Some pickups try to forget they once were trucks. But KG Mobility's Musso embraces the title.

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Some pickups try to forget they once were trucks. But KG Mobility's Musso embraces the title.

Published: 25 Feb. 2026, 15:36

SARAH CHEA
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

The Musso pickup truck from KG Mobility [SARAH CHEA]

[TEST DRIVE]

PAJU, Gyeonggi — These days, every automaker chants the same mantra: Smoothness. Quiet ride. High-tech minimalism.

But what about those of us who still crave something raw? Something mechanical. A proper machine — the kind with a gear lever that clicks instead of whispers — for drivers who love the analog vibe?

For them, KG Mobility revived the Musso — a nameplate that once carried serious weight among pickup purists — after 24 years. Last year’s EV-only revival left some enthusiasts underwhelmed, and this time, Musso returned properly armed: gasoline and diesel.

The truck's capacity extends up to 700 kilograms (1,543 pounds). [SARAH CHEA]

The interior of the Musso pickup truck. [SARAH CHEA]

I drove roughly 120 kilometers (74.6 miles) round-trip from Seoul to Paju, and by the end of the route, I found myself nodding in agreement with KG Mobility’s long-claimed title: a master of pickups.

It’s enormous. That was my first thought when I stood before it. The test drive began at the fifth basement level of Times Square Mall in Yeongdeungpo District, western Seoul, meaning I had to pilot this behemoth up through one of Seoul’s notoriously tight underground parking structures. At 5.15 meters long (16 feet, 11 inches) and 1.95 meters wide — around 20 millimeters wider than its rival, the Kia Tasman — the Musso felt like it was testing the structural integrity of the building itself.

Yet once seated, perspective changed. The view was excellent. Sitting high behind the wheel, I felt like I was towering over the road. Even during Seoul’s notorious rush hour, with cars packed bumper-to-bumper, the wide visibility kept things from feeling cramped.

The traffic jam wasn’t a problem. The Musso handled the endless dance between accelerator and brake with composure, gliding forward without jolts. Fatigue was surprisingly minimal.

Despite me having my hands firmly on the wheel, the car repeatedly instructed me to “keep hands on the steering wheel.” [SARAH CHEA]

The interior of the Musso [KG MOBILITY]

Despite being a gasoline model, it never felt underpowered. It accelerated with a smooth, confident push — the kind where you feel the vehicle’s mass, but also its determination. On paper, the gasoline model produces 217 horsepower and 38.7 kilograms-meters (279.9 pound-feet) of torque.

One downside however was a slight hesitation when flooring the accelerator. There was about a one-to-two-second delay before the full surge arrived. Perhaps it’s simply the physics of moving this huge car. Still, the lag is noticeable.

Another minor annoyance was the steering warning system. Despite having both hands firmly on the wheel, the car repeatedly instructed me to “keep hands on the steering wheel.” Maybe the truck is too majestic to recognize my grip? The recurring alert forced me to artificially jiggle the wheel to appease the sensors.

The Musso pickup truck from KG Mobility [SARAH CHEA]

On the return journey, I switched to the diesel. And that’s when the Musso truly came alive.

On paper, the diesel engine trails the gasoline by just five horsepower. But numbers rarely tell the whole story. Diesel torque arrives earlier in the rev range, and you feel it instantly.

Press the accelerator and the truck lunges forward with immediate intent. The faint hesitation I noticed in the gasoline model was not there.

The diesel model features a mechanical gear lever. That tactile clunk, that subtle mechanical resistance, delivered exactly the kind of analog satisfaction so many modern cars have abandoned in pursuit of sterile futurism.

Its engine note carries a deep, weighty rumble — unmistakably diesel, unmistakably purposeful. It doesn’t try to hide what it is. And I appreciated that honesty.

Ultimately, the pickup looks a lot more charming when you hear the price tag. The sticker price starts at 29.9 million won ($20,763) — significantly lighter on the wallet compared to its rival Tasman, which starts at 37.5 million won.

A total of 1,123 Musso pickups were sold last month, roughly three times the 376 Tasman units sold.

Sure, the truck isn’t flawless. But for a price tag of under 30 million won, what you get is a vehicle that distills decades of pickup expertise — stretching all the way back to the SsangYong Motor era — blended with modern tech.

In an era where refinement has become predictable, the revived Musso dares to offer something sturdier, and something unapologetically truckline. And perhaps that’s exactly what we’ve been missing.

BY SARAH CHEA [[email protected]]