SsangYong Musso Saracen
By Ian Strachan.
Pick-ups used to be workhorses, so that’s what you got. A tough, uncompromising package with limited thought given to design, comfort and specification. It did a job, didn’t cost too much, and that would be it.
No more. A 21st century pick-up is a fashion statement. That means it has to look cool, be at least as comfortable as a car, and come with all the goodies you’d expect on an upmarket saloon. And so it is with the muscle-packed SsangYong Musso Saracen .
This powerful-looking pick-up has a stylish double cab body with a high stance, impressive chunky 18-inch alloys, stand-out Saracen graphics and trim, a huge lined load-space and a high specification. Its spacious interior is light , well-equipped and pleasant – a far cry from pick-ups of the past.
This Musso is powered by a strong, surprisingly refined 2.2 litre diesel unit. It sounds tough and is tough – a growling 202 bhp engine with plenty of grunt if you need it for towing or off-roading. My test car married the engine to a six-speed automatic gearbox which resulted in a smooth and effortless ride. Drive settings for two-wheel or four-wheel drive and low or high ratios can be controlled with a simple central dial.
Despite its size, the unladen Musso can still return fuel economy figures of around 31 miles to the gallon in mixed driving. That might not sound impressive, but this is a big vehicle.
It handles pretty well, too. Suspension is fairly soft, which means you’ll roll around corners a little, but straight-line handling is comfortable and steering is precise.
The external tough appearance of the Musso Saracen is enhanced with a deep black ladder grille, black and silver side steps, roof rails, black trim and rear tinted windows.
There’s plenty of room for five people in this vehicle, with good headroom. The high specification also gives you a DAB radio and sound system with Bluetooth controlled via a 9.2-inch multi-function HD touchscreen, high quality leather upholstery, rear parking camera with front and rear parking sensors, electronic cruise control, automatic dual-zone air conditioning, heated electric front and rear seats, heated electrically adjustable door mirrors, heated steering wheel and all round electric windows – all for £38,343 on the road.
You get all the safety features you’d expect on a car, plus the advantage of a high driving position. You get hill start assist, hill descent control, blind spot detection, rear cross-traffic alerts and lane change assist. It has a towing capacity of 3.5 tonnes and a 1.14 tonne payload
Pick-ups have been around for a long time, but this is undoubtedly the most refined and car-like I have driven. It could easily take sales in the UK from more established competitors.
Public utilities, farmers and construction workers will find this a comfortable working vehicle, but it will also appeal to those who recognise the pick-up as the new cool vehicle to be seen in.
