KGM Musso — A Ute You Can Use

Support CleanTechnica’s work through a Substack subscription or on Stripe.


Or support our Kickstarter campaign!

The Australian light vehicle market is dominated by “utes” — short for utilities, or utility vehicles. These have evolved from sedans fitted with a tray back to monstrous mini trucks. The big sellers are the Ford Ranger and the Toyota HiLux, followed by strong contenders like the Isuzu D-Max, Mitsubishi Triton, and Mazda BT-50. They make up 20% of new car sales, or approximately 200,000–300,000 vehicles a year. Recently, PHEV utes have been introduced, notably the BYD Shark and Great Wall Motor’s Canon Alpha, and there have certainly been some conquest sales. The pressure has begun.

With the introduction of Australia’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard last year, the pressure is building. As a response, legacy automakers are introducing urban electric utes — BEV utes for light duties in the urban environment. You know, tip runs, helping the kids move house, etc. We went to look at the most recent entrant into the field — the KGM (previously SsangYong) Musso — and were very impressed. 

Musso means rhinoceros in Korean. Strong and innovative. We were not disappointed. This ute drives like an SUV, is luxuriously appointed, is competitively priced, and is well stocked with tech. I queried the tech comparison with the diesel version and was informed that the tech was the same in both iterations.

The manager of the dealership was generous with his time and patient with me as I plied him with questions. He told me that the Musso was not designed for off-roading or driving along the beach — although the car can do it. It is essentially designed for the city environment and could be described as a compliance vehicle, similar to what Toyota plans to bring out later in the year. He made the point: “The Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux are better cars, but are they AU$40,000 better?” It all depends on the customers’ needs and wallet.

Considering that the Musso ute only arrived on his lot 2 days ago, the manager knew his vehicle and the intended demographic. He expects that people will cross shop against the BYD Shark. He is dipping his toe in the market by only ordering 3 vehicles — one each of the 2 WD, the 4WD, and the “black edge” top of the line. He already sells 20 of the diesel versions each month and is the number one KGM dealer in Australia.

He candidly admits that he has not sold BEVs before, and expects that HEVs will be the dominant drivetrain on Australian roads. He doesn’t believe that Aussies want to have to plan trips around charging. The dealership is yet to install its own chargers, and currently the Musso ute is trickle charged from a wall socket. It is capable of using Tesla Superchargers when on the road. He believes that there is a future for EVs, but not sure how big that future might be. He was aware of the PlugShare app.

Walking towards the ute, Majella commented that it was a “sexy beast.” I was jealous! The ute comes with two charge cables — type 2 to type 2 + a trickle charger. The octagonal steering wheel makes easy to steer, with a great turning circle. Better to drive than the GWM Canon Alpha. It actually felt like driving an SUV, not a ute. Wasn’t heavy on the road at all.

The Musso accelerated well to 60 km/h, but was even more impressive after that, making it very easy to go over the speed limit. Majella had to keep putting her foot on the brake to reduce speed even in eco mode. Unfortunately, we were unable to take it on the highway. Hence the maximum speed we took it to was 80 km/hr.

We were told it had a paddle to set the regen braking, but only found it towards the end of the test drive. This reinforces my opinion that to get the true feel of a BEV, you need more than just the regular short test drive.

Overall, Majella found the car very comfortable and well finished. The leather in the interior finish was double stitched. Lots of soft materials were used in the interior and she felt that it had similar quality to our Tesla Model 3. She was impressed by the unusual pattern on the door speaker boxes. A PF charger and USB charger were available under the AC vents (similar to the Atto 1). Chargers were also available for passengers in the back seats.

The front grille is designed to reflect the corner trigrams of the South Korean flag — representing the elements of heaven, earth, water, and fire. The Koreans are proud of their craftsmanship and heritage.

There are several video reviews available of the Musso BEV. This particular video review appealed to me, as it features a farmer walking around his field brushing away the pesky flies. He compares the Musso ute with the upcoming Toyota HiLux BEV — and the Musso comes out on top as “A ute you can use.” One viewer comments: “Actually looks pretty decent for the $s and will do what many dual cab buyers ACTUALLY use them for.”

Of course, I searched for a Musso BEV ute Facebook page. I couldn’t find one. So, I joined the Musso page and told them I was going to check out the new BEV version. I fully expected a lot of negative comments. I was pleasantly surprised by the balanced reaction I got.

There were those who preferred to stick with diesel, and those who were concerned about fires. It was pointed out that although smaller on the outside than the diesel, the interior had the same space. There were questions about towing capacity (1.8 tons) and range (420 km). I pointed out that BEVs lose about half their range when towing. I found this comment most insightful: “Personally, I am very keen on electric. Like it or not, it’s happening and with the current globally uncertain times I know I’ll be free of any fuel shortages. The new technology is gaining pace.”

This elicited the witty response: “Until the coal power stations shut down!” This concern in a country with highest penetration of rooftop solar and government subsidized batteries!

The Musso EV is great value for money, and I expect that it will sell well. Shame it doesn’t come in red! I am looking forward to seeing lots of them on the road. Worth checking out methinks.