Ford F150 vs Kgm Musso

What's the difference?

This update to the F-150 is long overdue and while it does a lot to address previous faults, Ford is going to have a hard time winning back the public’s trust on this vehicle.

Given the pre-update car was subject to so many recalls and stop-sales, it’s hard to shake that somewhat tarnished reputation.

In saying that, the F-150 is arguably the pick out of its rivals. It’s bold with lots of nifty features, has acres of space, plenty of towing capabilities and is surprisingly efficient.

Just be prepared for your hip pocket nerve to ache when you see the price tag, especially if you opt for the flagship Platinum trim.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with accommodation and meals provided.

The KGM Musso Advance is a large 4WD ute offering a decent amount of appeal for the price and it makes a lot of sense in XLV form.

It’s generally nice to drive, it’s comfortable and capable for a ute and – as with the Rexton – the Musso is another clear sign that KGM continues to improve its vehicles, albeit incrementally in some cases, in terms of quality and functionality.

The F-150 has a very typical, American pick-up silhouette. It’s boxy, large and long, especially in long-wheelbase guise.

The fundamentals of this pick-up's overall design have carried over but the update has helped to improve the visual appeal, especially at the front. It’s great to see LED headlights now feature as standard across the line-up.

XLT and Lariat trims still feature a lot of chrome highlighting which looks somewhat tacky in 2026.

Thankfully the new Platinum gets blacked-out accents instead, along with a slightly different front fascia which is more contemporary. However, I don’t know if this flagship version of the F-150 necessarily looks like it’s worth more than $160K.

Inside the design is more unified across the line-up. Notably the entry-level XLT finally picks up the larger 12.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system which fits the expansive dashboard better.

A 12.0-inch digital instrument cluster is also standard across the line-up now. Previously the XLT had analogue dials with a small screen sandwiched between.

Although there are a range of high-end and plush touches around the cabin, it’s harder to justify on the higher-end Platinum as there is a sea of black finishes. It would be nice to have some different finishes to create some more contrast.

The Musso is based on its SUV stablemate, the Rexton. It’s a body-on-frame 4WD ute, available only as a dual-cab, and its appearance is inoffensively pleasant.

Styling changes to the Advance include a black grille, black 18-inch alloy wheels, HID headlights (on short and XLV grades), and rear privacy tint.

It also has a black leather-look interior with black leather-look seats.

The Musso’s interior offers plenty of space for the driver and passengers and is neat and well laid out.

Build quality and fit and finish are impressive with a mix of durable plastic and soft-touch surfaces throughout including a leather steering wheel and leather-look seats in the Advance.

The F-150 is an incredibly practical vehicle that has inherent American touches throughout. The most obvious are the front seats which are cushy and comfortable, though they’re very broad, meaning you can slide about on winding roads.

The driver’s seat offers plenty of electric adjustment across the line-up, while the Platinum adds a massage function that not only works on the backrest, but also the seat base. This feels a little weird on the move.

Ahead of the driver is a big and chunky steering wheel that feels substantial in the hand, plus there are large and obvious buttons that are easy to interact with.

This is complimented by the 12.0-inch digital instrument cluster which is clear, high-res and easy to understand. There are a range of different layouts and menus that you’re able to cycle through.

Moving across, the 12.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system is similarly high-res and has a user interface that’s clean and hard to get lost in thanks to the shortcut buttons at the bottom of the screen.

There’s wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard, along with satellite navigation.

When you adjust the front-seat lumbar or turn on the massage function, it takes over the entire touchscreen display. This isn’t ideal if the driver is trying to use the screen at the same time.

Looking around the cabin, it’s great to see so many physical buttons and switches for key functions, like the climate, media and four-wheel-drive controls. So many of these are now getting integrated into the touchscreen.

Like before, the F-150 XLT has a column-mounted gear selector, while the Lariat (and now the Platinum) gets an electronically folding gear selector. When folded, this allows you to fold out the centre console lid to create a desk-like space to work on.

In terms of storage, there is acres of it. Under the centre console is one of the biggest spaces I’ve ever seen in a new vehicle, plus there are two cupholders, large door bins, as well as dual gloveboxes on the passenger side. You’ll definitely find a place for all of your stuff.

The second row of the F-150 is incredibly spacious, even for adults, and regardless of which wheelbase option you choose, it stays the same. This is because the extra wheelbase length is specifically for the tub area.

At 182cm tall, I have oodles of legroom behind my own driving position, though headroom is a little tight in the F-150 Lariat and Platinum due to the panoramic glass sunroof.

You’ll easily fit three people across the rear bench seat, plus the floor is completely flat.

In terms of amenities, there are air vents on the back of the centre console, heated outboard seats (Lariat and Platinum only), a 12V socket, USB outlets, as well as cupholders galore on the centre console, door pockets and fold-down centre armrest.

At the back, the F-150 XLT retains a manual tailgate with a fold-out step ladder and while the Lariat and Platinum still have a power tailgate, they also pick up a new party trick.

There’s a new central section that’s side-hinging, allowing you to more easily access the tub from ground level. It’s a similar set-up to what GWM offers on the Cannon Alpha.

In the SWB, the tub measures 1700mm long, 1650mm wide (1285mm between the arches) and 543mm tall. The LWB gains 300mm of length, bringing the total tub length to 2000mm.

Payload varies depending on the wheelbase length and trim level. It has received a slight bump compared to the pre-update model, however it’s still only between 704kg and 878kg. The smaller Ranger, for example, overlooking the beefy Super Duty, has higher payload figures.

Where the regular Ranger can’t match the F-150 though is with its 4500kg braked towing capacity. This is something that has been addressed with the Ranger Super Duty.

There is the expected array of storage spots (glove box, door pockets etc), cupholders (two to the rear of the auto shifter) and charge points (two USB-C ports and a 12-volt plug point for driver and front passenger).

The seats are comfortable and supportive and, in general, KGM has maximised space in the cabin, yielding plenty of shoulder and legroom for driver and passengers.

The 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system works reasonably well although you do have to cycle through numerous menus and sub-menus to change some settings and I did have to try several times to pair my phone to it, so overall functionality is clunky.

Rear-seat passengers have access to directional air vents, but there are smart-device charge points.

The tub size is as follows: 1600mm long in the XLV (1300mm in the standard Musso), 1570mm wide (1100mm between wheel-arches) and 570mm deep. The tub has a plastic tub liner and four tie-down points.

For a direct comparison of dimensions: the standard Musso is 5095mm long with a 3100mm wheelbase while the XLV is 5405mm with a 3210mm wheelbase; the standard Musso is 1950mm wide and 1870mm high (the XLV is 1885mm). For reference, the Ford Ranger XLT dual-cab ute is 5406mm long (including rear bumper and tow bar receiver) with a 3270mm wheelbase.

The difference in dimensions between a standard Musso and the XLV version also means a difference in off-road angles so approach is 22.8° / 25° (XLV), departure is 23.4° / 20° (XLV) and rampover is 23° / 20° (XLV).

Minimum ground clearance is 215mm in a standard Musso and 220mm in the XLV, so the Musso XLV does stand taller off the ground than its regular stablemate.

Kerb weight is listed as 2090kg for the standard Musso and 2100kg for the XLV. Turning circle is 11.8m for the standard Musso and 12.2m for the XLV.

The KGM Musso is available in three grades - ELX, Advance, and the Ultimate. All three can be optioned up with an XLV Pack, which adds a 300mm longer tub giving you an additional 251L rear tub capacity, along with a 110mm longer wheelbase. XLV also increases maximum torque from 400Nm to 420Nm.

At the time of writing, our test vehicle, the Advance, has drive-away price of $48,700.

Standard features in the Advance include 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system (with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto), 12.3-inch digital LCD instrument cluster, leather-accented heated and ventilated front seats with electric adjustment, 18-inch black alloy wheels, HID headlights, LED daytime running lights, and a suite of driver-assist tech, but more on that in the Safety section below.

Exterior paint choices include Grand White (no extra charge), Amazonian Green (metallic paint), Marble Grey (metallic paint), Pearl White (metallic paint) and Space Black (metallic paint). Metallic paint is available for $700.

Although there are a wide range of other engine options available in the US, including hybrid and V8s, the sole engine available in Australia continues to be a 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol. It produces 298kW and 678Nm which is competitive among its rivals.

This is mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission as standard with drive sent through a four-wheel-drive system The XLT gets a part-time system with a shift-on-the-fly function, whereas the Lariat and Platinum get a full-time system which allows for ‘4A’ functionality on sealed surfaces.

The KGM Musso Advance with the XLV Pack has a 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine – producing 133kW at 4000rpm and 420Nm from at 1600-2600rpm – it gets an extra 20Nm over the shorter version's 400Nm from 1400 to 2800rpm.

It has a six-speed automatic transmission, part-time 4x4 with high and low range, and an auto-locking rear differential.

This is a sluggish combination producing a generally lacklustre performance and the powertrain is not particularly efficient but, having said that, the Aisin auto is a reliable, well-proven transmission and the Musso ultimately does reasonably well with what it has.

The 4WD mechanicals and driver-assist tech actually work better in this package than they do in the Musso’s stablemate, the Rexton.

Ford claims the F-150 consumes an average of 13.4L/100km, according to ADR 81/02 testing. During our testing on regional and rural roads at the launch we recorded between 11-12.5/100km, which is surprisingly good for a ute this big.

There’s a mammoth 136L fuel tank as standard. Using the claimed fuel consumption this means the F-150 can theoretically travel more than 1000km on a tank.

A minimum of 91 RON regular unleaded petrol is required.

Official fuel consumption for the Musso Advance with the XLV treatment is 9.0L/100km.

On this test, I recorded 11L/100km, but on the test I spent a chunk of time in 4WD high and low range.

The Musso has a 75-litre fuel tank, so going by my on test fuel-consumption figures, from a full tank, you could reasonably expect a driving range of about 681km.

But it is worth noting that I didn't have a lot of weight on board during this test – it was just me and the vehicle recovery gear – and you will have a lot more weight on board: your family or your mates, pets, camping gear, surfboards, kayaks, the whole kit and caboodle.

Although the F-150 retains the same 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 engine as the pre-update model, this is no bad thing as it’s a sweet and perky unit with plenty of rolling acceleration.

It gets this large, lumbering pick-up moving with no problems and makes you wonder why you wanted a V8 engine in the first place.

In the Lariat and Platinum some fake engine noise is pumped into the cabin through the speakers. I don’t hate it as it adds an almost V8-like gargle to the note.

Like before there’s a 10-speed automatic transmission which has a lot of ratios to choose from and sometimes can take a beat to kick down if you punch the accelerator harder.

It also feels like the transmission is constantly changing gears when you’re accelerating and as a result it almost sounds like a vehicle equipped with a continuously variable transmission (CVT).

In saying this though, the transmission is just keeping the engine within its torque band so acceleration is punchier.

With this update Ford was required to change the steering rack fitted to the locally converted F-150. Previously it was a Ranger unit and while Ford hasn’t detailed what the new steering rack is, it said it’s an amalgamation of existing Ford parts.

It’s hard to say definitively how different the steering feels from the pre-update model without driving them back to back, however, it does feel just a touch heavier than before. This isn’t bad as the F-150 is a big unit and it makes steering feel more substantial.

While you may be lulled at times into thinking this is just an overgrown Ranger on the open road, if you start driving with more intent and on twisty roads, this is far from a dynamic car. It also fills the lane quite generously, leaving minimal space between the painted lines.

The suspension, especially at the front end, is rather American and feels floaty, taking multiple movements to settle over bumps or undulations.

Thankfully this is where the flagship F-150 Platinum’s adaptive dampers come to save the day. In the Tow/Haul and Sport drive modes, the dampers are stiffened to create a more compliant ride and in reality they do iron out road imperfections better.

I particularly like how the ride in the Sport drive mode feels from behind the wheel, however there’s no way to split out the Sport suspension from the Sport engine calibration. This means you’re always driving around with the revs flared.

I wish there was a custom drive mode where you could pick and choose the engine, transmission and suspension calibrations. This would be a game changer for F-150 Platinum buyers.

In terms of towing, it’s the F-150’s bread and butter. With a 4500kg braked towing capacity, you can tow virtually anything without the pick-up breaking a sweat.

The Tow/Haul drive mode makes it feel even easier, plus having the Pro Trailer back-up assist takes the hard work out of reversing with a trailer.

Around town and even out on the highway, the F-150 is an incredibly quiet and serene car to drive, despite its heft. The transmission usually opts for the highest gear possible and you can barely hear it whirring away under the bonnet.

Surprisingly there’s barely any wind or tyre noise present in the cabin. Ford seems to have done an excellent job at insulating the F-150.

The only note I’ll make is the lack of noise makes you pick up on minor interior creaks and rattles more obviously. This isn’t ideal in a brand-new car.

On-road, the longer-wheelbase Musso is composed and comfortable with well-subdued NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) levels adding to an impressive overall sense of low-key refinement.

The engine and auto work reasonably well together, but as mentioned earlier this is a sluggish unit and it takes some urging to get it going. Pronounced lag from stand-still can be disconcerting, especially when you need plenty of zip to punch you into the traffic flow.

This ute’s suspension – double-wishbone, coil springs and stabiliser bar at the front, multi-link with coil springs at the rear – is firm, mostly controlled, but the Musso becomes jittery on irregular surfaces, such as lumpy back-roads bitumen and mildly corrugated dirt tracks.

One noteworthy annoyance: the Musso does not have adaptive cruise control.

Despite that, the Musso is actually quite reasonable for general driving duties.

As a 4WD, the Musso actually performs pretty well. It is a long wheelbase ute, so you have to drive it with consideration because you have to take into account its shallow off-road angles – approach, departure and ramp over – and it has quite a large overhang of tub behind the rear axle.

It has an auto locking rear diff, which is clunky in operation and I’d prefer a switchable diff-lock, which you could select whenever you want to, but otherwise it's effective in a workman-like kind of fashion.

Steering is not too shabby, it has a nice weight to it in all situations, whether you are on the bitumen or a dirt track. Turning circle on this long-wheelbase ute is 12.2m, but it feels nimble to steer around on the tracks.

The Musso has part-time four-wheel drive and high and low range 4WD gearing. It doesn't have a lot of power and torque in terms of the contemporary dual-cab ute market, but it does fine with what it does have; 420Nm in the XLV Musso gives it that little bit of extra punch over the standard Musso (400Nm) and that torque is available across a decent spread of revs.

If you intend to use your Musso as an off-road adventure vehicle or a weekend holiday machine, then it's handy to know that it's unbraked towing capacity is 750kg and its braked towing capacity is 3500kg and that's on par with the dual-cab ute market.

In terms of tyres, it’s the same story here as with most standard 4WDs – the Musso’s Nexen NPriz RH7 (255/60R18 108H) are not well-suited to anything other than light off-roading. The easy fix? Replace those tyres with some decent all-terrain tyres.

Payload is a listed 880kg (790kg in the standard Advance), GVM is 2980kg and GCM is 6480kg.

The Musso does not have an ANCAP rating because it has not been officially tested.

As standard, the XLV Advance has six airbags, auto emergency braking (AEB), lane departure warning, trailer sway control, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, front/rear parking sensors plus reversing cameras and more.

Adaptive cruise control is not offered on Mussos in Australia, only old school cruise control.

The F-150 is covered by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty which is fairly average now for mainstream brands, however in the world of American pick-ups this is still generous.

There’s also 12 months of complimentary roadside assistance which gets extended every time you service the car when required.

Logbook servicing is required every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first. 

You can purchase a five-year pre-paid service package for $1968, which averages out to just under $400 per service.

This is considerably better than its rivals which typically don’t offer any form of capped-price servicing.

Ford has an expansive dealer network across urban, regional and rural Australia. It currently has around 180 sites.

The MY26 Musso range is covered by a seven-year/unlimited kilometre new-vehicle warranty, and five years of roadside assistance.

A service is required every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever occurs soonest with cost per service either $418 or $522.

Note, KGM considers off-roading as an example of a “severe driving condition” and so your Musso may require more frequent servicing.

KGM Australia has more than 50 dealerships across the country with a decent spread across metro and regional areas. Rextons can be serviced at those dealers or at approved workshops.