KG Mobility—formerly known as SsangYong—has officially unveiled the Musso EV compact pickup in Korea, marking its debut ahead of a planned global rollout. This new model is the first under the Musso sub-brand, which will include both electric and internal combustion engine (ICE) trucks. The Musso EV also holds the distinction of being the first fully electric pickup truck from a Korean automaker.

Rugged Design with Familiar Styling

The Musso EV borrows design cues from the Torres EVX SUV but features a longer body, an exposed cargo area, and more rugged details suited for pickup duties. It comes standard with 17-inch alloy wheels and a utility roof rack, while a rear canopy is offered as an option. Buyers can also opt for extras like a sunroof, skid plate, cargo divider, sliding bed, and roll bar, allowing for a range of customizations to suit different needs.

More: KG Mobility Actyon Debuts In Korea As A Longer And Sleeker Torres

Although interior photos haven’t been released, the dashboard is expected to be nearly identical to that of the Torres EVX, featuring dual 12.3-inch displays. Other equipment highlights include an Alpine audio system, intelligent adaptive cruise control, and a 3D around-view monitoring system.

Built on a stretched version of the Torres EVX’s unibody chassis, the Musso EV is powered by a single electric motor that produces 204 hp (152 kW / 207 PS). Power is delivered to the front wheels as standard, with an all-wheel-drive option available for those needing extra traction.

Energy comes from an 80.6 kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) blade battery pack supplied by Chinese automaker BYD. KGM claims the 2WD version can travel up to 401 km (249 miles) on a single charge. While no other powertrain options were detailed, the company confirmed that ICE-powered versions of the Musso will be added to the lineup soon.

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The KGM Musso EV is already available to order in Korea, ahead of its launch in other markets including Europe, the UK, and Australia.

Competitive Pricing

In its home market, the pickup is priced from ₩48 million (equal to around $33,500 at current exchange rates), but if you add the local EV subsidies, the price for small business owners can drop to as little as ₩33 million ($23,000). This places it right against ICE-powered KGM Rexton Sports pickup, which currently starts at ₩29.52 million ($20,600) following a new discount.

KGM notes that the Musso EV will bring additional savings thanks to the low usage and maintenance costs. More specifically, the cost of driving the Musso EV for five years is officially estimated to be around ₩5.8 million ($4,000), a full ₩14 million ($9,700) less compared to the ICE-powered equivalent.

KG Mobility

Ford, GM, and Tesla aren’t the only automakers who see a demand for electric trucks. So does Korea’s KG Mobility, whose engineers have been spotted ironing out any bugs in the company’s new Musso EV before it makes its debut this spring.

KG Mobility is the new name for Ssangyong, which in 2023 showed a metallic orange pickup concept called the 0100. Two years on, and looking hardly any different, that concept is about to hit the market badged as the KGM Musso EV.

Related: SsangYong’s Successor Turns Musso Into A Pickup Brand

KGM is spinning the Musso name off as a truck-focused sub-brand and recently showed the production version of the EV at a Korean festival. There’s something decidedly Hummer-ish about the segmented LEDs running across the nose beneath the hood, but even if it doesn’t feel entirely original it’s a good-looking truck with plenty of presence.

Under the skin, the Musso EV shares its platform with KGM’s Torres EVX, though the truck’s wheelbase has been stretched over the 105.5 inches (2,680 mm) of the SUV. The rough early-stage prototype in our spy shots has the same front and rear doors as the Torres, but you can see by looking at how much further back the wheels are that the wheelbase is massively extended.

Images of the finished car at the bottom of this post reveal the production doors with their fatter, more upright C-pillar and the tailgate with stamped KGM lettering, flanked by a pair of taillights with a wrench-like LED design.

Images: Baldauf

The pickup is expected to use the same BYD-sourced 73.4 kWh battery as the Torres EVX, though the extra weight of the longer body and inferior aerodynamics mean the Musso is unlikely to match KGM’s 311-mile (500 km) WLTP range predictions for the SUV.

KGM offers the Torres EVX with both ICE and electric power, and we know it’ll do the same for the Musso, though judging by some teaser sketches the automaker revealed earlier this year, the gas-swilling trucks will have a very different front-end design.

The Torres EVX is front-wheel drive only and comes with a single, 201 hp (150 kW / 204 PS) electric motor, while the ICE version, badged simply Torres, gets a 168 hp (125 kW / 170 PS) 1.5-liter petrol four that can be ordered with two- or all-wheel drive. We’re expecting KGM to also offer the Musso EV with dual motors driving both axles.

A Korean-market launch for the electric Musso takes place in the next few weeks, but KGM will open up availability to other markets such as Europe and Australia before the end of the year.

Photos: KOTRA / Autospy, KGM

KG Mobility, formerly known as SsangYong, has introduced a new sub-brand for its future pickup offerings named Musso. The first vehicle under this new lineup is the KGM Musso EV, which closely resembles the O300 Concept from 2023. This electric pickup will soon be followed by an internal combustion engine version, which was teased in official sketches.

More: KG Mobility Actyon Debuts In Korea As A Longer And Sleeker Torres

Starting with the EV, KG Mobility has only shared the profile of the pickup ahead of its market launch. Fortunately, real-world photos from its first public appearance at a Korean festival were posted on Autospy. These reveal that the production model retains much of the concept’s styling, with only a few toned-down features, such as smaller wheels

Up front, the slim LED headlights, hood, and fenders closely resemble the Torres EVX SUV. However, the bumper and fender extensions have been redesigned, along with a unique rear end that better suits the dual-cab pickup format. KG Mobility has stated that the pickup will be customizable in various styles, with the first example sporting a roof rack.

Photos: KOTRA / Autospy, KGM

The Musso EV is built on the same underpinnings as the Torres EVX and Actyon SUVs, but with a stretched wheelbase and longer rear overhang to fit the pickup format. While the aforementioned models are available only in front-wheel drive, the Musso EV will offer an all-wheel-drive version, most likely powered by dual electric motors.

The new pickup model is set to launch in Korea in Q1 2025, with plans for expansion to markets like the UK and Australia later.

ICE-Powered Version

In addition to the KGM Musso EV, KG Mobility has shared teaser sketches of a gas-powered Musso pickup that will also be part of the lineup. While the electric and ICE versions of the Torres look pretty similar, the Musso ICE version seems to take a different design approach.

The pickup has the stance of midsize truck with a rugged yet modern look. The LED headlights are reminiscent of the Ford F-150, while the front features a large grille and skid plate. The rear shows off twin tailpipes, signaling the presence of an internal combustion engine under the hood. In one of the sketches, the truck is even converted into an overlanding camper.

Details on the ICE version remain scarce, with no official launch date yet. However, considering that the current Musso and Rexton Sports are expected to end production in 2025, this new model may be released as a successor around 2026.

A Short History Lesson

The original SsangYong Musso made its debut in 1993 as a Mercedes-powered SUV. The name “Musso” comes from the Korean word for rhinoceros.

In 2002, it spawned a dual-cab pickup variant, known as the SsangYong Musso Sports. This was followed by the Action Sports (2006), the Korando Sports (2012), and the Rexton Sports (2018), with the latter adopting the Musso name in markets outside Korea.

KG Mobility says the new Musso lineup aims to continue the legacy of its predecessors, designed to serve both “daily needs and leisure” activities. A company spokesperson teased that more Musso variants are in the works stating, “We will continue the Musso tradition by developing and expanding a diverse portfolio of pickup lineups in the future.”

H/T to drive.com.au