Hey folks! We made a mistake. It’s a little confusing, but the ELX with the XLV package is leaf sprung. The Ultimate with the XLV package gets the longer body and greater payload, but is coil sprung, not leaf sprung. Apologies for the mistake!
I have two of the SSANGYONG MUSSO ultimates in swb. One is 20 model and other is 20.5. I’ve owned several recent dual cab utes (Navara, Hilux, Colorado) and to be honest the MUSSO’s are by far better in all aspects except serious off road. As an every day drive they are way quieter, way more comfortable and more solid than any of the others. The build quality is excellent and it has a good solid reliable feel. From a value standpoint they are amazing and I would go as far as saying if you drove one open minded, you’d buy it on the comfort, feel and all the extras. What I would say is absolutely go for the $1200 suspension kit-springs and dampers as it makes a good vehicle a great vehicle. The ride is so much better- not as much roll but not too firm either - it’s a good balance. + extra 35 mm of lift. The other thing I’ve added was a throttle control unit which has all but eliminated all turbo lag off the mark and really makes a big difference in off the line acceleration. .MUSSO 1. has just ticked over 20,000 km with not a single issue. MUSSO 2 6,000 km with also no issues. As with all diesels I’ve put on a catch can and secondary fuel filter system. Overall I really can’t recommend the SSANGYONG MUSSO enough- it’s a great vehicle with an awesome value package and I will be buying several more without any hesitation what so ever.
My mom has a ssangyong korando from 2012, the design and styling still looks like it came out today and the drive is also really good, 175 hp diesel awd with a manual! And rexton looks like a beast, really like the new look
@@Lesiba2 The owners group tells the tale of people who are long term Ssangyong drivers, with a massive majority of them saying they love their vehicles. It was the first place I went when researching, as I didn't seriously have the Rexton on my list until I took one for a drive. At that point, the bar was reset. While there are some expected niggles (same as all brands) with parts being delayed due to COVID etc, I don't think I've seen an owners page with so much love for their cars. It is a very different tale on some of the other brands...... 18 months is too much to get an idea of longevity, but they're easy to like. The drivetrain is well proven and respected, with no consistent gripes from owners. I loved my Isuzu, but the Ssangyong is a much nicer ride again.
@@TheRoastontoast but its a small community however who want something different whereas others sell more so of course you're gonna find more stories of their owners not talking about their cars like it's young love cause they just bought the car to get with their daily life and don't care much about how their cars make them feel if other makers had smaller communities then you would be seeing the same thing with them.
I’ve had my 2020 Rexton for almost 6 months now and absolutely love it. It’s the ultimate one and is such a pleasure to drive. I honestly don’t think I could ever go back to a vehicle that doesn’t have cooling seats. They work wonders up here in North Queensland.
I own a Musso and the power button is fantastic when towing, the heaviest load I have had is 3.2 tons, the fuel usage was around 16/100 and once I changed from eco to power I was able to comfortably travel at 100km/h. I put all terrain tyres on and a 1.5 inch lift which has made a world of difference when off road.
Got Musso EX, 2019, done 45k. Very happy with it. Modern dash, good auto wipers & lights even on this base model. Got the basic audio set up. Bluetooth & MP3 works well. Radio needs a strong signal with the standard antenna. 4WD - can't fault it. Clearance is similar to other non-lifted dual cabs - not great but better than on, say, Subaru Outback. I can go most places. I don't have the Australian suspension tune with a small lift which is now standard. My suspension feels very German. Harsh on broken roads but very good cornering on good roads for a dual cab. It's a Korean made car from mostly Korean parts with Mercedes heritage. You could do worse.
I bought a MY19 ELX XLV in April 2020 and have just done 30,000kms. Apart from a couple of very minor issues (front visor and rear tailgate) I have been very happy. The worst thing had been trying to get accessories. Took months to get a towbar. Finally found someone making a bull bar, not just a puny nudge bar. Ironman 4x4 are now on board to supply some after market accessories for these!
My wife and I are looking at buying a new car, we have checked out the LDV T60 Max (feels cheapy made) the GWM Cannon X (loud and sluggish IMO with a shocking turning circle) and last but not least the Musso, honestly up until 4 months ago when we started looking at a new car had never heard of the brand but glad we found it before going with another, for the price you're paying you can't go wrong, smooth drive, extremely comfortable drive, quite and for a longer ute the turning circle was very impressive, hard to find things to not to love about the car. This close to the release of the 2022 model the misses and I have decided to hold off until March but we have 100% made up our mind that the Musso is the car for our family!
I bought 3x Musso utes 2x xlv, 1x swb for work. It is by far the most underrated ute in the market. solid built and very comfortable for everyday use and a definite BANG 4 YOUR BUCK.
Awasome vehicle, just did 3400km trip in 2022 Ultimate Lux LWB quiet, nice riding, averaged actual fill to fill with a 3XM canopy, 500kg of load ( tools, mower, chainsaw, extra Battery, 95L fridge, was absolutely chock a block loaded) 8.2L per 100Km driven at speed limit with plenty of overtaking. Pleasant, responsive, nice handling, good brakes (4 wheel discs) awesome seats, NVH was bloody good, safety suite was fine, lane departure warning on a long trip great if getting tired otherwise a bloody annoyance: mostly kept off. Surprisingly good at overtaking, my last vehicle was a Subaru Forrester XT Turbo: this is more comfy, quieter, more relaxing.
Just bought one 6 weeks ago. Have owned tritons for 18 years. No comparison the musso eats the Triton in comfort, ride, features and price. My brother and mates bought brand new tritons even they say it's better to drive than tritons. I put the factory lift kit on it makes it ride even better. Off road I think the Triton would be better on the rougher stuff but I only do beach and bush. I was towing a 2 tonne trailer and gear for 2 days and it tows better than my Triton hands down. Value for money you can't beat it. I recommend a Musso for anyone that wants value for money and kick ass smooth, quiet drive. If this Muusso had a Toyota or Ford badge on it it would be $60/70k. Anyone looking to buy a dual cab do yourself a favour and test drive a musso.
@@jessecastellanos678 fitted $890. It's maybe 20% stiffer at the start then after a month it settles right in. Better cornering and handles bumps with more driver control. The factory suspension is not made for our roads. It's still a very smooth ride, very SUV LIKE
I’ve just bought a new face lifted Musso from Ssangyong Brighton, paid $44,785 for the Ultimate luxury Probably the best car I’ve ever owned and I praise myself everyday for making the decision to purchase this beautiful rig
I’ve got the shorter wheel base version in the Ultimate Plus kit. Love it. Best car I’ve ever owned and most comfortable Ute I’ve driven. I tested them alll - and this is hands down the most refined and capable Ute regardless of the price. Had no problems with it at all in 12 months. Would buy again now, for sure.
I bought a 2020 Ssangyong Rexton Ultimate last year and it has been absolutely brilliant. Super comfortable inside, with heaps and tech and safety equipment as standard. It tows like a dream, handling over 3T with ease and it is more than capable off-road (even with the standard soft roading tyres and 20 inch Puff Daddy rims) Seriously, I can not recommend the Rexton highly enough, it feels like I got the capabilities of a Prado with the interior of a Range Rover for less than $55k 👌🏽
Have our Musso for 6 months now 16000 kms a lot of those Kms towing a 2.5 ton van. Been the best ute/car we have owned. Quite and great fuel eccommy. Great review.
I've had my XLV with the coil springs for a year now and can confirm it is a comfortable ride. I do ecommerce so payload is irrelevant, more tray space to carry inventory from A to B. It is punchy off the line so I don't find myself looking for power (unlike driving a van). The engine is in fact quiet, we have an Outback and this is quieter than that. Only gripe would be the stock tires as they aren't very grippy especially in the wet.
I've bought a 2021 model, and it's fantastic. Value for money you can't beat it. Its the XLV ultimate. Nice features, smooth ride. I'm more than happy.
Such a good Ute for the price, drives nicer/quieter then a triton with much better features, if you can look past the name it’s a great buy, dealers now offer a suspension lift/different coils and springs and underbody armour too. There is a facelift on the way soon, could get some serious discounts useing the bankrupt situation as a tool to barter.
My Brother bought a XLV Ulimate 6 months ago, thought he was strange getting as he has only had sedans before, but I must say I am impressed with the on road manners and the bit of off road driving he does which he is getting more exciting, good value for money
The new Rexton is due this month and the new Musso later this year. I am waiting for a new investor and the facelift and will buy one. Test drove the current model and it is the smoothest of all Utes I have tested. Not fair to treat the brand as a lesser alternative to the established brands. They struggle to gain traction, even though they are Korean, great warranty and great built quality. Save yourself up to $20k and get one compared to a Dmax, Ranger or Triton.
Financial issues aside, having purchased the Ssangyong Rexton I can only say how impressed I am with their engineering. The proven Mercedes drivetrain is fantastic and is a vast improvement over my Isuzu MU-X, it is pure luxury inside and has more technology than your local Harvey Norman, plus they are a great vehicle to drive. In hindsight, I probably would have accepted the dealers offer of downsizing the rims, as even though it still rides better than the MU'X, it would be a better ride (on and off road) with more rubber and less rim. The 20" rims look good if you're a bling lover, but the 18" in the lesser model is a smarter choice. Every time I drive the Rexton, I gain a little more respect, as it has great power delivery, the transmission is perfectly mated to the output, the safety and convenience features are awesome and it is just plain fun to drive. It's been a while since I've driven a car that size, which I can honestly say it is fun to get behind the wheel. I've had some misinformed comments from mates (hey, you bought a Chinese car), which I think is partly because Ssangyong is a small brand and not well known, but partly also because they are actually TOO CHEAP. Too cheap? Ssangyong need to grow volume to make money in the factory, but they're doing that in the short to medium term by selling a quality vehicle at a price more befitting a lower quality offering. While this may capture the very price sensitive buyers, long term it makes the brand look as cheap as the price tag. I wonder how many buyers don't look at the brand, as the price tag pushes them in the middle of low quality models versus the more established brands? Would people take it more seriously, if the price was higher? As for the bankruptcy issue, I thought long and hard before we bought a second Ssangyong, as this was a concern for me as well. The issue is their major shareholder (Mahindra), who were cash strapped and wanting to support their operations in India, so they cut loose all the business they had invested in elsewhere to keep the factories alive at home. They had a five year plan for Ssangyong, but they walked away as they needed to invest into the business to build it up, but simply ran out of cash because of COVID-19. Ssangyong sales were improving and certainly moving closer to the point of being profitable, which is why a major American investor is trying to buy the company. Worst case is a deal isn't struck, but it looks unlikely. Still, despite the issues with Ssangyong's finances, we bought another vehicle because not only are they the best value in their class, but irrespective of price they are an amazing vehicle. I was happy to take the risk, as I liked it so much better than the MU-X, Fortuner, Pajero Sport etc. Maybe ditch the 20" wheels, unless you love bling. With the shiny rims and the intricate leather stitching, you feel like you're sitting inside Paris Hilton's handbag. You feel like you should have a chihuahua sitting in the glovebox, but the Rexton (unlike Paris) is all class.
Appreciate your knowledge there, as a prospective buyer, I am looking for a work ute for use towing a fairly heavy work trailer. In your opinion would it be worth me opting for the short wheel base for easier kerbside parking and driveway reversing? Interested to know your thoughts, cheers mate
My 2020 SsangYong Rexton has impressed me a lot. Extremely quiet and smooth 2.2L diesel, refined ride, lots of features (my favourite being ventilated seats) and cavernous space. All for less $$ than RAV4, Cr-v and the likes. Just can't believe it.
I have driven Nissan Navara for 3 Years and did not want to spend money on Ranger and Hilux (65 to 70Ks). Looked at my other options. Even went for test drive and was impressive. Koreans make good cars and this is not bad at all given the price range. I am fully aware that company has filed bankruptcy last year. I bought XLV ELX, the base model which is driving well. Yes its leaf spring suspension is made for more weight towing so its ok for me. Steering wheel is not as good as it needs to be but its a ute and I have not paid 60 or 70Ks. Overall best value for 37K for towbar fitted.
I don't about the Musso, but I do have experience with its brother, the Ssangyong Rexton. My family rented it when we went to Korea 2 months ago, and it was excellent, and it was the updated one, with 8-speed auto... Better than the Fortuner, or any other ute-based SUV in my opinion, at least. Though they were a problem which I admit will not happen in a Toyota, and it was the electronic gear lever, it broke,unfornately..
Seen that happen in plenty of much more expensive vehicles. So definitely not something limited to “cheaper” makes here. I would say it was just an unlucky incident. As for it being better than the other SUVs, the reason behind this is that the rexton was built first and then the Musso is loosely based off it, not the other way round like the Japanese companies tend to do.
The bankruptcy did ultimately stop me buying one. I had a limited budget, and was considering the LDV, the GWM and the Misso. Musso won out on specs, but failed some off road tests i saw. I also couldn't talk myself into liking the overly upright side profile. I ended up spending a little more and buying a new GLS Triton. Now i just have to wait 6 months for it!
I have narrowed down to these 2 dual cabs aswell. I think the gwm looks better but end day I want reliability and I think Korean made will last longer than Chinese
I am currently thinking of buying one but the ongoing issues with the company and its finances is putting me off. For value for money you can't beat it and even the much lesser quality chinese utes are now around the same price point. Also this is nicer to drive and feels more car like in the cabin than most other utes are. I don't need a hard core off road ute just a good all rounder that I can do everything in. Are you going to test the new updated model? I'm interested in if they did more fine tuning to the chassis or if it's just a facelift.
Took one for a drive and was so impressed I bought one. Little worried about the companies position but I will take the chance.. Very good value for money compared to others utes.
I have the 2021 Xlv ultimate it is superb, I have added the roller tub cover and the sports bars and side steps and bonnet protector and tow bar and electric trailer brake never let me down.
If you had to choose btw this and the GWM Cannon which would you give the nod to Carexpert ? Two things that put me off is the bankruptcy and the fact it doesn't have adaptive cruise.... How do GWM have it but they don't 🤦♂️
I just bought a Musso XLV Ultimate. Took delivery on Friday. I am really happy with it thus far. Tows fine. If you research other Australian Musso owners they all seem very happy with their ute. I have been putting it off for months waiting for them to sort out their financial situation. In the end it is an excellent ute for a great price and I'll just hope they sort their issues out. If not they seem to be reliable anyway and you are covered by consumer law in Australia. A small correction - they are in receivership. They have been given 3 months of self administration which is almost time up. Then I assume it will be court ordered administration. Next step would be bankruptcy. It is hard to know what will happen but it seems to me that the value of SsangYong is as a going concern. If the banks force the bankruptcy then they will get very little back I expect. Ironically, their sales are up in spite of their issues - which makes me think they could be doing great if they sorted out their ownership future. I like the large tub - which was one reason I bought it. Yet with all the cameras and technology they are easy to park. Inside is like an SUV. Very comfy on the road and has all the bells and whistles. Only real gripe is that the indicator stick is on the left hand side. So far I have not had a problem getting all sorts of accessories for it - aside for the usual COVID delays. Although it requires more research and there is less choice in the aftermarket. What I recommend to people is take one for a test drive. Chances are you will want one and then you'll have to decide about the risks of buying from a company with an uncertain financial situation.
@@timothylucas-gear2124 Just brilliant! Get the Ultimate. It's worth it. I highly recommend the Musso Australia owners Facebook group for more details from real owners. One key thing is my experience with Ssangyong Australia after sales. I seem to be one of the few that actually had a fault with mine. It shuddered terribly from 65 to 95km/h. The sales guy called me as a follow up call and I told him about the issue. He said bring it back and get a loan car. They looked at it and called Ssangyong Australia. Between them they took a tailshaft out of another new Musso and got mine back on the road same day. Problem solved. No waiting for parts. I was never off the road. Apart from that issue it has been just great. I kept discovering things this thing does that I didn't know it has. Even things the dealer didn't know it has. Like auto door lock. Plus it is just so nice to drive. I have a second car which is a nice low km 5yr old salon we did intend to keep for city driving. My wife and I prefer to ride in the Musso. The Musso is a quality machine. Only issue with the Musso is the built in blue tooth does not have contact look up by voice and the Andriod Auto interface volume gets stuck so that after a call, the volume control does not switch back to radio. This is not an issue with Apple just Android. I dithered for months and months due to the financial future of Ssangyong but in hindsight I am so glad I bought the Musso. I originally bought it as a temporary thing with a plan to buy a RAM 1500 in a couple of years. Now I have enjoyed it, I wont be selling the Musso for years and so the 7 year warranty is brilliant. I hope they are still around because at this rate in 5 - 7 years I will seriously consider buying another Ssangyong.
Thanks for the great reply Dave, I am very happy to hear you love your ute, like yourself I haven't heard many bad things about it at all and I really like the interior design and styling! I have been stalling a bit on their financial aspects at the moment however I read the other day that their workers and taking unpaid leave and halving their shifts to keep the company afloat! Great dedication from their workers, couldn't see that happening here ever. They are also selling their main factory in the near future and purchasing cheaper land outside of their current location and building a new purpose built factory for electric vehicles! The next SsangYong ute is supposed to be an electric ute! So sit seems like they aren't going anywhere at this stage which is good news but we'll see! Mate, great to hear you love the ute, and very much appreciate you taking the time to respond! Cheers, Tim
@@timothylucas-gear2124 Yes I read all that. One of the leading contenders to buy it is a consortium of Korea companies including Edison buses electric bus company), a small electric car company and others. Obviously the Korean Development bank are going to be more motivated to step in with debt relief if the new owners are all Korean. So I wonder if all these electric plans are all about making Ssangyong attractive to this consortium. I am hoping they keep making RHD diesel models for many years to come - or at least a hybrid. After all they are not closing their engine plant. But who knows? I have no inside information. This is just my speculation.
@@timothylucas-gear2124 Go with a new face lifted Musso Ultimate Luxury and you won’t regret! I’ve just bought it about 2 weeks ago and I’ve never ever fell in love this much with any cars that I’ve owned before it’s simply a great car I paid $44780 without any haggle from the Brighton Ssangyong and if you have ABN it’ll be a lot cheaper(at least $1000) For the company, I strongly believe that Ssangyong will be taken over by someone anytime soon It’s not the first time that they are in this kind of trouble and they’ve always been through(no wonder they’ve been over 55years in this business and not too mention they are 3rd biggest motor company after Hyundai and Kia) Furthermore, I’ve heard this straight from horse’s mouth that some potential buyers are also interested in their manufacturing factory land(PYOUNG TAEK factory) which possibly values more than 1billion aussie dollars No matter what will happen to Ssangyong, it’s the law that they take responsibility for supplying all parts and pieces for the next 7 years
Bought one around 4 weeks ago. to me so far no problems. towed 2.7t caravan no issue. must admit when i bought had heaps of additional items added... constant load suspension (excellent) sports bar etc etc. But must say after only a meagre 2000km it is a good vehicle and i hope continues to be the same. Engine as you stated is responsive and yes so quiet(sister in law has an ISUZU) that sounds like a truck) .Interior finish cannot complain. Our MUSSO is the Ultimate long tub version and love the carrying capacity. All in all pleased to date with our decision
Was going to buy a musso thought it was a great car especially for the money but I went with the Dmax party of the reason is bc I’m worried that the company was going to go bankrupt bc of covid. I do hope this company actually does succeed
2020 SWB Ultimate and have now done 40,000km from new. Pros: great engine, super quiet, enough power and torque, frugal (can often achieve sub 8l/100km on highway runs), very comfortable (I'm 6'4"), all round useful and easy for all tasks. Cons: factory coil springs are ordinary and immediately went for dealer approved Ironman performance set-up. Ssangyong accessories are on the steep side. Aisin gearbox generally good but could be better tuned for that cracking engine. 20" wheels make all terrain tyres near impossible to find. Factory tow bar drastically lowers rear departure angle but does allow for spare wheel (unlike aftermarket). I don't regret my purchase at all and have been approached numerous times by people asking about it when they see it. For $40K with more specs than all other utes in that range and 7 year unlimited warranty you can't go wrong.
Great review Paul. I have driven one and am itching to buy one but only holding to see how the whole bankruptcy thing plays and if they plan to stay in Australia..
I had a test drive , I was impressed on how well it performed, built quality was ok in par I’d say with Mitsubishi only drives a lot better on road. The biggest drawback is the viability of this brand in Oz, even the sales rep told me that even if they close .. service will still be available... this is something that just made me walk away, even with established Dealers when you need them.. they sometimes give you grief 🙃
Thanks very much for the review. I've been on the fence for the Musso for a few months now based on the bankruptcy issues, but am thinking that I am going to pull the trigger despite it. Great bang for buck to be had.
You won’t regret it! I have 2 MUSSO ultimates and they are the bees kneez!! My second one I Collected the day before the bankruptcy was announced and have absolutely no buyer regret what so ever!
You should point out that Ssang Yong has been around for about 60 years, if not more, they've been owned by a number of different companies and they're still around. They produce very good vehicles but unfortunately don't get the publicity or vehicle promotions they deserve. They'd sell a lot more if people actually knew about them.
Their previous models have been ugly as sin which I think had alot to do with the poor sales. I think this is much better looking than the GWM cannon...
Can't wait for the face lifted Musso to come out later this year, uprated engine, new gearbox, new front end and hopefully three point seatbelts for all three occupants in the back seat!
I’ve had my xlv ultimate for a year now and the only problem I had was the very loud alarm going off at all hours of the night. I got the works as standards and ordered a tow bar and Rolla shutter Ute cover and only paid 45k drive away. Towing my 1.6 ton excavator is like it’s not there but I added air bags to the rear suspension just to level the towing. I have the driving setting on the dash set at km per litre and watch how I can get more miles out of it. The best I got was 17.4km per litre driving to Metung and back. People can’t believe how much bigger it is and how much I paid with all the extras as standard when they compare to what they have in the same four door Ute range. Would I by another one, yes, after I’ve had it for 7 years.
A friend had a Ssangyong in mind but when it came down to it recently, and baring in mind the bankruptcy, he decided on a three year old VW Amarok instead. Probably a good choice considering the VW has only been used as a street car to complement the previous hotelier owner's Ferrari. Was about £5k more expensive than a new fairly basic short Musso though. This is in the UK. The purchaser is a farm contractor, so he'll be towing a trailer and carrying a fuel bowser/tank and tools etc.
Not bad for them! I remember the Musso from years back had the powered by Mercedes claim to fame. This is looking like a winner, but for that coffin-like cut off of the rear cab.
9:32 one latch to fold or drop backrest, my Amarok needs you to climb in , use both hands to lift latches either end then carefully climb out and lower backrest, but climbing out you tend to lock backrest back in place , so you climb back in repeat process , shuffle on your knees to get out and then lower backrest, only to find that the jack and tyre wrench are missing .
This pickup is more comfortable than all the other European pickups and its also bigger than the others really love it I have owned two Ford ranger 2017 and 2018 mods and two amarok pickup 2012 and 2017 mods a lot of trouble with all of them
@@大脸猫大尾巴驴 LDV is junk by comparison. Look at all the issues LDV owners are having versus all the happy Ssangyong Musso owners. In addition, LDV is owned directly by the CCP and the CCP appoints all the executives. So if you buy an LDV you are directly funding the CCP. All why the CCP screws over Australian workers and businesses for it's own selfish reasons.
Hi Paul, will you be looking to review the brand new 2021 Nissan Navara? I know you made a video on a pre-production model last year, but just wanted to know if you would do an in-depth review of the updated model.
The wife has just bought the shorter version and loves it. Alot of vehicle for the price and extremely quiet. One thing to watch out for are the wheels. They come with a 5x130 PCD which means 15-18 inch rims have to be blanks and drilled to order (at least in NZ) If your planning doing any sort of reasonably off roading, you wouldn't go over a 17in anyway. Their are a quite a few 20 inch rims available, but they will ruin your ride quality, bit of a trade off....looks good, crap ride.
I'm not really a big pickup guy but I dig this, it seems to give you a lot of bang for your buck but the decision to leave shoulder belts out for rear seat passengers is bonkers.
Thanks for the review.Very underrated Ute though Ssangyong past adventurisms in the design department haven't done much to promote the brand.Have test driven it and come to the conclusion that aside from been good value it's really good ute.The only skepticism like yourself is purely the future of the company though the dealership I was interracting with assured me their long-term future in Australia is secure(should have asked the sales rep whether he was willing to wager his home lol).Now to do a comparison between this and a GWM and a LDV ute...and while at it why not thrown in the Triton too.
Low payload for leaf springs. Also the low payload means tow weight a rubbish number, more so than any other dual cab in its class. Example add a canapy plus 4 blokes full tank of fuel and you will be over weight towing 2 tonnes. The other main point is although they are a hell of a lot cheaper than competitors, that doesn't mean you are saving money. As depreciation will be massive on these
Like I say nothing wrong with the Musso I've had mine for 2 years and problem free I tried all the usual brands before I bought it. Mahindra who own 75% of the company want out and are not going to tip in with more money... wouldn't think the Korean government will let it go belly up but now days who would know.
I traded in my 2 year old Lexus NX sport awd for the Short wheelbase ultimate Musso, moving down the Coast and did not want to have 3 SUVs in the Family, I have found the Musso to be excellent in comparison with the Lexus (the best car I have driven), only real feature missing is adaptive cruise (which I loved), have only owned the Musso for 4 weeks, but the 7 year warranty does suggest it will hold up well. (I hope so)
Excellent review. Been waiting ages for another recent review before committing to the purchase. Well.. got impatient and bought one in January. This Ultimate XLV would have a coil springs at the back. It's the ELX XLV that comes with the leaf springs. The Korean government knows too well that the company is too big to flush down the drain. I think they're just playing Mexican stand off with the management and possible investor. Very happy with mine. Too nicely appointed and quiet, so much so, I subconsciously keep on raising the expectations to that of luxury car (Volvo XC40, black, belongs to my misus). Thinking about getting some custom shocks to try iron out the ride a bit.
Go for the suspension kit offered by the factory- it makes the car handle so much better and is a really good kit. About $1200-1300 I think.. I have 2 x MUSSO’s - 1 with kit and one without... it’s like chalk and cheese and driving two completely different vehicles. It’s the same kits that Ironman 4x4 are offering.
I have had the top spec musso for 2 years, now at 28,000 k. Love the car, but would love it more if they did a range low cost mods. Agree that is not a hard core 4wd. I am getting better fuel consumption than the test showed. The financial situation is a concern.
Good review as usual Paul. I thought I knew the Musso range well and I also thought the xlv was leafsprings. What is really great about this Musso is that it is a ute derived from the SUV so is very car like. Unlike the other makes SUV’s that are derived from the ute and drive like the ute it came from. Pretty sure this is accurate. I owned the older Musso with the 5 cylinder merc diesel. Drove that thing without a care and it never missed a beat. Sold it to buy the last 3.0 d4d Hilux sr5. The hilux was great but really didn’t do much more than the old Musso could, just more comfortable and smother. Sold the sr5 for a crazy price due to this covid nonsense and really tempted to go back to a Musso but the bankruptcy thing is stopping me for sure. Ssangyong would need to sell me this ultimate xlv for mid $30’s before id commit considering the issues atm.
