SsangYong Musso Rebel review by MotorBar

“Let me get right to the point —
good-looking and unexpectedly
refined, the 2020-model year
SsangYong Musso makes a great
multipurpose lifestyle vehicle...”

THERE'S SOMETHING EMINENTLY SATISFYING about driving a pick-up. If you've been there, done it, got the T-shirt, had the supercar… maybe, then, now would be the time to try out something different. You'll find it liberating: no more worries about where you park; no 'mine-is-faster-than-yours' idiots trying to score pointless points; and no more drivers eager to crowd 'your' patch of blacktop.

If you're a tower (of caravans, boats, or horse-boxes) then you'll likely already be acquainted with the SsangYong brand. Well-known for producing 4x4 SUVs with genuine off-road ability, their pick-ups have really come into focus with their Musso model. A lot of pickups still have an air of macho rough-and-tumble about them but, although undeniably tough, the Musso is refreshingly un-pick-up-like — but then it is based on SsangYong's praiseworthy Rexton SUV.

“Along with very
spacious double cab
accommodation that’s as
smart as those of many
SUVs and plenty of kit,
other sound reasons to
take-up with a Musso
include its 4x4 drivetrain
and its impressive
towing and load-carrying
abilities — not only will
it haul a braked 3.5
tonnes but will do so
while also carrying a full
tonne in its loadbed...”

Along with very spacious double cab accommodation that's as smart as those of many SUVs and plenty of kit, other sound reasons to take-up with a Musso include it's 4x4 drivetrain and impressive towing and load-carrying abilities — not only will it haul a braked 3.5 tonnes but will do so while simultaneously carrying a full tonne in its loadbed. To all of the above you can add the best warranty (seven-years, 150,000-miles) in the pick-up sector and a keen price (from Ł21K).

Measuring a hand's-width over five metres long and two metres wide the Musso is pretty substantial, yet its Rexton-esque nose, distinctively sculpted flanks, neatly-proportioned body and well-blended in loadbed conspire to visually shrink its size. Until you swing open a door…

The car-like five-seat interior is roomy and airy. Echoing the Rexton's handsome cabin, the Musso's is one of the nicest you'll find in a pick-up and a likeable place to spend time. An eight-inch infotainment touchscreen splits the neat dash for a neat minimalist look. The mid-range Rebel's big seats are comfortable and supportive and upholstered in a nice-to-touch faux leather (premium Nappa leather is standard on the range-topping Saracen trim). Also feeling right in your hands is the smart, flat-bottom steering-wheel with perforated work areas.

Thankfully the Rebel doesn't mimic the protruding wheelarches and bulbous body-shaping favoured by some pickups so you can easily see all four corners as well as 'know' exactly where your boundaries are — together with a commanding driving position and genuinely panoramic views in all directions this makes for effortless placement both on and off the road.

Excellent headroom (two stacked fists' of it) and plenty of room for shoulders and shanks plus hiking-footwear-friendly footwells, wide seats with comfy bolstering and height-adjustable belts all make it even more inviting. A really major 'plus' is not just that the front seats have three-stage heating but that they're also cooled (three intensities, too) — a real boon given our hotter and stickier summers are stretching out longer. And there doesn't need to be snow on the ground to appreciate the heated steering wheel rim.

“A 2.2-litre turbodiesel
unit is the only power
source on offer but that’s
fine because it’s the
same as powers its SUV
sister, the Rexton.
Pushing out a
respectable 179bhp
alongside 295lb ft of
torque, it pulls strongly
from low down and
is unexpectedly refined.
We’d expect everyday
drivers to match the
official combined cycle
fuel consumption
of 32.9mpg...”

The AirCon, easily operated on the move by knurled knobs sited below the touchscreen, blows outs all the hot or cold air you demand and incorporates an air quality control system. If you must have a built-in SatNav you'll need to step up to the Saracen trim level but if you're okay with apps such as Waze then you'll be perfectly at ease navigating in the Rebel (which only comes with an infotainment touchscreen).

Adding to the cabin's visual appeal is the unexpectedly hushed atmosphere — particularly good for a pick-up. In-cabin storage is also well considered with a capacious lockable glovebox, a box under the wide armrest between the front seats, large and deep two-bottle-holding door bins, a useful storage tray ahead of the selector lever and another above the infotainment screen, twin cupholders, and a large drop-down case for your shades.

The midrange Rebel is well kitted-out with the essentials; not mentioned elsewhere in the review are keyless entry and start, a multifunction steering-wheel, power windows (one-shot for the driver), Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone linking with ample USB and Aux ports, DAB radio, Bluetooth connectivity, a reversing camera, powerfolding (on-demand) heated door mirrors, deep sun visors with sliding side-extensions (perfect for beating the dazzle), and 18-inch alloys (with yet another bonus; a full-size spare wheel).

Aside from the integral strength that comes from the Musso's heavy-duty, ladder-frame construction keeping you safe there are also six airbags, an electronic stability programme with traction control system, active roll-over protection, and hill descent control. Expected items such as hill start assist, daytime running lights, auto lights and wipes, and tyre pressure monitoring are all present plus, for those colder months, a lower windscreen wiper de-icer.

The Musso's side-steps are not just for show — you can plant your full weight on them and they don't give an inch although for most users the seats' hip-height is just right for graceful entry and exit (the door openings are large, making it a straightforward op to fit child seats to the two outer seats; and easy to get your youngsters out again). Plus there are sturdy vertical grab handles located on the B-pillars and additionally above the door frames for those who might need a little help. Once aboard there's oodles of room — more than you'll find in a number of its rivals, including a fist of headroom and loads of foot room so you rear-cab passengers can move around as much as they like.

“The Musso is not only
easy to drive but it’s
pleasant too. The light-
touch speed-sensitive
power steering
is agreeably direct (definitely more SUV than
workhorse) and makes
for a civilised drive
in urban landscapes;
off-road it also works in
the Musso’s favour,
ensuring accurate
manoeuvring around
obstacles. It’s also
stable when towing on
motorways as well as
when you’re cracking the
whip along rural roads.
Overall, a pick-up you’d
be happy to drive
all day long...”

Views out from the high-set rear seats are expansive, and while your passengers are watching the world go by from behind the dark tinted rear glass they'll be sitting comfortably and enjoying generous legroom and relaxing backrest angles. For the record, the big windows, unlike many, open fully so there's plenty of fresh air for those who like it — for those who prefer to take their air from the AirCon, there are dedicated central vents. Also liked is the wide central armrest with built-in cupholders, the large door bins and big seatback pouches.

Thanks to the quiet cabin, it's also easy to converse with those travelling in the back without raising your voice. And yes, three seated in a line is doable, Also very useful is the open space beneath the rear seat bases which provides a neat solution for excess baggage. Also appreciated are the deep lower door sections that keep the sills clean in dirty weather to prevent passengers' legs getting soiled when getting in or out in.

The ride is well-sorted; enough to manage bumps and other irregularities without alarming your passengers. The tall (60 profile: 255/60) tyre sidewalls and a double-wishbone front suspension set-up with rear-mounted coils works fine, not just for the ride but for the handling too.

Before that it's worth taking a moment to review what occupies the engine bay. A 2.2-litre turbodiesel unit is the only power source on offer but that's fine because it's the same as powers its SUV sister, the Rexton. A four-cylinder, it pushes out a respectable 179bhp alongside 295lb ft of torque and pulls strongly from low down. Although 0-60mph figures are not officially stated, around 12 seconds feels on the money. The four-pot is a gutsy but unexpectedly refined engine and, at the top-end, will propel this two-tonne 'Ute' to 115mph.

A six-speed stick-shifter is the default but we'd plump for the optional six-speed torque converter automatic. Married to the 2.2-litre it makes for a good partnership (particularly when towing) and can be trusted to just get on with the job, keeping you flowing unflappably in traffic. There's a manual mode along with Eco, Power, and Winter settings, so all bases are covered. Oil-burners can be noisy but SsangYong has doubled-down on soundproofing and apart from when the pedal's down to the metal, the 2.2-litre's soundtrack is rarely more than a reassuring background hum.

There is, however, an official figure for the combined cycle fuel consumption — and it's 32.9mpg. The 30.8mpg we recorded over the course of a week's hard-driven testing bears this out and we'd expect everyday drivers to match SsangYong's numbers.

“As a load-lugger the
Musso’s the best in the
business, able to carry
more than a tonne
(1,055kg) payload in its
bed while at the same
time hauling a braked
3,500kg trailer — no other
pick-up matches that.
And now SsangYong
have introduced a long-
wheelbase version — the
Musso Rhino — with a
loadbed length up from
1.3 to 1.61-metres...”

The Musso is not only easy to drive but it's pleasant too. The light-touch speed-sensitive power steering is agreeably direct (definitely more SUV than workhorse) and makes for a civilised drive in urban landscapes; off-road it also works in the Musso's favour, ensuring accurate manoeuvring around obstacles. The brakes (discs all-round, unlike some rivals' still fitting rear drums) are progressive and meaty and while there's some body lean if your right foot gets too exuberant there's plenty of grip, plus it's stable when towing on motorways as well as when you're cracking the whip along rural roads. Overall, a pick-up you'd be happy to drive all day long.

Away from the tarmac the Musso feels in its element. The driver-selectable four-wheel drive system offers three modes: 2H two-wheel rear-drive for normal road use; 4H 4WD for slippery conditions; and 4L which engages a proper low-range for more extreme 4x4 all-terrain traction with a 50:50 driving torque split. And it's all operated by a simple rotary knob immediately aft of the selector lever.

Boosting its capable off-road ability is a hill descent control system for descending tricksy slopes at a reassuring feet-off-the-pedals crawl, a 215mm ground clearance, a wading depth of 35 centimetres, decent axle articulation and approach, departure, and ramp-over angles of, respectively, 22.8, 23.4, and 20.3 degrees. And, you know what, it's easily as comfortable off-road as it is on the blacktop.

Being a pick-up you can choose to leave the loadbed open to the elements, opt for a secure roll-top 'lid' or specify a fully-weatherproofed hardtop. If you go for either of the first two you'll have the use of a cargo-bed measuring 1,300mm long by 1,570mm wide by 570mm deep. Naturally it comes ready to take on rough loads with a tough liner and, an appreciated touch this, a 12v/120W power point (for power tools).

The hardtop benefits from opening side windows and a self-supporting, easy-lift rear screen. You also get a bright roof-light and both the tailgate and upper hardtop window-hatch lock with the other doors via the Musso's standard central locking (some other brands make you carry a separate key) so no worries with security. Just for the record, the rear seats fold down totally flat when cargo takes priority over peeps.

As a load-lugger it's the best in the business, able to carry more than a tonne (1,055kg) payload in its bed while at the same time hauling a braked 3,500kg trailer — no other pick-up matches that. Admittedly the Musso's large double cab does eat into the loadbed capacity but if that sounds like a problem then it's not anymore because SsangYong have recently introduced a long-wheelbase version — the Musso Rhino — with a loadbed length up from 1.3 to 1.61-metres that takes the overall length to 5.4m.

4x4 pickups are moving into places once jealously occupied by SUVs, especially for towing duties. The Musso is a competent, refined and easy-to-live with example that can tow for England and you'll enjoy using it every day. Definitely one of the best double cabs out there. A Pick-up? More of a pick-me-up! ~ MotorBar

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