KGM Musso: the UK’s cheapest pickup     

A facelift within a rebrand. The Musso made its name as the cheapest pickup truck on the UK market, but can KGM’s latest edition avoid picking up where SsangYong left off? 

Is it a SsangYong, or is it a KGM? Well, following the PR rebranding to shed the formers “painful image” (as company chairman Kwak Jea-sun was quoted), we’ll go with KGM Musso. Either way, this staple of the Korean brand’s UK range has received a refresh, and it seems like a solid step along their path to redemption.

First up, price, and let’s answer the question on everybody’s lips. Yes, the Musso has kept its crown as the UK’s cheapest pickup. The facelift has pushed the on-the-road price up to £26,105 for the most basic ‘EX’ trim level, a very commercial offering with a stripped back feature list — you know it’s a little scant when cup holders and height adjustable headrests make the highlight reel. However, considering an entry level Ford Ranger is knocking on the door of £30,000, and a Toyota Hilux starts from over £35,000 (both of which are single cab trucks as opposed to the Musso’s spacious four door, five seat double cab setup), we still see a bargain here.

Alternatively, start ticking boxes towards the spec’d-out Saracen+ LWB trim — priced from £34,505 — and leather starts popping up around the cab, alongside a boosted infotainment system, and a host of smart safety features. Even KGM seem surprised, describing the Musso’s “unexpected interior refinement”, and with our bang-for-your-buck goggles on, we’d be inclined to agree.

But there is a catch. Whilst the five year, 100,000-mile warranty should go some way to quelling the reliability concerns which come hand-in-hand with any budget priced vehicle, insuring one of these may have you digging a little deeper into your pockets than anticipated. Limited to the 50D insurance group across all variants, the Musso finds itself sat amongst luxury and high-performance vehicles rather than its truck or van competitors, and unfortunately insurance costs don’t get much higher than this.

“Musso” is derived from the Korean term for Rhino — but whether that influence has made it into the design, we’ll let you be the judge. Appearance wise, the recent facelift has left the Musso with a shape boxier than the average fridge-freezer. Some well-placed indents do break up the aggressively chunky exterior, and the contemporary styling suits us better than the original 90s’ Musso SUVs or their strangely sporty descendants. 

As standard, the Musso packs one of the shortest truck beds on market, clocking in at a meagre 1.3-metres. However, by adding the Saracen+ LWB trim, which extends this length to 1.61-metres, the Korean brand reckons it’s delivered the “biggest pick-up loadbed” available in the UK. 

Combine this with the Musso’s impressive towing abilities — dragged along by a 199 hp, 2.2-litre turbocharged diesel engine — and a true budget workhorse begins to gallop into view. The basic trim comes with a six-speed manual gearbox capable of hauling up to 3,200 kg. While the six-speed automatic available on advanced trim levels hikes this up to 3,500 kg, contributing to another favorable statistic: the highest overall load capacity of any UK pickup.

Supplementing this camel-esqe carrying aptitude is an adaptive 4WD system, bringing the front wheels into play when required.  The Musso has been spotted on both Nexen and Pirelli tyres across the various model drops, so grip will not be an issue with these sticky rubber options to choose from.

This focus on grip and capacity does come at a cost though, as the rival pickups will be able to outrun the Musso’s maximum of 31.5 mpg — chunky tyres, brick-like aerodynamics, and again, an additional cost to consider.

So, the Musso may be a little bit of a mixed bag. There’s now some impressive performance concealed behind the budget headlines, but also some hidden costs. KGM may not quite be as fiery a name as SsangYong (which literally translates as Double Dragon), but has this rebranded, facelifted pickup ignited your interest?