2019 SsangYong Musso Technology and Safety Review

Ssangyong’s latest offerings have always had a good amount of effort thrown in when it comes to keeping their amenities and creature comforts above board. Their latest entry in the midsize pickup market is no different, so much so that they’ve upped the ante when it comes to this segment in more ways than one.

In my recent review, we gave the SsangYong Musso a great rating because of its cabin refinement, material quality, and overall driving feel. It’s a definite contender at its price of P1,495,000, and offers a ton of value for money. Let’s talk more about its features from a technology and safety standpoint, and find out if the Musso can convince you to purchase a SsangYong for your garage.

The midsize pickup segment has been heating up these past few years, and notable upgrades have trickled down to them from flagship SUVs. The Ssangyong Musso impressed us with automatic climate control, automatic windshield wipers, cooling and heated seats for the front and heated seats for the rear, eight-way power adjustable front seats, power folding mirrors, and three driving modes to choose from.

The SsangYong Musso also comes with a crisp 8-inch infotainment system with neatly laid out buttons and a weighty central knob at the base of the unit. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard and work seamlessly. You also have bluetooth and voice prompts for safe operation when driving. Music is played through a decent set of six speakers, and the steering wheel controls are logically placed. There’s even a small multi-information display in the middle of the instrument cluster for driving and fuel statistics. This already adds to the premium interior of the Musso, creating a very nice pickup to drive, indeed.

My only gripe is the lack of a 4x4 model at this time, which leads me to believe that those extra blank buttons could mean a number of new features for off-road use. Could we be seeing a 4x4 model soon? Let’s hope the sales numbers justify its introduction.

The SsangYong Musso comes standard with six airbags, ABS with electronic brakeforce distribution, a reverse camera with sensors, ISOFIX anchor points for child seats, and keyless entry. We kinda wish it came with stability control or traction control, since a pickup owner might be doing a little bit of towing at some point in their ownership. The safety kit is standard as far as pickups go, but a little more features could’ve been added to make the Musso even more enticing at this price range.