KGM Musso Rhino 2026 review | A pick-up that’s tough, but also rough around the edges
KGM Musso Rhino cars for sale
3.0
Expert review
Pros
Long warranty
Rugged towing capabilities
Easy-to-use interior
Cons
Jiggly ride quality
Slow, noisy engine
Sluggish gearbox
The CarGurus verdict
If you’re going to use your pick-up as a serious workhorse, to haul heavy loads or for extended off-road hauling, then the Musso Rhino seems to make some sense – though if that’s the case, you might also want to consider the standard Musso, which is both more affordable and more economical, and comes with most of the same benefits.
On the other hand, if you want a plush pick-up for use for a mix of work and leisure on the road, the Musso Rhino is a tough sell. Yes, it looks good on paper, but the bouncy ride quality, breathless performance and sluggish gearbox make it a truck that’s difficult to live with, and harder still to recommend.
What is the KGM Musso Rhino?
When is a KGM Musso not a KGM Musso? When it’s a KGM Musso Rhino. That’s the name being given to this latest version of KGM’s pick-up truck, which has already carved out a small but happy niche of customers who appreciate its combination of serious hauling ability and excellent value.
So this is a replacement for the old Musso, right? Well, not exactly. The old Musso will continue to be available alongside for a while yet, and the new one – which, as you can tell if you look closely, is a heavily re-styled version – will sit above it in the Musso range.
The idea here is to offer a more upmarket version of the Musso with more up-to-date styling that can compete on more level terms with plusher rivals like the Ford Ranger Wildtrak and Volkswagen Amarok – all with a price tag that’s more in-keeping with more utilitarian pick-ups like the Ranger XLT and Isuzu D-Max.
How practical is it?
The most important part of a pick-up is the bed, so let’s start there. KGM boasts that the Musso Rhino’s bed is the biggest in the business by volume, and at 1,262 litres, they aren’t wrong. There’s a catch, though: that figure only applies to the extended Rhino+ model, which boasts a 30cm stretch. The standard Musso Rhino only gives you 1,011 litres to play with, though, which is actually quite a bit less than most other double-cab pick-ups.
Mind you, no matter which Musso Rhino you choose, payload figures are impressive. The standard truck can haul 1,090kg, which is very much on a par with most rivals, while the Rhino+ can carry a total of 1,200kg.
As you might expect, those figures result in some of the highest gross train weights (GTWs) around. In fact, the Rhino+’s figure of 6,900kg is the highest of any double-cab pick-up on the UK market – and even the Rhino’s 6,750kg GTW bests most of its rivals.
It’s an adept hauler, then, and space for passengers inside is no less impressive. The back seats offer a decent amount of leg and head room, and the slight incline to the back rest means they aren’t bolt upright, like some pick-ups’ are. And as you’d expect these days, there are Isofix points in both outer rear seats.
Up front, there’s a decent amount of room too, and while the central console is quite wide, it doesn’t impinge on leg space. There’s a reasonable amount of storage, and while the quality of the plastics isn’t exactly luxurious, it’s about on par with many of the Musso Rhino’s pick-up rivals.
What’s it like to drive?
Remember the days of doddery old pick-up trucks with bouncy suspension, clanking diesel engines and slurring automatic gearboxes? Well, with the KGM Musso Rhino, you don’t have to remember – you can relive the feeling every day.
Out on the road, there are moments when this really does feel like a pick-up from another age. For starters, it’s unbearably stiff over even smooth roads, with the result that the whole thing bounces and jitters its way along. It’s clearly set up to work at its best when the suspension is loaded up, as things improve when there’s weight in the back – but only slightly.
Then there’s the engine. It’s a 2.2-litre four-cylinder that provides a promising-sounding 199bhp, but somehow not much of that ends up transmitted to the Tarmac, because the Musso Rhino feels rather gutless.
As a result, you find yourself putting your foot down more often than you’d like, and this results in two rather undesirable consequences: firstly, there’s quite a lot of noise, as the engine gets rather vocal when it’s pushed hard, and secondly, the six-speed automatic gearbox is roused from its slumber to slur its way through changes as though it’s still half asleep.
We didn’t get much of a chance to experience the Musso Rhino off-road – in the height of Britain’s hottest summer on record, any mud on the off-road course had long since dried almost to the consistency of Tarmac – but Rhino drivers get a choice of two-wheel drive, four-wheel drive and low-range four-wheel drive, as well as a lockable differential and hill descent control.
Ground clearance, as well as approach and departure angles, are all among the best in the class, too – all of which means the Musso Rhino should be pretty handy when the going gets tough.
Technology, equipment & infotainment
There are only two different models in the Musso Rhino range: the basic Musso Rhino, and the Rhino+. And while the latter is longer (and can carry more) than the former, there’s no difference between the two in terms of equipment.
Not that that matters, because the Rhino is pretty well equipped as standard. You get dual-zone climate control, wireless smartphone mirroring, heated and ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, proper leather seats, a 360-degree parking camera system, and adaptive cruise control.
The load bed, meanwhile, gets an LED light and eight tie-down hooks, and there are corner steps in the bumpers. All in all, it’s the sort of specification you’d expect to see in a much more expensive pick-up; in fact, to get the same sort of level of kit in some rivals, you’d have to pay around £10,000 more.
You also get a digital instrument binnacle as standard; this isn’t the best – it’s rather crowded, and the BMW-inspired on-screen graphics are a case of style over substance. The 12.3-inch touchscreen isn’t very responsive, either, nor is it very fast.
On the plus side, the menu system is pretty clearly laid out, and the swipe-down shortcut menu can be used to silence all the nagging mandatory driver aids you might wish to.
And the rest of the controls are a doddle to use. There are proper, chunky switches for the climate control and headlights, and big steering wheel buttons too – all of which are easy to use even if you’re wearing gloves.
KGM Musso Rhino running costs
The Musso Rhino’s big selling point is its price, and there’s no doubt that it’s extremely affordable for what it is. For little more than you’d pay for a base-model Ford Ranger, you get a fully-loaded pick-up with serious hauling ability and a dose of very real off-road ability thrown in.
Running costs might be a touch on the high side, though. Surprisingly, the Musso Rhino’s official combined fuel consumption figure of 29.6mpg is actually a touch lower than the 31.3mpg of the old Musso Saracen. Expect that figure to equate to between 20 and 25mpg in the real world, depending on how much you’re carrying.
That means the Musso Rhino will be slightly thirstier than the Mitsubishi L200 and the Isuzu D-Max. And while the Ford Ranger diesel is thirstier still, it also offers a huge amount more power. The Ranger Hybrid, meanwhile, knocks the Musso Rhino out of the park when it comes to fuel consumption, returning a whopping 45mpg on average.
Servicing costs should prove to be roughly on a par with rivals’, and KGM offers a selection of service plans that allow you to spread the cost with monthly payments. And the Musso Rhino needs servicing every year or 12,500 miles, which is an identical schedule to the Ranger.
KGM Musso Rhino reliability
It’s difficult to get a solid idea of the Musso Rhino’s reliability, or indeed that of any KGM model, because they sell in such small numbers that responses to reliability surveys are few and far between. That means it’s hard to gather reliable data (no pun intended).
So what conclusions can we draw? Well, on the plus side, there’s a five-year, 100,000-mile warranty, which is more than you’ll get with some pick-up truck brands. That suggests KGM has a certain level of confidence in its products’ longevity.
However, one reason for caution is that online reviews suggest problems with the company’s customer service. After a succession of recent complaints, KGM has a particularly low score on Trustpilot, with several customers reporting cars that have been off the road long-term, and no replacement vehicle provided.
- There’s no electric or hybrid version of the Musso Rhino, but KGM does sell another pick-up called the Musso EV. Don’t be fooled by the name, though; it’s a completely different kettle of fish to the Musso Rhino – based on a different platform, and with a much lower payload and towing capacity. It is, however, much nicer to drive than the Musso Rhino, so it’s a good alternative if you don’t need a pick-up that’s quite as heavy-duty, and want to go electric.
- One of the advantages of the Musso Rhino being a heavy facelift of the existing Musso, rather than an all-new vehicle, is that most of the current set of truck accessories KGM already makes available for the Musso will fit the Musso Rhino too. So if you already have a Musso that’s fitted with a canopy top, roll bar, or racking system, you should be able to move them over to your new Musso Rhino without issue.
- If you like the look of the Musso Rhino, but aren’t interested in all of its extra features, sit tight. KGM says it’s going to introduce new variants later this year, which will likely replace the existing Musso models, and which will carry lower specifications and lower price points.
- If you want the best load lugger: go for the Musso Rhino+. Yes, it’s pricier, but the Rhino+ has the greatest bed volume and payload, and on both of these fronts it trumps most other double-cab pick-ups.
- If you want the best value: go for the basic Musso Rhino. You have to make do with a lower payload and a smaller bed, true – but if you don’t need the extra space and capacity, the Musso Rhino’s high specification is impressive for the price.
- If you’re choosing a pick-up for the tax breaks: don’t go for a Musso Rhino. Because it’s a double-cab with rear seats, it’s no longer eligible. Instead, choose the standard Musso, which is now available in two-seat form – still as a double-cab, but with the rear seats removed, allowing it to qualify as a commercial vehicle for tax purposes.
- If you want the cheapest version to run: again, you might be better off with the standard Musso. Not only is it available in manual form (something that can’t be said of the Musso Rhino), which improves fuel economy significantly, but even the automatic Musso is a touch more economical than the Musso Rhino.
