SsangYong Musso

SsangYong Musso
SsangYong Musso
Overview
Manufacturer	SsangYong
Also called	Dadi Musso (China); Daewoo Musso (Germany, Iceland & United Kingdom); Mercedes-Benz Musso; Morattab Musso (Iran); SsangYong Musso Libero (Vietnam); SsangYong MJ (France); TagAZ Road Partner (Russia)
Production	1993–2005 (South Korea); 1997–2005 (Vietnam); 2003–present (Iran); 2008–2011 (Russia)
Assembly	Pyeongtaek, South Korea; Taganrog, Russia (TagAZ); Tehran, Iran (Morattab); Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (Mekong Auto); Jakarta, Indonesia (Indobuana Autoraya)
Designer	Ken Greenley
Body and chassis
Class	Mid-size SUV
Body style	5-door wagon
Related	SsangYong Musso Sports
Powertrain
Engine	2.3 L I4 (petrol); 3.2 L I6 (petrol); 2.9 L I5 (diesel)
Dimensions
Wheelbase	2,630 mm (103.5 in)
Length	4,640 mm (183 in) (1993–1998); 4,656 mm (183.3 in) (1998–2005)
Width	1,850 mm (73 in) (1993–1998); 1,864 mm (73.4 in) (1998–2005)
Height	1,735 mm (68.3 in)
Chronology
Successor	SsangYong Actyon; SsangYong Kyron

The SsangYong Musso is a mid-size SUV manufactured by the South Korean automaker SsangYong from 1993 to 2005. "Musso" means rhinoceros in Korean.^[3]

Overview

First produced in 1993, the car was available with either a petrol 2.8 and 3.2-litre inline six-cylinder Mercedes-Benz M104 engine, a Mercedes-Benz M111 engine 2.3-litre inline four-cylinder petrol engine, or a 2.3-litre four-cylinder and 2.9-litre five-cylinder diesel engines (Mercedes-Benz OM601 and OM602) with natural aspiration or turbo intercooler (from 1997). The car was designed by Briton Ken Greenley and received the Auto Design Award from the Birmingham Auto Show hosted in 1994 and 1996. Also known for its off-road abilities, the vehicle won the Rallye des Pharaons for 4WD vehicles in October 1994. A facelifted version has been available since 1998.^[4]

The Musso seats five people and its wheels are fit for off-road driving, similar to its smaller sibling, the Korando. The SsangYong Musso Sports, a Musso variant with a truck bed, was released in later years.

The Musso is available in Iran as Musso, produced by Morattab Khodro Co. (since 2003). It was sold in Vietnam by Mekong Auto Corporation from 1997 to 2005.

TagAZ Road Partner

TagAZ plant in Taganrog, Russia produced the Musso from 2008 to 2011 as TagAZ Road Partner. The car was facelifted in 2009.

Mercedes-Benz Musso

As SsangYong had a technology-sharing deal with Mercedes-Benz at the time, the decision was made to sell the Musso as a badge-engineered Mercedes-Benz model in some markets. This allowed SsangYong to gain footholds in new markets without having to build their own infrastructure (utilizing existing Mercedes-Benz networks) while giving Mercedes a competitor in the then-booming SUV market.^[5]

Gallery

1993–98 SsangYong Musso, rear view
1998–05 SsangYong Musso, front view
1998–05 SsangYong Musso, rear view
2009 TagAZ Road Partner (facelifted)

References

^ "Historia". Retrieved 1 November 2010.
^ "Car Specifications - Ssangyong Musso". CarBuddy.com.au. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
^ "Rhino power on wheels". bNET. 16 November 1998. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
^ "Deawoo Musso specs". Ssangyong 4WD Club of Australia. Retrieved 11 August 2011.
^ "Musso-Mercedes match was a rocky road". Drive.com.au. 18 May 2000. Retrieved 19 September 2009.

External links

Media related to SsangYong Musso at Wikimedia Commons

[1] "Historia". Retrieved 1 November 2010.

[2] "Car Specifications - Ssangyong Musso". CarBuddy.com.au. Retrieved 10 August 2011.

[3] "Rhino power on wheels". bNET. 16 November 1998. Retrieved 10 August 2011.

[4] "Deawoo Musso specs". Ssangyong 4WD Club of Australia. Retrieved 11 August 2011.

[5] "Musso-Mercedes match was a rocky road". Drive.com.au. 18 May 2000. Retrieved 19 September 2009.

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