The award-winning SsangYong Musso has been given a light refresh, with a greater focus on a premium interior
We’ll make no bones about it, we like the Musso, during our time with it we really enjoyed the driving aspects, exterior design, capabilities and even complimented the interior/features. Now though, SsangYong has taken a greater focus on the place where you sit.
From the photo we can clearly see where the updates have been applied, the notable change is the much larger floating-style screen, now a 12.3″ unit. That sits above a more premium looking climate control system that uses haptic feedback buttons as opposed to physical buttons, we’ll see how well they work when we receive our facelift Musso in the next couple of weeks.
All but the base-spec Musso’s feature Android Auto/Apple CarPlay, heated/ventilated seats, LED lights, heated steering wheel, and a reversing camera. The Saracen builds on this further adding Nappa leather seats which are electrically adjustable, heated rear seats, dual-climate control, 12.3″ digital instrument cluster, cruise control, projection headlamps, dark tinted rear privacy glass, Blind Spot Detection (BSD), and Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA). Sitting above that is the larger Saracen+ that features an extended bed – further increasing the load capacity by 200kg thanks to the extra 300mm of space.
The new SsangYong Musso is a quiet revelation. With its interior already making a welcome addition to a truck boasting an attractive price point, the latest refresh, drawing heavily from the Rexton, amplifies the value even further. This marks a strategic stride into the thriving lifestyle market. Perhaps a touch of the accessories used by brands like Isuzu could be an enticing avenue for the South Korean brand, enhancing its allure even more.
Dare we say it, this new interior is one of the best we have seen, going head to head with the new Ranger and Amarok, for £15K less – it’s hard to argue with and makes a very smug pill to follow. Those that own these vehicles have constantly remarked at how much you actually get for you money, and that is the key selling point with the Musso.
Regarding the mechanicals, they have remained unchanged, meaning you have the same 2.2 turbo diesel up front producing 200bhp and 440Nm of torque. Higher spec trims are equipped with the 6-speed Aisin automatic gearbox whereas the EX comes exclusively with a manual. The engine works exceptionally well and hides its clattery diesel nature exceptionally well.
We know that SsangYong are in the process of a name change, and so far the ‘new’ Musso has escaped that, featuring the same Dragonfly logo on the front and being badged as a SsangYong, future owners should have little to worry about then. Even with the upcoming name change, not much is happening bar simply the name.
Either way, we’re excited to get our mitts on the newly updated truck.