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By
EWAN KENNEDY
24 October 2005
Musso
has a complex history in Australia. It has spent most of its life as a
medium-large 4WD wagon from Korea, but since 2004 has been sold as a
dual-cab utility. The latter are still scarce on the used-car scene so
we won’t cover them in any detail in this week’s review.
This vehicle originally went on sale in Australia as the SsangYong Musso
in July 1996. From 1998 it was sold as a Daewoo dealers because
SsangYong went bad during the Asian financial crisis. These days
SsangYong is part of the Chinese Shanghai Automotive Industry
Corporation (SAIC) and again the Musso carries SsangYong badges.
There was more than just a change of name, when the Daewoo Musso
appeared in July 1998. It featured quite a few worthwhile mechanical and
aesthetic changes from its predecessor and is the one to aspire to.
The first SsangYong Musso was imported to Australia by Mercedes-Benz and
sold well from day one because of its association with the prestigious
German marque. The Daewoo Musso didn’t enjoy as much success. The fate
of the new SsangYong Musso dual-cab ute remains to be seen, but appears
to be shaping up well in these early days.
Musso is a fascinatingly cosmopolitan vehicle; with a body styled in
Britain; an engine designed in Germany and originally made in that
country, though these days it’s made in Korea; Australian gearboxes
are used in some models, others have German transmissions. It’s all
put together with a fair amount of skill in Korea.
The Musso wagon’s styling is long and sleek but the finer details of
the lines tend to look overly complex to Australian tastes. In
particular, the rear panel is completely over-the-top, with large
lights, reflectors, badges, emblems and spoilers all cluttering one
another up. Daewoo tidied up the tail after its takeover, but was only
able to do so much to improve the original.
Power comes from a choice of several Mercedes-Benz designed engines; one
a petrol 3.2-litre in-line six. It’s a modern twin-cam unit and hauls
the two-tonne Musso along with plenty of verve.
SsangYong models used a 2.3-litre four-cylinder diesel that was on the
gutless side and never sold well. The Daewoo diesel is a 2.9-litre,
in-line, turbocharged five-cylinder unit that’s a big improvement and
much more popular. Though less sophisticated than the petrol engine the
2.9 is a smooth, economical unit and many owners love them.
The SsangYong Musso turbo-diesel came only with a five-speed manual
gearbox, the others will have either a five-speed manual or four-speed
automatic transmission.
Petrol models come with full-time four-wheel drive, diesels with
part-time. Both use a high-low range transfer box. A torque sensing unit
in the transfer case acts as a centre differential in the full-time 4WD
models. Operation is by a rotary switch on the dash with 4H and 4L
positions.
The part-time 4WD unit is conventional, with a transfer case that can be
changed from 2H to 4H at speeds of up to 70km/h. To engage 4L the Musso
has to be stationary. A similar dash-mounted rotary switch to that of
the full-time 4WDs has positions for 2H, 4H and 4L. A limited slip
differential is fitted in the two lower cost diesel versions. Automatic
front hubs are used.
All the current imports of SsangYong Musso dual-cabs have the 2.9-litre
turbo-diesel and can be bought with a five-speed manual or four-speed
automatic transmission. It’s sold with either two- or four-wheel
drive.
Off-road performance from the Musso is good, on-road it’s not too bad
unless you really hustle it along, when typically Asian suspension
vagueness makes it a bit tiring to drive. The Daewoo version is better
in its suspension and steering than the old SsangYong but still nothing
to get excited about.
All Australian imports of Mussos are five seaters. At one time an
official seven-seat option was planned but it never got off the drawing
board. There may be some aftermarket units in used vehicle you look at
and these are generally of decent quality, though it’s worth having a
good look to be on the safe side. The cargo area is exceptionally large
and is well shaped for ease of loading.
Insurance is generally a little higher than average due to the
uncertainty created at times, but premiums aren't unreasonable.
Spare parts and servicing are reasonably easy to find and aren't overly
expensive. The new SsangYong network is still relatively small but is
growing by the month and appears to be working well.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Off-road performance is good so more Mussos get taken into the rough
stuff than many other 4WDs. So check for damage to the sill panels,
bumper corners and protection plates. Also look for fine scratches in
the paint caused by squeezing past bushes.
Listen for squeaks and rattles on rough roads and in off-road use. Look
at the condition of the tyres for off-road damage.
Check for fit and finish in the interior as it can be rough and ready in
some vehicles.
Look for signs of kids having knocked the seats and trim around during
moments of boredom.
The engine should start promptly and not fume from the exhaust. If the
diesel is reluctant to start there could be injector problems. Engines
should be smooth and quiet, particularly with the petrol six.
All 4WD transmission components should operate smoothly and quietly and
it should be easy to switch from ratio to ratio.
CAR BUYING TIP
Knowing a vehicle’s faults before you buy it puts you in a far
better bargaining position than finding them later – always get a full
professional inspection.
© Copyright
Marque Publishing Company
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