KGM Musso Rhino review

Korean brand’s new diesel pick-up truck takes the fight to the Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux

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The pick-up truck market has become somewhat predictable of late. If you want a refined, comfortable load-lugger, you buy a Ford Ranger or a Volkswagen Amarok; if you want something more utilitarian and robust, there’s the Toyota Hilux or an Isuzu D-Max. 

But if you want to save money, desire a payload-worth of standard kit and require strong pulling power, the new KGM Musso Rhino makes a strong case for itself. 

Right now the Musso Rhino can only be had in one specification, but KGM will add a cheaper entry-level and mid-range model later this year.
Sam Phillips
Staff Writer

It becomes the flagship pick-up from KGM (formerly Ssangyong), sitting above the Musso Rebel and Musso Saracen that have been on sale since 2018 and the more lifestyle-focused new Musso EV.

You can still buy the old diesel models, and KGM is about to offer a two-seat conversion to help lower BIK tax costs, but the Rebel and Saracen will eventually be phased out. The Rhino forms the design and technological blueprint for the range moving forward. 

So, does the Rhino have enough pulling power and all-round appeal to make it a sensible choice for those who need a rugged, easy-going workhorse? Let's find out. 

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DESIGN & STYLING

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The visual changes are immediately obvious, with the Rhino ditching its predecessor’s incongruous front grille for a more robust-looking fascia.

Alongside the chunky front grille and wheel arches, there are new LED headlights, 18in alloy wheels and silver sidesteps and roof rails. 

Overall the Rhino sports a more rugged aesthetic that certainly leans into its namesake, and it looks totally fit for purpose.

At the rear there's a 1011-litre load bed that can carry up to 1090kg of cargo, which means the Rhino qualifies as a light commercial vehicle, unlike the fancier and dearer Ineos Grenadier Quartermaster.

Like many of its rivals, the Rhino can pull up to 3500kg, so towing a large trailer loaded with hay bales won't cause it any problems.

You can also get a Rhino+ version with the bed extended by 30cm, increasing the load capacities to 1262 litres and 1200kg.

The Rhino powered by the same 2.2-litre turbocharged diesel engine as its predecessor, which makes 199bhp and 295lb ft of torque. Drive is delivered via a six-speed Aisin automatic gearbox; you can’t have a manual transmission any more.

INTERIOR

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The Rhino is pleasant inside, save for a few cheaper plastics on the doors and lower down by your feet. 

You get nappa leather as standard and, while it doesn’t feel particularly refined to the touch, it has a durable, robust feel to it that means it should easily shrug off the wear and tear caused by thick work attire. 

I like how you can swipe down from the top of the touchscreen display to access the shortcut buttons for turning off the ADAS.
Sam Phillips
Staff Writer

Thankfully KGM has replaced the fiddly capacitive climate control panel with proper rotary dials and physical buttons. They're not the most tactile switchgear, but they're a welcome sight in a modern pick-up, making adjusting the temperature and fan speed far easier than in say, the Volkswagen Amarok, which has touch-sensitive climate controls. 

The 12.3in infotainment touchscreen in the middle of the dashboard is a bit like the diesel engine in that it's fairly slow to respond, and although it's generally easy to navigate, some larger icons would help usability.

It lags well behind the Ranger's system, which is graphically stronger and better configured in its layout of functions. 

Move to the rear and there's more than enough room for adults should you need to carry passengers. I had more than enough head room and, while knee room was limited, I could still find a comfortable seating position. 

ENGINES & PERFORMANCE

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There’s no hiding the Rhino’s leisurely pace, which feels distinctly slow even by pick-up standards. A 0-62mph time of close to 12sec feels sluggish by car standards but is typical of a mainstream pick-up truck – a four-cylinder Ford Ranger is only slightly quicker. That said, the automatic gearbox could be slicker; it clings onto gears for too long before swapping cogs rather languidly. 

Even on kickdown it takes a moment to drop a few gears before it gets going. Given the lack of grunt, A-road overtakes require some planning.

The four-cylinder oil-burner gets raucous only under hard acceleration, settling down quietly when cruising along the motorway. Wind noise is also well suppressed. 

The brake pedal has quite a soft feel and a long travel, and when it does eventually bite the deceleration feels rather abrupt. 

 

 

RIDE & HANDLING

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On the road, the Musso can’t mask the effects of its ladder frame and live rear axle quite as well as a Ranger. On rural roads there was a constant jitter; be it at 50mph or 70mph on the motorway, it never settled down.

Around town this choppiness was similarly pronounced, and there was a loud thunk when it tried to deal with sharp edges and potholes.

The Rhino can switch between rear-wheel drive, four-wheel drive and low-range four-wheel drive, plus it gets a locking differential and hill descent control as standard.
Sam Phillips
Staff Writer

We got to try the Musso Rhino both with and without a payload in the back. Normally, loading the rear axle should make it settle down more, but actually the Rhino became overly buoyant, with a constant boat-like pitching motion, even on a well-surfaced road. 

Introduce corners and the high-riding Musso suffers from plenty of body roll. The steering is slow-geared yet reasonably predictable.

I also took the Rhino off road, where it performed well on rough terrain and steep inclines, thanks to its generous 245mm ground clearance.

It's worth noting, though, that it was fitted with chunky BF Goodrich tyres for this off-road excursion, as opposed to normal road tyres. 

MPG & RUNNING COSTS

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Prices start from £38,995 (excluding VAT), undercutting the Ranger Wildtrak (£44,990) and Hilux Invincible (£42,195). 

While you can have a Ranger or Hilux for less, those derivatives are closer matches for the Rhino, which comes with a generous amount of standard kit, including dual-zone climate control, a 3D surround-view camera and adaptive cruise control. 

VERDICT

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Recent BIK tax changes have seen pick up truck sales fall by more than 50%, but for buyers who do still need one to do a job, there’s now one more option.

If you want greater refinement and comfort for a relatively small step up in price, the Ford Ranger is a much better all-rounder – and one that now offers a plug-in hybrid powertrain.
Sam Phillips
Staff Writer

The KGM Musso Rhino has the pulling and carrying power to make it a solid commercial offering. Its sluggish drivetrain and unsettled, agricultural ride mean it lacks the dynamic polish and overall completeness of the Ranger and Hilux, but then it also undercuts those default options on price.

As a well-equipped, rugged workhorse at the value end of the spectrum, the Musso Rhino is capable enough.

 

 

Sam Phillips

Sam Phillips
Title: Staff Writer

Sam joined the Autocar team in summer 2024 and has been a contributor since 2021. He is tasked with writing used reviews and first drives as well as updating top 10s and evergreen content on the Autocar website. 

He previously led sister-title Move Electric, which covers the entire spectrum of electric vehicles, from cars to boats – and even trucks. He is an expert in new car news, used cars, electric cars, microbility, classic cars and motorsport. 

Sam graduated from Nottingham Trent University in 2021 with a BA in Journalism. In his final year he produced an in-depth feature on the automotive industry’s transition to electric cars and interviewed a number of leading experts to assess our readiness for the impending ban on the sale of petrol and diesel cars.