SsangYong Musso
Hard-working pick-up kept our man on track
AFTER 12,000 miles, our hard-working SsangYong Musso has finally left our fleet. It has taken me all over the UK, plus on several Continental trips, but none of them were as eagerly anticipated as the recent trip to collect the latest addition to my track-car fleet: a Caterham Seven.
I could have driven the road-legal Seven home, but tackling the M25 with no screen didn’t appeal; plus, I needed somewhere for the spare wheels and tyres that came with the car, and the Musso’s load bay was ideal. The eight rims still left lots of space for other kit, despite the bed being shorter than most rival trucks’. Even so, it’s still no easier to reach kit that’s slid up near the bulkhead. The tailgate is also tough on the legs thanks to its sharp edges; and I have the bruises to prove it.
The Musso has covered thousands of miles with the pick-up bed packed with wheels, tyres, race kit and tools, plus a car on a trailer behind, and it’s an ideal tool for the job. Grubby, smelly bits go in their own area, leaving the cabin clean for passengers and luggage. And it’s a pretty good place to be.
At motorway speeds the Musso is quiet, with little intrusive engine or wind noise. The automatic gearbox can be indecisive, but it’s best left to itself, because changing manually using the small button on the selector is fiddly and a bit hit and miss.
The ride was a bit of a shock at first, yet as the miles built up I realised I didn’t notice the jiggling around anywhere near as much. Yes, the truck shudders over potholes and the
like, but I’d go long distances without being troubled by the ride. Fuel consumption of around 26mpg was affected by towing, but only by a few miles per gallon, thanks to the light track cars the Musso was hauling.
The infotainment, which includes Apple CarPlay, helps the miles pass, but having to reset the volume every time you get in is an irritation. Switching between CarPlay and DAB radio could also be slicker, particularly when you are using a sat-nav app. The built-in TomTom nav lacks live traffic, which makes an app like Waze the default for me.
The air-conditioning also needs regular adjustment because, while it works well, it is not climate-controlled, so you have to set your desired temperature by hand.
One creature comfort we didn’t really appreciate when we collected the car in the summer was the heated steering wheel. But as the temperatures dropped it was very welcome, particularly with my hands frozen from wrestling with icy trailer ramps and tie-down straps. It’s been on permanently since way before Christmas, and the heated seats complete a toasty package that’s a great way to thaw out after chilly laps on track in the open Caterham.
Those shorter days and longer nights in the winter also exposed one of the Musso’s shortcomings – its headlights. They can be adjusted for different loads but even on the highest setting the dipped beam seemed to focus too close to the car. High beam is okay but night trips on the busy rural roads near where I live left me wanting more light.
As you’d expect after 12,000 miles, there are signs of wear. The driver’s seat needs some TLC with a leather conditioner and the bed liner and tailgate cover have been marked by tools and the like. The Musso has also picked up a few stone chips to go with the monster that smashed the screen, and my trailer has marked the tailgate release cover. I checked the tailgate didn’t hit the trailer when I first hitched up but didn’t account for a bit of give when it was loaded or sat on. The result is a couple of marks from the winch. And talking of hitching up, the reversing camera is brilliant, giving a clear view of the tow ball and hitch. It works well when parking but front sensors would help judge just where that big bonnet ends.
I’ve long been a fan of pick-ups and I’ve decided a hard-top is the way to go, despite the problems reaching the front of the load bay. Hard-tops do bring drawbacks but at least the Musso’s is centrally locked even if you do have to hit the fob given the system is not keyless. The hatch needs a little pressure before it will open, and nuts on the hinges have started to corrode. Plus I’ve lost count of the number of times people have pointed out it’s not the same shade as the car.
But these are minor niggles on a truck that has done everything asked of it and taken the grind out of some memorable trips – not least picking up my Caterham.
“The Musso has covered thousands of miles towing a trailer - and it’s ideal for the job”