve taken the opportunity to test the standard Musso towing an Ifor Williams CT136HD twin-axle car trailer and suitably heavy project vehicle. A combined mass of around 1,900kg posed no challenge, dynamically or in terms of safe performance, and the SsangYong’s factory-fitted towing package includes niceties like enabling the trailer’s side-marker lights with the daytime running lights. Large mirrors help keep an eye on the load, and the reversing camera and light, reasonably direct steering aid with confident manoeuvring of the combination.

Ride quality and stability when towing on motorways is impressive, and the Musso is a pickup well suited to covering serious distances while pulling a trailer. Naturally there’s an impact on fuel economy, the additional load costing about 7mpg compared to unladen driving at the same speeds.

• Car-like interior quality and design - for the most part
• Roomy inside for people in the front and the back
• Some poor finishing in places

The airy, spacious interior and car-like dashboard of the Musso make an immediate good impression – there’s a handy storage tray above the infotainment screen, and bold trim panels that integrate the speakers in the doors and door handles. Some touch points could feel higher quality, like the stalks, but the soft-touch plastics and leather-look stitched trim are the equal of much more expensive rivals. 

The 2022 facelift brought a new, large screen in the place of the traditional instrument cluster. It is smart, with some neat graphics on start up, but it doesn't bring a huge integrated level of functionality in the way that some passenger car equivalents do - it doesn't link up with the central screen for example.

The large, wide windscreen offers a panoramic view compared to many smaller pickups. That square body, without protruding arches or curves falling away from your vision, and the relatively slim A-pillars help with placement on- or off-road, and a wide range of seat adjustments plus reach and rake adjustment for the wheel ensure the driving position can be comfortable for a wide variety of human shapes.

Detail differences, such as lacking the soft-trimmed doors of the Rexton (the underlying plastics appear to be the same) keep the Musso from having a genuinely premium feel throughout, but as it’s ahead of the pack for what it costs already you’ll probably like what you find. 

At motorway speeds, the Musso is remarkably quiet, helped by road-biased tyres. It’s possible to hold a conversation with rear passengers without shouting, and there’s no need to crank the radio up to eleven (this is not entirely a positive mark; for all the attractive grille designs, 'carbon nanotube' speakers and 9.2-inch touchscreen, the audio side of things is relatively basic).

Overall, the SsangYong is a genuinely pleasant place for all occupants on long journeys, and extremely relaxing for the driver – albeit, without the latest attention-and-effort saving tech.

Plenty of room inside

Few pickups have the same feeling of room for front passengers. Of more interest for families and work crews, the rear passenger space is similarly generous. There is a decent amount of legroom, although an SUV would offer more for particularly large car seats. The doors don't open to a full 90 degrees, and the sharp corner on the door at the base of the windowline is something to watch out for when squeezing in and out in a tight car park.

The rear seat back is reclined slightly rather than the bolt-upright seating position of most double cab pickups, and has a high base for a good view out. 

Still, the other two passengers enjoy a spectacular view out from the large windows – which open fully – and the safety of side curtain airbags that cover rear passengers as well. Under the rear seat base (untrimmed – so springs, wiring and foam are visible if you peer beneath) the carpeted flat floor continues to the back of the cab, adding a useful storage area.

Front and rear passengers get grab handles to help scale the tall sills (designed to be covered by the doors, so passengers avoid getting muddy legs) while there is also a side step to help access.

• Five-year warranty
• Competitive pricing
• Average fuel economy

Lifestyle pickups are slowly, but surely, moving upmarket as an alternative to premium SUVs. The Musso is a very unusual blend, and without badge prestige to lead the way it’s easy to overlook how it compares with rivals realistically.

Is the SsangYong Musso good value?

First, the Musso is big inside. If space is the ultimate luxury, then the width, the relatively low, flat dashboard, the big windows and the legroom are like going from a Ford Focus to a Mondeo, which changes the value equation somewhat; traditionally, drivers paid more for larger cars to get greater comfort.

As all pickups are already fairly big to start off with, most have hit the baseline need with room to spare, but the Musso still has a large-car feel compared to rivals.

The interior design edges in the direction of lifestyle rather than workhorse, but the fundamentals are still solid rather than luxurious. Prod the fashionably-styled door handles and aluminium-look speaker grilles, and the illusion wobbles, if not shatters, but it looks good, cohesive and pleasing to the eye.

SsangYong Musso five-year warranty

The SsangYong Musso did come with a seven-year / 150,000-mile warranty, but this was downgraded to a five-year / 100,000-mile package in 2023. This is still decent compared to some of the rival offerings, which generally elapse after three years, but it is a slightly disappointing downgrade and is some way short of the 10-year cover offered by Toyota.

Used models bought before 2023 might still have the cover in place, so long as the previous owner has kept everything in order to maintain the cover.

SsangYong Musso service intervals

The service intervals for the SsangYong Musso are 12,500 miles on 12 months, whichever is sooner. This is about standard for a pickup.

SsangYong Musso fuel economy

The Musso isn’t blessed with particularly good fuel economy, but this is a heavy, un-aerodynamic pickup so that's probably not a surprise.

As of 2023 the Musso averages up to 33.8mpg for the manual and 31.5mpg for the auto. The LWB is not far behind with an average of 30.8mpg.

That said, the SsangYong Musso Saracen automatic we had on long-term test consistently returned over 30mpg in mixed on-road driving, falling to around 26mpg when towing – driven reasonably there’s no suggestion that it won’t deliver the claimed economy.

SsangYong Musso dealer network, insurance and tax costs

All versions of the Musso fall into group 50D for insurance (out of a possible 50), which is on the high side.

Of course, the major advantage of a pickup over an SUV as a business car is the fact that they qualify for the van tax rates. It’s a flat rate for both private and company car drivers, and will almost certainly work out cheaper than a similarly appointed SUV.

SsangYong Musso standard equipment

There are four versions of the Musso to choose from - entry-level EX, Rebel, Saracen and the LWB-only Saracen+. Top-spec models get electric front seats with height and tilt adjustment, and premium Nappa leather trim that is soft and comfortable. Wide cushions and carefully designed bolsters are pleasant for a variety of body shapes, too, though there’s no lumbar adjustment; the seatbelts are also easily adjusted across a good range of heights. 

SsangYong’s wildcard is the inclusion of seat ventilation as well as heating on Rebel and Saracen specifications, and in our increasingly hot summers, that’s a real boon. Winter drives are further helped by the heated steering wheel, standard on all but EX models.

Nestled below even the largest infotainment screen are a pair of chrome-ringed dials for the fan, and cold to hot, without temperature markings. The EX and Rebel Mussos make do with the sort of manual air-conditioning that you’d find on a bare-bones economy car, but you get dual-zone climate control on higher trims.

The Musso Saracen+ LWB introduced in 2020 has a number of extra items of equipment - not least added safety kit - and does come with proper dual-zone automatic climate control. But it remains the only Musso to offer this at the moment.

Base-spec SsangYong Musso EX models get the following standard equipment highlights:

• 17-inch wheels
• DAB radio
• Bluetooth
• Electric windows
• Manual air-conditioning
• Full-sized spare wheel
• Alarm and immobiliser
• Automatic lights and wipers

The SsangYong Musso Rebel benefits from the following standard equipment highlights (in addition to EX):

• 18-inch wheels
• Roof rails
• Floor mats
• 8.0-inch infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
• Artificial leather upholstery
• Heated and ventilated front seats
• Heated leather steering wheel
• Black and silver side steps
• Rebel graphics
• Reversing camera (from mid-2020)
• LED front fog lights

The SsangYong Musso Saracen gets following standard equipment highlights (in addition to Rebel):

• 18-inch alloys in black
• Black front grille
• Nappa leather seats
• Electrically adjustable front seats
• Heated rear seats
• Dual-zone climate control
• 9.2-inch touchscreen with TomTom navigation
• 12.3-inch digital instrument panel
• LED daytime running lights
• Dark tinted privacy glass on the rear windows
• Cruise control
• Saracen graphics
• Front and rear parking sensors (new from mid-2020)
• Rear cross traffic alert
• Rear-view camera
• Blind spot detection

The Saracen+ LWB matches the Saracen trim, but with the larger loading bay and higher payload. The only other difference is that the graphics read 'Saracen+' rather than 'Saracen.'

SsangYong Musso optional extras

Most of the added extras are accessories rather than options, with things like a load-bay cover, a towbar and a full hardtop all available.

This Musso is based very heavily on the Rexton SUV. SsangYong has a reputation for robust build quality and there’s no reason to expect anything too alarming here, but keep in mind that a pickup may be subjected to a harder working life than a passenger car.

On early models we had concerns with some of the accessories that are bolted on when it reaches the UK, specifically the sidesteps you get on all but base EX-spec Mussos. These were apparently rated to carry 85kg, but they felt incredibly flimsy and flexed considerably when leaned on with just one leg. Thankfully these have been upgraded and post-2022 models offer much more robustness.

• Structure seems sound
• Six airbags as standard
• Lacks active safety equipment

SsangYong’s build quality is promising, with doors that feel solid, six airbags, high-spec Continental tyres, a robust chassis and a kerb weight that suggests there’s a lot of metal for the money here.

Early models, and indeed entry-level versions, don't get much in the way of active safety, but this improves as you go up the range.

SsangYong Musso safety equipment

Although the EX and Rebel don't get everything, the Saracen and Saracen+ get lane-change collision warning, blind-spot warning and rear cross traffic alert. All models get a brake assistance system, hill-descent control and trailer sway control.

SsangYong Musso security

The Musso's tailgate locks with the remote central locking, and if specified, the optional luxury hardtop also locks on the fob. This saves a lot of faffing with keys, and isn't always the case with rival pickups.

Better yet, every version comes fitted with an immobiliser and a perimeter alarm system as standard.