Kgm Musso vs Audi Q8

What's the difference?

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 updated Audi Q8 60 TFSIe quattro S line still looks good inside and out. It fits a family comfortably without feeling too big and there’s enough here to satisfy those who like the luxury features. 

It's price tag will hurt it but the improved power outputs and driving range is a big plus and makes the plug-in hybrid powertrain make more sense.

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.

When it comes to style, the Q8 60 TFSIe quattro S line has it in spades. Featuring a design that looks athletic with its long lines and wide stance, you'll always be proud to hop into it.

Red calipers now come standard and they look awesome on the optioned 22-inch alloys. The update sees a redesigned front with new grille and reshaped matrix LED headlights and a 2D badge design.

While SUV coupes aren’t usually my jam, the Q8 manages to tick the 'sexy' box.

The interior is honestly the same and only die-hard fans will notice the new menu screens on the multimedia system. The cabin is a fine example of what a luxury SUV should look like because its polished, well-built and sumptuous but it has the classic Audi edge, so there is still a sporty vibe going on.

The panoramic sunroof adds some airiness to the otherwise dark cabin and the Valcona leather upholstery is liberally splashed about, so most of what you touch feels premium and soft.

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 cabin offers plenty of space for passengers and you never feel like you're jostling for elbow room unless there's three adults across the rear seat. Comfort is high with ergonomic seating up front with plenty of adjustment and functions. The rear seat has long bases and the seat backs can recline.

Individual storage leaves a little to be desired for the class and the glove box shoulders most of the burden up front as the middle console is really just a shallow shelf large enough for a wireless charging pad and keys or a chapstick.

Each row gets a couple of cupholders and drink holders, and the rear map pockets round out back-seat storage.

Because of the PHEV powertrain, the 60 TFSIe quattro S line has the smallest boot capacity in the line-up at 505L but this is still more than enough for a decent road trip or grocery haul.

The wide boot aperture, level loading area and powered tailgate add some convenience, as does the 40/20/40 split fold on the rear seats.

Access for each row is solid with wide door openings, low seat positions and 205mm ground clearance. Although, the doors have to been slammed shut for them to close properly and this annoyed everyone in the family. You can spring for a soft-close door feature for $1500 and, honestly, it would be worth it.

The 10.1-inch touchscreen multimedia system is logically laid out and the graphics look great. It has haptic feedback which my husband didn’t love as it made it hard to select things on a bumpy road. You also get built-in sat nav, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Other than the occasional lag with the CarPlay connecting upon start up, it's all simple enough to use.

Charging options are good with two USB-C ports in each row and the front also gets a wireless charging pad. The big 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster looks great but it can be annoying to find information on it or personalise it.

There are three Q8 grades before you hop into the flagship SQ8 performance model, and the variant on test for this review sits second from the top.

The mid-life refresh sees pricing increased across the entire range and adds over $1700 to the (already steep) $154,284 MSRP price tag.

Compared to its plug-in hybrid rivals, the BMW X5 xDrive50e and Volvo XC90 Recharge Ultra T8, the 60 TFSIe quattro S line slides in as the most expensive.

Our test vehicle has also been fitted with a few extra items like 22-inch alloys, metallic paint and a luxury seat package, which adds ventilation function to the front seats and heated rear outboard seats. It does tack on $9900 to the overall price tag, though.

The 10.1-inch multimedia system remains and while it sits on the smaller end compared to some of its rivals now, it does get an updated layout and apps for 2025.

Other standard equipment includes a panoramic sunroof, matrix LED headlights, heated side mirrors with memory, keyless entry and start, a powered tailgate, heated front seats, electric lumbar support, three-zone climate control, electrically adjustable steering wheel, electric auto cargo cover, and a tyre repair kit.

The technology is the standout with a 17-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, digital radio, as well as built-in satellite navigation, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and colour head-up display.

You also get an Audi Connect plus app which allows remote access for security and assistance services including car finder with remote signal, remote lock and unlock, emergency call, and online roadside assistance.

Does the PHEV Q8 offer good value? Value is relative, the features list is fairly robust but it’s hard to ignore that this PHEV sits $10K above its internal combustion siblings.

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.

The Q8 60 TFSI e is AWD and has a 3.0-litre V6 turbo-petrol plug-in hybrid powertrain for a combined power output of 360kW and 700Nm of torque.

The power output has increased by 20kW with the mid-life refresh and that shaves 0.4 seconds off the 0-100km/h sprint time bringing it down to just 5.0 seconds. So it’s a quick and powerful SUV.

The powertrain is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission which is mostly smooth and the switch between petrol and electric is fairly seamless.

As far as plug-in hybrids go, everything seems to work well here.

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.

The mid-life update sees a larger 25.9kWh lithium-ion battery which improves the electric driving range by 27km, bringing it up to 74km overall. This still falls short of its direct rivals but it’s an improvement for efficiency because it’s now more than enough range if you’re just doing the school runs and some errands around town.

The Q8 60 TFSIe has a Type 2 charging port and like most plug-in hybrids, lacks a CCS enhancement, so you have to make do with AC charging options with this one. On a 7.4kW AC charging system you can go from 0-100 per cent in three hours and 45 minutes but if you’re using just a standard house plug port, it will take a few hours more. It's best to leave it overnight.

Audi throws in three charging cables, including a 240-volt domestic charger but you have to pay extra for a wall-mounted box.

The official combined fuel cycle is a low 1.8L/100km and like all plug-ins the best efficiency will be achieved if you charge it often. After charging almost every day and doing a mix of open road and urban driving, my real-world usage has popped out at 7.7L/100km, which isn’t as good as I was hoping but it’s not terrible. I would expect the efficiency to drop on longer trips.

The Q8 likes to drink the good stuff and Audi recommends a minimum 95 RON unleaded petrol to be used for this grade.

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 Q8's athletic looks are matched by its on-road handling. The power has a hefty kick that’s effortlessly delivered once you’re up to speed. It did have a few confused moments when I had to accelerate quickly from a full stop - the lower gears didn’t immediately engage and I got a proper bunny hop but it was short lived and for the most part the powertrain delivers the goods.

The adaptive air suspension makes for a comfortable ride despite the massive wheels and you can comfortably cruise around town or the highway without much jostling.

Cabin noise is minimal around town but you get a low hum of road noise at higher speeds. Overall, it's still a refined cabin space to spend a lot of time in.

I do miss hearing some of the engine thrums though because even when the battery is depleted, you don’t get a lot of engine feedback. It certainly adds to the refinement but it loses some of the fun.

The higher driving position feels comfortable and visibility is quite good. Steering is responsive and feels sporty with lane changes but its 13.3m turning circle lets it down in car parks.

The 360-degree view camera system is clear and this has multiple parking sensors. In theory parking should be easy but again, until you get used to that bigger turning circle it can feel clumsy in smaller spaces.

The PHEV Q8 variant is unrated with ANCAP as it’s not covered by it’s siblings' five-star rating from 2019, but it does have a lot of standard safety features like eight airbags, including side chest airbags for the front and rear passengers. Surprisingly, it misses out on a front centre airbag though. 

A standout feature is the safe exit assist which will delay your door from opening if it detects a car or cyclist. Always a handy thing when you have a kid like mine who can carelessly throw open their door.

There is also a ‘pre-sense’ feature where the car detects that you’re approaching traffic at lights or a roundabout and it will automatically start slowing down for you, which I quite liked.

Other standard features include adaptive cruise control with stop and go, lane keeping aid, lane departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, forward collision warning, rear cross-traffic alert, driver attention monitoring (sound and visual alerts), 360-degree view camera system, front and rear parking sensors, tyre pressure loss indicator, intelligent seatbelt reminders, first aid kit, hi-vis vests and a collapsible warning triangle.

The autonomous emergency braking (AEB) has car, cyclist and pedestrian detection and is operational up to 85km/h (up to 250km/h for cars).

There are two ISOFIX child seat mounts and three top tether anchor points. The rear seat is wide enough to accommodate three child seats side by side.

The safety systems feel well-calibrated and are not intrusive for daily driving. In a world when cars seem to chime an alert for everything, this is a welcomed plus.

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.

Audi offers the Q8 60 TFSIe with a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty and the battery is covered by an eight-year/160,000km warranty which are all pretty standard terms compared to its rivals.

There is a standard five-year servicing package that costs $3570 and servicing intervals are spaced at every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever occurs first. However, if you purchase the Audi Advantage Package you add a further two years of coverage to the warranty, roadside assistance and servicing, which is pretty good for the class.