Ssangyong Philippines has launched the new 2019 Musso mid-size pickup truck at Philippine International Motorshow (PIMS) which runs at the World Trade Center in Pasay City from October 24 to 28.
The Musso: its the name of the Mercedes Benz mid-size SUV that everybody eventually realized was a rebadged SsangYong. This was back in the 1990s when the German giant and the longtime Korean utility vehicles maker had a technology sharing agreement. The partners thought that SsangYong needed to hitch their wagon to that of Mercedes Benz, just to get a foothold in markets outside South Korea … a foothold here, in the Philippines, among others.
Now, decades later, with SsangYong having become the fourth largest carmaker from major auto-industry player South Korea, and after Mahindra & Mahindra thought enough of the brand to acquire 70% stake in it in 2011, they again bring a Musso to our shores, this time under their own name, the model made luxurious by design and engineering, and not just having up-marketed optics as a German-brand rebadge.
Described as a luxury utility vehicle by SsangYong president David Macasadia, he says they refer to it as an “open SUV,” this because of its origins in their Rexton mid-size sport utility vehicle.
The Musso pickup truck has a uniquely strong-though-streamlined-yet-boxy design. That’s a tough balance to hit but a heck of a sight to see when gotten right. The seemingly hairline gap between cabin and cargo boxes, a miniscule pause in strong slab sides with sweeping character lines, that almost overlooked seam, underscores how the whole thing comes together.
The big truck, big for a mid-size pickup, what may be mistaken as full-size against other Asian offerings, is diligently outfitted with their e-XDi 220 2.2 liter turbodiesel putting out peak power of 177hp@4000rpm. And, with peak torque at 400Nm@1400~2800rpm, the surprisingly compact diesel mill puts out torque at low to mid-revs equivalent to that of a 300hp gasoline engine running at high rpm. That kind of power curve must feel exquisite with the engine mated to a 6-speed Aisin automatic transmission.
This pickup gets you truckin’ in style. On this traditionally front-engined/rear-driven bruiser, the strong, body-on-frame construction is given a luxuriously comfortable ride with a double-wishbone independent suspension assembly in front and what appears to be an articulating rear axle and differential assembly that’s multi-linked semi-independently to the chassis in the rear.
Riding atop those springs, passengers are treated to brown Nappa leather interior and a 2nd-row couch that can recline by as much as 27 degrees while still offering generous legroom. And the on-board infotainment suite is an Apple Carplay / Google Android Auto implementation offering tight and convenient integration with just about any smartphone.
Macasadia says they will first offer the 4×2 variant of the Musso, pitching it as a classy urban workhorse priced at PhP1.495M, that price coming with 3-years or 60,000km worth of free periodic maintenance service visits, and a 5-year or 100,000km warranty.
