Review: 2019 Ssangyong Musso M 2.2 4Wd A/T
Funny how the marketplace has changed lately. Considered to a greater extent than every bit tools of the merchandise before, pickup trucks are right away easily institute on the high street, too. Driven yesteryear accessible prices (thanks inward large business office to the Philippine government) together with an impressive array of fauna comfort features, well-nigh come across them right away every bit sensible delineate of piece of job solid unit of measurement vehicles or for some fifty-fifty condition symbols every bit opposed to existence mere utilitarian haulers they i time were. This has led to the pickup truck segment to live the country’s fastest growing segment, together with now, i of the well-nigh hotly contested every bit well. Everyone wants a slice of it, including this peculiar Korean carmaker, SsangYong.
Now, piece SsangYong did unloosen a version of the Musso inward 2018, the two-wheel drive configuration together with stubby bed made it to a greater extent than of a niche selection than a real, bonafide fighter inward the segment. And piece it had the correct ingredients similar a refined drivetrain together with surprisingly goodness ride, compared to the dizzying array of choices elsewhere, buyers were easily dissuaded.
Realizing the Musso’s shortcomings, SsangYong comes out amongst this: the Musso Grand, together with only how other Korean makes attach the word, “Grand” to a nameplate, the Musso Grand is basically a larger, beefier version of the Musso. At P 1.650-million, it’s priced smack inward the middle of everyone else’s top-range 4x4 offerings. Cheaper than a Ford Ranger Wildtrak, Isuzu D-Max, or Mitsubishi Strada GT, but to a greater extent than expensive than a Nissan Navara VL or Toyota Hilux G, volition the SsangYong select you lot dancing together with dining on K-Pop together with samgyupsal, or are you lot ameliorate off amongst J-Pop together with sushi (or Taylor Swift together with a sandwich)?
Staring amongst how it drives, the Musso Grand feels to a greater extent than sophisticated than the average pickup truck. Though it doesn’t completely milk shiver off the truck vibe, because it was derived from an SUV first, it’s really pretty skillful on road. Not solely is the steering surprisingly precise, it really controls whatsoever urge to tip over through corners. However, its resistance to lean comes at a price: a mixed handbag of a ride.
Unlike its brusk wheelbase version, the Musso Grand doesn’t practice goodness from a sophisticated nurture curlicue boundary suspension; instead, it gets traditional foliage boundary ones. And since engineers in all likelihood wanted to continue the pitching together with rolling every bit contained or controlled every bit its to a greater extent than luxe counterpart, they had to stiffen everything up. As a result, there’s some shuddering that enters through the steering column, together with some shimmies that move far through the seats, despite the thick 70-series tires. Lumpy every bit it is inward the city, convey it to the highway, together with it feels pretty stable together with planted. Remarkably, the uneven ride is the Musso Grand’s i together with solely weakness, because inward every other department, it does well.
Using the 2.2-liter e-XDi 220 engine, shared amongst the Rexton together with Musso, the Musso Grand feels perfectly comfy both inward town together with out on the opened upwards road. It’s relatively repose too, fifty-fifty when pushed hard. In this respect, the Musso outclasses everyone else, a testament to how far SsangYong has gone amongst their powertrain. The accompanying Aisin-sourced 6-speed automatic also judges shifts well, though it must live noted that the manual shift override is poorly executed every bit a +/- rocker switch on the gearlever. Fuel economic scheme is average at 8.33 km/L at xvi km/h.
SsangYong vehicles of former conjure upwards images of a depression rent interior, but that really isn’t the case. There’s a goodness spread of soft-touch plastics on the dashboard, together with areas touched regularly. The buttons too, for the well-nigh part, piece of job exactly every bit well.
The seats inward the Musso Grand are mounted quite high, together with amongst that, visibility all some is quite good. Judging its size is slowly cheers to its large side mirrors together with deep windows making it slowly to slot through traffic. Moreover, nurture visibility is also quite goodness cheers to the generous nurture glass, sparse pillars, together with of course, criterion nurture photographic television set camera (no sensors, though).
This top-trim Musso Grand 4x4 is truly well-loaded amongst features such every bit front end powered together with ventilated seats, dual zone climate command amongst nurture vents, dark-brown leather on the thrones, together with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment amongst Apple CarPlay together with Android Auto. The well-nigh defining characteristic of the Musso Grand though is the pickup truck segment’s i together with solely sunroof.
Up front, caput together with leg room are plentiful, together with the interior is together with thus broad, it really makes belongings hands piece inward traffic impossible. The nurture seats also are pretty roomy amongst goodness headroom for all 3 passengers. The middle occupant gets a prissy apartment floor, piece the 2 outboard ones larn plenty human knee room to construct fifty-fifty long trips comfortable. More than only infinite for warm bodies, the Musso Grand also has a release of sizeable storage areas, too.
The Musso Grand’s existent appeal though is institute inward its right away impressive cargo hauling capability. Compared to the smaller Musso, the Musso Grand gains 310 mm of extra length which makes it the longest one-ton pickup truck inward the marketplace today: 5,405 mm—even longer than the Ranger Raptor. The extra length is concentrated at the back, which tin right away arrange 1,434 liters of cargo. Additionally, payload capacity is upwards to 1,025 kilograms.
Pickup trucks aren’t to a greater extent than ofttimes than non known to live the well-nigh sophisticated vehicle, but that didn’t halt SsangYong from putting a consummate array of security features inward the Musso Grand. Though it doesn’t select whatsoever driver deal tech similar frontward collision alarm or blind spot indicators, it does select six airbags, ABS amongst EBD, together with electronic stability command amongst colina descent control—items commonly absent inward some of the to a greater extent than pop Japanese choices. It’s a shame though that the middle nurture occupant volition notwithstanding select to alive amongst 2-point lap belts inward this twenty-four hr catamenia together with age.
As pickup trucks larn to a greater extent than lifestyle-oriented vehicle than an outright commercial vehicle, construct witting buyers volition for sure postulate a lot of convincing to business office their coin for a construct similar SsangYong. To combat this, the Musso Grand, similar all other models from SsangYong’s stable, come upwards amongst a 5-year / 100,000-kilometer warranty every bit good every bit a gratuitous 3-year / 60,000-kilometer gratuitous preventive maintenance service package. It may non completely satisfy skeptics, but for those who’re willing to try, it may construct for a painless ownership experience.
Beyond its generous warranty together with gratuitous service though, the Musso Grand is surprisingly goodness inward many areas, especially drivetrain refinement together with interior quality. It remains to live seen whether these are plenty for SsangYong to carve inroads inward the pickup truck segment, but at to the lowest degree they’re plenty to larn them noticed inward an increasingly crowded segment.
2019 SsangYong Musso Grand 2.2 4WD A/T | |
| Ownership | 2019 SsangYong Musso Grand 2.2 4WD A/T |
| Year Introduced | 2019 |
| Vehicle Classification | Pickup Truck |
| Warranty | 5 years / 100,000 kilometers |
| The Basic | |
| Body Type | 4-door Pick-Up |
| Seating | 5 |
| Engine / Drive | F/4WD, Low, Locking |
| Under the Hood | |
| Displacement (liters) | 2.2 |
| Aspiration | Turbocharged |
| Fuel Delivery | Common Rail |
| Layout / # of Cylinders | I4 |
| BHP @ rpm | 181 @ 4,000 |
| Nm @ rpm | 420 @ 1,400-2,800 |
| Fuel / Min. Octane | Diesel |
| Transmission | 6 AT |
| Cruise Control | Yes |
| Fuel Economy @ Ave. Speed | 8.33 km/L at xvi km/h |
| Dimensions together with Weights | |
| Length (mm) | 5,405 |
| Width (mm) | 1,950 |
| Height (mm) | 1,820 |
| Wheelbase (mm) | 3,210 |
| Curb Weight (kg) | 2,195 |
| Suspension together with Tires | |
| Front Suspension | Independent, Double Wishbone |
| Rear Suspension | Leaf Spring |
| Front Brakes | Vented Disc |
| Rear Brakes | Disc |
| Tires | Nexen Rodian HTX 235/70 R 17 T (f & r) |
| Wheels | Alloy |
| Safety Features | |
| Airbags | 6 |
| Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS) | Yes, amongst EBD |
| Traction / Stability Control | Yes |
| Parking Sensors | No, amongst Rear Camera |
| Front Seatbelts | 3-pt ELR amongst pre-tensioner x 2 |
| Rear Seatbelts | 3-pt ELR x 2, 2-pt lap belt x 1 |
| ISOFIX Child Seat Anchor | Yes |
| Other Safety Features | Hill Start Assist Hill Descent Control |
| Exterior Features | |
| Headlights | HID |
| Fog Lamps | Yes, Front |
| Auto Lights | Yes |
| Rain-sensing Wipers | Yes |
| Interior Features | |
| Steering Wheel Adjust | Tilt |
| Steering Wheel Material | Leather |
| Seating Adjustment (driver) | Electric, 8-way, heated/vented |
| Seating Adjustment (front passenger) | Electric, 6-way, heated/vented |
| Seating Surface | Leather |
| Folding Rear Seat | Yes |
| On-Board Computer | Yes |
| Convenience Features | |
| Power Steering | Yes |
| Power Door Locks | Yes |
| Power Windows | Yes |
| Power Mirrors | Yes, amongst Fold |
| Proximity Key | Yes |
| Climate Control | Dual Zone, amongst Rear Vents |
| Audio System | Stereo Aux USB Bluetooth Apple CarPlay Android Auto |
| # of Speakers | 6 |
| Steering Controls | Yes |