It’s almost Musso time again

Only a couple of weeks to go before the new Ssangyong Musso 4×4 ute goes on sale.

The Korean ute makes a comeback after a brief but successful stint here back in the early 90s.

With growing sales of 4×4 dual cab sports utes in Australia, the timing couldn’t be better for the born again Ssangyong which went into hibernation after a falling out with its previous distributor.

Fast forward and the company has decided to now distribute the cars itself which bodes well for local consumers.

Ssangyong Motor is 73 per cent owned by the Indian engineering conglomerate Mahindra & Mahindra.

Established in 1954 it is Korea’s oldest vehicle manufacturer and only 4×4 and SUV specialist producer.

Musso is set to make a splash with a 2.2-litre turbo diesel that pumps out 133kW of power and 400Nm of torque, the latter from a low 1400 revs.

It’s paired with a 6-speed manual or 6-speed auto.

Fuel consumption is rated at 7.9L/100km for the manual and 8.6L for the auto, with a 75-litre tank.

Musso will be able to carry up to 800kg and tow a 3.0 tonne trailer, both at the same time.

At more than five meters (5095mm), the new Musso offers one of the largest cabin interiors in its class.

Tub dimensions of 1300x1570x570mm mean it can easily swallow a Euro-sized pallet.

There’s also a tub liner, a 12V/120W power outlet and rotating hooks to help tie down loads.

Musso comes well equipped with DAB radio and Bluetooth connectivity across the range, while higher grades get an 8.0-inch screen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and a reverse camera.

No mention of satnav but Nappa leather is optional.

Musso EX M/T	$30,490
Musso EX A/T	$32,490
Musso ELX A/T	$35,990
Musso Ultimate A/T	$39,990

CHECKOUT: SsangYong back from the brink

CHECKOUT: New Musso but where’s Ssangyong?