If you’re looking to buy a dual-cab ute but you don't have the budget to splash out on one of the new circa-$70K models – then perhaps you should check out the SsangYong Musso.
The Ultimate XLV variant, a lifted and stretched version of the standard Musso, might be the budget-friendly work-and-play vehicle you've been looking for. It’s auto, it’s 4WD, it has a packed list of standard features and its price-tag is closer to $45,000 than $70,000.
But does the Musso make sense as a value-for-money buy?
Price and features of the 2023 SsangYong Musso Ultimate XLV
There are two variants in the Musso line-up: the entry-level ELX, available as a manual or auto, and the top-shelf Ultimate, which is available as auto only, and has a drive-away price of $42,090 (at time of writing).
Our test vehicle is the Ultimate.
vIt has a 12.3-inch digital LCD instrument cluster, smart key with auto locking, a tyre pressure monitoring system, HID headlights, and 360-degree camera.
Our Musso also has the $1500 XLV treatment, which stretches the ute’s overall length an extra 300mm and the wheelbase by 110mm, yielding 251L of additional packing space in the tub.
So its drive-away price, as a MY22 Ultimate XLV, is $43,590.
But this Musso has Aussie-tuned suspension, by way of Ironman 4x4 coils and dampers, which costs another $730.
So, those additions – the XLV pack, the Ironman 4x4 suspension (the constant load coil spring kit), as well its tow bar ($1530 fitted), electronic brake controller ($620 fitted) and Pearl White paint ($595) – push this ute’s price to $47,065.
A $3000 Luxury Pack is available – adding a sunroof, dual zone climate control, Nappa leather seats, powered front seats and driver’s lumbar support, and heated rear seats – but our test vehicle does not have that.
Exterior paint choices for this variant include Atlantic Blue, Indian Red, Space Black, Marble Grey, Grand White and Pearl White, which is on our test vehicle.
The Musso bucks the trend of SUVs based on utes – it's a ute based on an SUV, its stablemate, the Rexton.
It’s 5409mm long (with a 3210mm wheelbase), 1950mm wide, and 1855mm high. The Ironman 4x4 suspension has given the Musso, in Ultimate XLV guise, a lift.
The Ultimate is powered by a 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine – producing 133kW at 4000rpm and 400Nm at 1400-2800rpm. In Ultimate XLV Guise, the Musso gets another 20Nm of torque, bringing it to 420Nm at 1600-2600rpm.
It has a six-speed automatic transmission, part-time 4WD with low- and high-range gearing, and an auto-locking rear differential.
The engine is a bit underwhelming on paper, but it does pretty well with what it has once you’re driving it. Its Aisin auto is a well-regarded transmission, having already proven itself in this and other utes, such as the Isuzu D-Max.
The Musso’s interior is neat and well laid out. It’s also very roomy; SsangYong has made the most of this ute’s generous dimensions, taking the interior’s width right to the logical conclusion.
The pleasantries continue with an impressive all-around build quality and though there are plenty of durable plastic surfaces, there are also nice touches, like the leather seats and steering wheel.
The seats are all comfortable and there’s plenty of shoulder and legroom.
There is the usual array of storage spots (door pockets, etc), cupholders (two to the rear of the auto shifter) and charge points (two USB-A ports and a 12-volt plug for driver and front passenger).
Rear seat passengers get directional air vents, but they miss out on charge points.
The 8.0-inch touchscreen is too small for my liking, and the multimedia system’s functionality is basic and a bit clunky – plug in your phone and use Apple CarPlay or Android Auto rather than the Musso’s built-in system – but the 12.3-inch instrument cluster is a nice touch.
Official fuel consumption is 9.0L/100km on the combined cycle.
On this test I recorded actual fuel use of 10.2L/100km, but I did a lot of low-range 4WDing, so factor that into the figure.
The Musso has a 75-litre fuel tank, so going by those fuel use figures I’d expect to get a touring range of about 700km – that includes a safe-distance buffer of 30km.
The Musso line-up does not have an ANCAP safety rating, but it does have six airbags and a suite of safety tech, including AEB, driver attention warning, lane departure warning, blind-spot warning, as well as front and rear parking sensors, a tyre pressure monitoring system, and a 360-degree camera.
The Musso has a seven-year/unlimited km warranty. Service intervals are scheduled for every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever occurs soonest.
Note: SsangYong’s capped price servicing applies to all seven years, but only covers basic servicing.
Driving the 2023 SsangYong Musso Ultimate XLV
The Musso is reasonably refined and impressive, in terms of comfort and performance, especially for a ute that’s quite a bit cheaper than a lot of other dual-cabs.
At almost five and a half metres long and weighing in about 2100kg, the Musso Ultimate XLV has a planted feel about it on-road – length, weight and suspension combining to produce a settled vehicle.
The 12.2m turning circle is a minor issue on busy suburban streets, but it’s not a deal-breaker.
Steering has a nice weight to it, although it can feel a little bit too “trucky" at times, but the steering wheel is reach- and rake-adjustable, which is handy.
Ride quality has improved over previous iterations, but some credit for that must be due to our test vehicle’s longer wheelbase.
The XLV’s Ironman 4x4 constant-load coil suspension doesn’t help the ute’s comfort cause, but it’s easily reined in when you throw a substantial load in the tray.
The engine does well with what it has once you’re on the road, and while the six-speed Aisin auto is more truck-like in its execution than some might like, I reckon it does a decent job.
It’s not too shabby for touring, either.
For one thing, this stretched Musso feels composed on dirt tracks at speed. It feels agile enough on bush roads scarred with shallow ruts, potholes and moguls, with the Aussie-tuned Ironman 4x4 coils and dampers working effectively to keep everything under control.
But this lengthy Musso also feels quite low when the terrain becomes any more challenging than that and the challenges become more technical in nature.
Ground clearance is listed as an ordinary 215mm and even though the Ultimate XLV, with its Ironman 4x4 suspension, benefits from a minor suspension lift, you have to drive this ute with focussed consideration due to the ever-present threat of bumps, scrapes or worse to the underbody.
That longer wheelbase, which helps to yield that aforementioned settled ride at speed, reveals its trade-off when you get into low-range 4WDing territory.
This ute’s rampover angle of 20 degrees is especially shallow compared to shorter wheelbase rivals and that long underbody doesn’t help the Musso’s bush efforts at all.
Its approach angle (25 degrees) is okay, but its departure angle (20 degrees) could be better.
There's also not a lot of rear-axle articulation, but the auto rear diff lock kicks in soon enough when a back tyre lifts off the deck and momentarily loses traction.
Wading depth is not listed, but I reckon a guesstimation of about 350mm is close to correct – and that’s why I’d avoid anything deeper than a minor mud-hole.
Despite some of those less-than-ideal factors, the Musso still manages to do okay in low-speed off-roading. Its 4WD system is switchable via a dial (2H, 4H and 4L), which is easy to operate but I did have some difficulty getting 4L (four-wheel drive low range) to fully engage.
The Musso’s standard Nexen N’Priz RH7 tyres (255/60R18 108H) are okay for on-road use but, if you’re going to use this ute as an off-road tourer, do yourself a favour and replace them as soon as humanly possible with a set of decent all-terrains.
The Musso Ultimate XLV’s payload is listed as 880kg.
The XLV designation adds 300mm of length to the tub and SsangYong reckons that equates to an additional 251L of cargo space.
The tub is 1625mm long (at floor height), 1612mm wide (1140mm between the wheel arches), and is 578mm deep, which is handy for extra packing space.
The load space has a durable-looking plastic tub liner and four tie-down points that appear pretty solid.
The Musso has an unbraked towing capacity of 750kg and a braked towing capacity of 3500kg.
What we think of the 2023 SsangYong Musso Ultimate XLV
The Musso is a decent dual-cab ute: comfortable, spacious and it’s an all-round relaxed and refined drive.
There’s plenty to like about it in terms of comfort and performance on and off the road and the Musso is well equipped for the price.
However, it does lack some driver-assist safety tech, which is a real let-down. But, when all is said and done, it does have plenty of appeal as a value-for-money buy in an increasingly expensive ute market.
