autoevolution
 

SSANGYONG Musso Models/Series Timeline, Specifications & Photos

Generations: 2
First production year: 1998
Engines: Diesel, Gasoline
Body style: SUV (Sports Utility Vehicle)
SSANGYONG Musso photo gallery

The so called “open SUV” SsangYong Musso was the Korea’s only pick-up choice on the market.

Rather small for a dual cab ute, the Musso’s dimensions were 5095mm long, 1960mm wide and 1825mm tall. A longer wheelbase version was available as well.

Practicality was one of the Musso’s strongest points, being the most spacious ute in the segment. Besides great room for the passengers in the back, the cabin’s layout was really good with intuitively placed controls and lots of storage spaces inside, including bottle holders in all doors.

Offering plenty of comfort in the front seats, finding the right driving position wasn’t hard at all, the Musso being equipped with a steering wheel that could be adjusted for both reach and rake.

Another strong point was the feeling inside the ute. Or maybe we should say inside the SUV, because the Musso didn’t feel like an ute, featured high quality materials inside the cabin, as well as many available features.

Though impressive in many aspects, the Musso was equipped with a 2.2-liter 4-cylinder engine rated at 178 hp and 400Nm. The power output could be considered modest for the class, however, the Musso was not as heavy as other utes, weighting a maximum of 2192 if equipped with the automatic transmission.

full description and technical specifications
SSANGYONG Musso photo gallery

The Korean carmaker raised the bets and offered a bigger 4x4 on the market, engineered together with Mercedes-Benz.

SsangYong was not a newcomer in the off-road vehicle industry, but it wasn't that much known on the European market. The South Korean military forces used their vehicles since the '50s, but they were not addressed to the general public. The Musso was introduced on the market in 1993, and it won the 1994 Pharaohs Rally, but it still tried hard to convince the customers. In 1998, the Korean carmaker introduced a facelifted version for it.

Musso was designed by the British designer Ken Greenley, and five years later, the carmaker thought it might need an update. SsangYong designers softened the vehicle's wedged shapes with a curved grille at the front and a different hood. The sloped cut for the corner-mounted turn-signals remained as a signature for the big Korean SUV.

Inside, the Musso came as standard with a luxurious interior, depending on the market. The base version featured cloth seats, while the full-option version featured leather seats, wood-trims on the dash, and a sunroof. SsangYong chose to offer the car without a stereo and let the dealers handle that. As a result, some were fitted with CD-stereo and some with cassette-players.

Under the hood, the Korean carmaker installed a choice of engines carried over from Mercedes-Benz. They were paired to either a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic. The 4x4 system was standard on the entire range.

full description and technical specifications