What's the difference?
Electrified utes are growing in popularity in Australia and carmakers have been paying attention.
While the BYD Shark 6 plug-in hybrid (PHEV) ute is by far the best-selling as it stands, there hasn’t really been any electric ute to go up against the poorly received LDV eT60, until now.
South Korea’s KGM (formerly known as SsangYong) has just launched the Musso EV, which is a purely electric dual-cab ute. It’s unrelated to the existing, turbo-diesel Musso and is more closely related to the current car-based Actyon and Torres SUVs.
Read along to see how this ute stacks up against its growing set of competitors.
Make no mistake, you are looking at the biggest challenge the all-conquering Tesla Model Y has ever faced in Australia.
It’s the Kia EV5, a mid-size, all-electric SUV the Korean brand thinks will be its best-selling EV by some margin.
Oh, and it’s cheaper than the Tesla, by more than a little bit.
So, is this the electric SUV that might finally put an end to Tesla’s winning run in Australia?
Despite having the Musso name, this electric ute is a completely different beast which is much more lifestyle-oriented than the older and unrelated turbo-diesel Musso workhorse.
There really isnβt much competition out there right now in the electric ute space but this makes a compelling case, especially for those looking in the fleet space. It has an appealing price, adequate range, SUV-like comfort and decent payload capacity.
The size is right, the price is right and the drive is right β three things that make the Kia EV5 a pretty formidable foe, and the kind of vehicle that might finally be able to break through the wall of the temple of Tesla in Australia.
Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with accommodation and meals provided.