Ssangyong Musso

The interior on the Musso is a direct lift-off from the Rexton, which simply means that the Musso has one of the most premium and rich in cabins among all the pickups. The cabin offers a very nice blend of black with chestnut brown, which makes it feel luxurious everywhere.

The large three-spoke steering wheel and inviting instrument console with large colored MID screen make for a very posh driver’s cockpit. The centre console looks wide thanks to the presence of the large eight-inch touch screen infotainment system alongside the silver finished vertical AC vents on its sides and horizontally laid buttons for dual-zone automatic climate control below it.

What surprises us the most, however, inside the Ssangyong Musso is the level of comfort and convenience features – this pickup is loaded with features to the gills. Apart from the aforementioned features, the Musso also has Nappa leather upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats, electrically adjustable front seats, and rear AC vents. However, there is no sunroof here.

As we mentioned before, the Musso is based on the Rexton and is the pickup version of the latter. This directly implies that the Musso shares a lot of design traits with the Rexton. While the stance of the Musso looks large and intimidating, the overall exterior styling is too mild for a duty-oriented pickup truck.

The front of the Musso looks quite simple and boxy but there are the sweptback headlamps which come with projector units and daytime running LEDs within them. The hexagonal grille with a thin chrome lining and Ssangyong logo looks big but might not arrest your attention at first due to its simple layout. The large front bumper with blackened skid plates, however, adds a small amount of macho appeal to the front fascia of the Musso.

The side profile of the Musso also comes with the same inverted wheel arches as well as 18-inch machined alloy wheels as seen on the Rexton. However, post the B-pillar, the third row of the cabin here is replaced by a large bed liner. Also, the addition of big roof rails has added some sportiness. At the rear, like in most of the pickup trucks, the cargo door, as well as the vertical tail lamps on the Musso, are plainly designed.

With a double wishbone setup at the front and a five-link coil spring suspension at the rear, the ride quality and handling balance on the Musso feels quite sorted despite the fact that the Musso is quite a heavy pickup based on a ladder-on-frame chassis. The disc brake setup on all four wheels is another measure which shows that Ssangyong has not made any compromise on the mechanical setup either.

The sole engine on offer with the Ssangyong Musso is a 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel engine which produces a maximum power of 181 PS and a peak torque of 420 Nm. The engine is coupled with a 6-speed automatic gearbox which transfers the power only to the front wheels, with a 4x4 drivetrain option given a miss here.

Unlike the Rexton, the Musso is equipped with only the basic and compulsory safety features like front, side and curtain SRS airbags, ABS with EBD and Brake Assist and a reverse camera with parking sensors.

At Php 1.5 million with a plush interior filled with a number of comfort and convenience features, the Ssangyong Musso is one pickup which you will love to be in. However, when the tough gets going, you will definitely feel the absence of a 4x4 drivetrain. Although the engine impresses one with its refinement and power delivery.