[비즈한국] KG Mobility003620 launched its new pickup truck, the 'Musso', on January 5. The new Musso is the successor to the 'Musso Sports & Khan'. KG Mobility seems intent on promoting the new Musso as its next flagship model. Since the days of the former SsangYong Motor, KG Mobility has been considered a powerhouse in the domestic pickup truck market. Models like the Musso Sports, Actyon Sports, and Korando Sports were flagship pickup trucks representing SsangYong Motor.
Recently, competition in the pickup truck market has been intensifying. Chevrolet's 'Colorado' and Ford's 'Ranger' were introduced to the domestic market in 2019, and Kia000270 also launched the 'Tasman' last year. The automotive industry is focused on whether KG Mobility can succeed in this competition and maintain its reputation as the 'pickup truck master'. Bizhankook attended the Musso test drive event on the 12th to evaluate its potential for success. On this day, Bizhankook drove the Musso from Times Square in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, to Paju, Gyeonggi-do. I test-drove the Diesel M9 model on the way from Seoul to Paju, and the Gasoline M9 model on the return trip from Paju to Seoul.
The first impression of the Musso was its intensity. The square-type bumper, radiator grille, and three-dimensional headlamps were sufficient to create a tough impression. The dynamic volume on the sides and the rear lamps also displayed a magnificent presence. It delivered an image that was as strong and sophisticated as a pickup truck should be.
Surprisingly, the interior design gave an impression of simplicity rather than grandeur. Many recently released vehicles often feature flashy controllers on the center fascia for operating various functions. It is not uncommon to hear cases of people having difficulty with operation at first because there are too many control buttons. However, the Musso did not have many unnecessary buttons, and features like the air conditioning or audio could be operated with just one or two buttons.
Although the shape of the Musso's transmission varies by model, it basically adopts a stick-type (lever). While dial or button-type transmissions were trendy in the early 2020s, the number of vehicles adopting stick-types has been increasing recently. It appears the Musso aims to maintain familiarity rather than pursuing new experiments. Thanks to this, even though I was driving the Musso for the first time, I did not experience any major inconvenience in operating the transmission or controllers.
When I started driving, I felt the unique heaviness of the Musso. Since I mainly drive sedans, I did not easily adapt to the weight of a pickup truck. I had to press the accelerator more than I would in a sedan when driving up hills. However, this is only in comparison to a typical sedan; compared to a sport utility vehicle (SUV), it could not be said that acceleration was slow. In fact, it showed faster acceleration than some SUVs.
The ride comfort of the Musso was exceptional. The Musso's ride comfort shined more at high speeds than at low speeds. There was some vibration when driving in the city. Conversely, when driving on the highway at around 100 km/h, typical bumps were not significantly felt. There was almost no body lean when cornering. The quietness was also excellent. I drove with music playing at a low volume, and external noise was barely audible.
The Musso diesel model felt slightly heavier than the gasoline model. While the difference in ride comfort wasn't significant enough to be major, the power of the diesel model felt slightly stronger. This appears to be due to the engine difference. The engine equipped in the diesel model produces a maximum output of 202 horsepower and a maximum torque of 45.0 kg·m. The gasoline model provides a driving performance of 217 horsepower and 38.7 kg·m of maximum torque. While the gasoline model has a higher maximum output, the diesel model has stronger initial torque.
It is difficult to say that pickup trucks have been popularized in Korea yet. This is because SUVs are sufficient for enjoying leisure activities. The Musso's ride comfort and driving ability had no major flaws, and there is a significant difference in loading capacity between an SUV and a pickup truck. Nevertheless, it is true that it is difficult to readily answer the question of why one must purchase a pickup truck.
However, the price of the Musso is actually more competitive than most SUVs. The selling price of the Musso is 29.9 million won for the M5, 35.9 million won for the M7, and 39.9 million won for the M9 for the gasoline models; and 31.7 million won for the M5, 37.7 million won for the M7, and 41.7 million won for the M9 for the diesel models. For users who enjoy leisure activities, the Musso could be an unexpectedly good choice.