August 1996	The Musso four wheel drive is made by Ssangyong, a large South Korean conglomerate. Musso 4WD's were being sold through Mercedes Benz and the first examples reached Australian dealers in August 1996 although it has been in production for other markets since 1993. Ssangyong and Mercedes forged close ties in 1991. The Korean built 4x4 was unveiled in 1993, and was shown in Australia at the 1996 Melbourne International Motor Show. The Musso uses Mercedes Benz engines - 3.2L 6-cylinder petrol or 2.9L 5-cylinder diesel. Source
15 December, 1997	Daewoo takes over Ssangyong Motor
21 January 1998	Ssangyong Korando released in Australia
22 January, 1998	SsangYong at the Melbourne Auto Show, shows the brand new released Korando, as well as the Turbo version of the Musso diesel.
27 August, 1998	Daewoo Delivers Mighty Musso!
29 October, 1998	Details
November 1999	The Guinness Book of World Records has just certified as valid, a long fuel economy drive conducted in March of this year. Under strict control conditions drivers John Taylor, Helen Taylor and Frank Hutchinson have travelled from Melbourne to Brisbane on less than one tank of fuel ! Engineering specialist David Blakeway was the official Guinness Book observer monitoring all legal and technical aspects of the exercise leading to certification. Data concerning this world Record is impressive: Total distance travelled: 1,703 km. Total fuel used: 78 ltr out of a total of 80 ltr available. This implies a consumption of 4.58 ltr/100 km or 21.83 km/ltr ! Also, this equates to a total fuel bill of under $49 or $ 2.88/100 km. The vehicle in question was a stock standard Musso 2.9 Turbo Diesel.
November 1999	NSW Fire Brigade is now using Musso in some critical fire fighting and chemical spill operations. In the words of Inspector Thompson: "We needed a really powerful 4WD that could handle serious off-road work. We often need to jump over kerbs and pavements. Speed and stopping power are essential when you attend a crisis situation, and the Musso does it all. I really like the engine, especially when it is nice and warm".
November 1999	Musso gets tested by Ric Williams of Bushdriver Magazine Last but not least, the Musso has been given a thorough workout by Ric Williams, the boss of Bushdriver Magazine. The brief was simple: give it hell and concentrate a year of testing into three weeks. If anything comes loose, let us know. His answer was clear: "This is an outstanding vehicle that did exceptionally well, especially if we consider that it represented an unknown entity to us and temperatures and terrain were truly unforgiving. We thought wow! These cars really handle this well and are robust and comfortable to drive".
January 2000	Daewoo and Pepsi have joined forces in making the Pepsi Taste Challenge a reality in Australia. A fleet of Daewoo Musso, Korando and Matiz will help carry the equipment and 85 crew members that will conduct the event between now and March 2000. It is a tough call to survey some 700,000 consumers in on-site interviews in just a few short months: at peak times this implies some 50,000 face-to-face interviews per week with the public. But this is what the Pepsi Taste Challenge currently running throughout Australia is setting out to do. Full Story
7 May 2001	Musso is renewed. Already well-proven as eminently suitable for the harsh Australian conditions, the Daewoo Musso has recently seen the addition of a few welcome improvements to an already outstanding package. The result certainly offers the best value for money in serious four wheel driving. Starting with the interior, a new and fresh cloth trim replaces its predecessor together with an elegant new dashboard. An effective new cover for the cargo area not only adds to security but also improves the overall aesthetics of the passenger compartment. A new six-speaker Radio and CD player system incorporates touches such as a re-designed control panel and tweeters in the front doors. The exterior features a new grille, new six-spoke alloy wheels in all versions as well as new two-tone paint colour schemes. For the petrol automatic version we find not only a new BTR transmission but also a new MSE Engine Management System, Cruise Control and engine immobiliser. The engines are the well tested units made under license from Mercedes Benz: diesel fans will remember the powerful 2.9 l, 5 Cylinder power plant while the petrol version is the well-known 3.2 l, in-line 6 Cylinder model. As often happens in the Daewoo range, pricing is a pleasant surprise: the manual transmission version is priced at $ 36.990 and the Automatic retails for $ 39,990. Needless to say, the impact of Daewoo's exclusive Free Care system is of paramount importance for all budget-conscious motorists: in the case of the Musso, Daewoo dramatically reduces overall running costs by providing 3 Years or 100,000 km scheduled servicing as well as the usual road-side assistance. Especially in the case of a serious 4WD, the significant reduction in running costs is certainly going to be a welcome feature for an already excellent vehicle.
27 May 2003	SsangYong is Back in Australia
2 March 2004	First Oz look: Ssangyong updates Rexton
19 April 2004	SsangYong reased the "New Rexton" released in Europe Full Story
23 April 2004	Rapson Holdings has signed up 50 SsangYong dealers in Australia
30 April 2004	SsangYong Ramps up in Australia It has been loosely represented here in the past year by some dealers but now moves to the next phase of national distribution, albeit, handled by four different "sub-distributors"' in each state under the umbrella of Kiwi outfit Rapson Holdings which has the local SsangYong franchise. They hit the showrooms this week with the new SsangYong Rexton, the Musso Sports dual cab pick- up, the Chairman luxury limousine (on special order) and soon, the Korando medium 4WD. Mr Burling said he held back the return of SsangYong to coincide with the availability of a new 121kW/340Nm, 2.7-litre, five cylinder, common rail turbo diesel engine, a five speed automatic trans mission and a styling and specification upgrade to Rexton. The new diesel is once again borrowed Benz technology and is available only in higher grade Rexton models with the entry vehicle powered by the older 2.9-litre turbo diesel used in the earlier Musso 4WD and either a four speed auto or five speed manual. This engine is standard in the Musso Sports Pick-up. The third engine option in Rexton is a 161kW, 3.2-litre straight six cylinder _ the same as in Chairman. It will be mated to a five-speed automatic. Korando will use the 2.9-litre turbo diesel. Rexton starts in price at $37,990 for the 2.9 manual. If you want the new DOHC diesel engine it starts at $43,790 rising to $52,990 for the Limited in diesel or 3.2-litre petrol. Rapson Holdings has signed up 50 SsangYong dealers in Australia