The Australian car market is home to some of the most rugged pickup trucks which are called UTEs there. It exclusively boasts trucks such as the Nissan Navara PRO-4X Warrior that received aesthetic and performance upgrades. Mazda also has an Australia-exclusive version of the BT-50 named the Thunder.
SsangYong Musso, known as the Rexton Sports in South Korea
With that being said, SsangYong Australia had to step up its game in the pickup truck market to keep up with its competitors. The Korean marque announced the changes for the Australian-spec 2022 Musso, featuring the giant grille from the facelift in 2021 accompanied by updated tech.
The new 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster will be available across the range as standard, replacing the model’s 7.0-inch display. It will receive other interior changes such as a new overhead console, LED map lights, and seatbelt reminders. As for the exterior, the truck will get a body-colored tailgate handle, wing mirrors, and door handles.
New 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster
However, many find the updates a bit disappointing as some noteworthy features available in overseas markets won’t be brought in by SsangYong Australia. For instance, the more powerful 2.2-liter turbodiesel engine won’t make its way to the Australian market due to packaging issues.
According to SsangYong Australia, the engine requires Diesel Exhaust Fluid (AdBlue), as well as a larger tank that will end up occupying the space for the full-size spare wheel. As such, the Musso will carry over the existing 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engine.
It gets new body-colored exterior features
Another feature that won’t be included in the 2022 update is the electric power steering system. This means that the new Musso will still use a hydraulic power steering system, which means that Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) features such as lane-keep assist and lane centering assist won’t arrive as well.
The updated 2022 SsangYong Musso is slated to arrive in the Australian market in March 2022. Maybe the PH-spec Musso offered by SsangYong Philippines should be updated as well, considering what we still have is the pre-facelift version.
Discover the latest updates in the global car market here at Philkotse.com.