Musso

WHAT was once the SsangYong Musso and then became known in Australia as the Daewoo Musso, is now once again called the SsangYong Musso.

Previously distributed by Mercedes-Benz from July 1996, the big South Korean off-roader was handed to Daewoo in July 1998, and rebadged accordingly. Since 2004, however, Australia's New Zealand-based SsangYong importer Rapson Holdings has renamed the Musso as a SsangYong model.

Notable for its Mercedes-Benz engines – a 3.2-litre straight six from an old E-class or a five- cylinder turbo-diesel - the Musso is capable on or off road but is restricted, in comparison to Japanese heavyweights, by only offering five seats. The six-cylinder version offers smooth power and a competent if not outstanding chassis.