KGM Musso vs JAC Hunter

What's the difference?

KGM (formerly SsangYong) has revised its Musso range for 2026 with some new features and revised styling throughout the Australian line-up, as well as a name-change for this grade: the Advance which used to be the Adventure.

The updated Musso is a dual-cab 4WD ute with high and low-range gearing, an auto-locking rear differential and 3.5-tonne towing capacity, and all for under $50,000.

And with the optional XLV (extra long vehicle/version) pack, which our test vehicle has, it gets a longer wheelbase (110mm extra), a 300mm longer tub and 90kg of extra payload over the standard Musso (880kg rather than 790kg).

So, is the Musso an affordable alternative to the likes of Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger?

While the local motor industry is engaging in much hand wringing and brow furrowing over the rapid influx of new makes and models, experts are busy predicting what may happen in the longer term. What brands will still be here in 10 years? Or even ten months…

It’s a bit of a lottery, really, but in the short term, one thing is for absolute certain: Cars are getting cheaper to buy.

That’s despite a never-before-seen level of technology and sophistication, too, and we’re now seeing full electric vehicles hitting the market at $30,000 or so - a number unheard of just a year or two ago when front-loading an EV’s ownership costs was a given.

But it’s happening in the dual-cab ute world, too. Disruptors like the BYD Shark 6 and the GWM Cannon Alpha have taught us that a turbo-diesel driveline is not necessarily the way forward for all of us. And now there’s this vehicle, the JAC Hunter dual-cab which stretches the concept of fries-with-that across an even tighter budget.

The Hunter is not just an off-road capable dual-cab: It’s also a plug-in hybrid with a sophisticated driveline that offers a claimed 100km of EV-only running from a full battery. But the Hunter is not just a techno statement, it also hits the market at under $50,000.

Interested? So were we.