After being leaked earlier this week, the updated SsangYong Musso and Musso XLV – or KG Mobility Rexton Sports Culmen and Rexton Sports Khan Culmen, as they’re now known in Korea – have been revealed.
The updated ute range hasn’t been confirmed for a local launch yet, but SsangYong Australia says it’s “estimated” to arrive in the fourth quarter of 2023 alongside an updated version of the related Rexton SUV.
Up front, there’s a new octagonal grille with horizontal ribs, as well as four-beam full-LED headlights with dynamic indicators and welcome/goodbye animations. The LED headlights replace the halogen and HID headlights of the outgoing model.
Horizontal LED fog and cornering lights also feature, while the updated Musso range also gains new 17-, 18- and 20-inch alloy wheel designs.
Inside, the dashboard has been redesigned to accommodate a larger, 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen.
Unlike the 8.0-inch unit of the outgoing model, which sits within the centre stack, the new screen juts out of the dashboard.
There are new horizontal air vents set alongside a chrome strip running across much of the dash, giving them a “hidden” appearance – an increasingly common design motif in 2023.
There’s a new climate control pod with touch-capacitive switchgear, while the USB-A outlets have been dropped in favour of USB-C outlets.
The Rexton has received similar updates, though the SUV has a wider range of interior colourways, with four in total. The Musso is limited to black and a new khaki scheme, with a choice of leather or Nappa leather upholstery.
A 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster continues to sit ahead of the driver.
It gains trailer sway control, though no other mechanical tweaks have been mentioned.
The utes continue to be powered by a 2.2-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine producing 150kW of power and 441Nm of torque, mated with a six-speed automatic transmission.
This engine was launched in Korean-market utes last year, though Australian models have stuck with a 133kW/400Nm 2.2-litre turbo-diesel.
By sticking with the old engine, SsangYong Australia has missed out on an electric power steering set-up that brought adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist and active lane-centring in other markets.
SsangYong Australia says it stuck with the old engine as it doesn’t require Diesel Exhaust Fluid.
Updated Rexton
“DEF requires an additional tank, this takes up space in the spare wheel area to the point where a full-size spare wheel cannot be fitted,” a company spokesperson told CarExpert last year.
It’s unclear whether the latest Musso update will see SsangYong Australia finally make the switch.
SsangYong Australia has yet to confirm when it’ll roll out its parent company’s new KG Mobility branding Down Under.
The new Culmen utes as well as the updated Rexton New Arena were all revealed with KG Mobility badges.
However, SsangYong’s most recent logo still features on the grille and not the 1990s-era double-circle badge that had recently made a reappearance.
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Keyword: SsangYong Musso update revealed ahead of expected 2023 launch