The Australian ute market is on the brink of an electric revolution, but the first shots fired aren’t coming from the traditional heavyweights. While Toyota has been grabbing headlines with the confirmation of its first-ever battery-electric HiLux for 2026, a quiet achiever from South Korea has just stolen the march.

The 2026 KGM Musso EV (formerly SsangYong) has officially launched in Australia, hitting showrooms in December 2025. With a starting price of just $60,000 drive-away, a robust 80kWh battery, and specs that embarrass the upcoming HiLux BEV on paper, the Musso EV isn’t just a new option—it’s a wake-up call to the establishment.

For Aussie tradies and fleet buyers waiting for a zero-emissions workhorse, the question is no longer “when will they get here?” but rather, “Why wait for a HiLux when the Musso offers more for less?”

💰 The Price Gap: A $20,000 Reality Check

The most aggressive weapon in the KGM Musso EV’s arsenal is its price tag.

KGM Australia has priced the entry-level 2WD Musso EV at a staggering $60,000 drive-away, with the flagship dual-motor AWD variant topping out at just $64,000 drive-away. To put that in perspective, this undercuts the current electric ute incumbent, the LDV eT60, by nearly $30,000.

In stark contrast, early indications for the Toyota HiLux BEV, due in the first half of 2026, suggest a price point hovering around the $80,000 mark. Toyota has openly stated the HiLux BEV is targeted primarily at fleet and mining buyers, with a price premium reflecting its specialized nature.

For private buyers and small business owners, the math is brutal: The Musso EV offers a verified, factory-built electric ute for the price of a mid-spec diesel Ford Ranger, while the Toyota demands a luxury premium for what is essentially a fleet trial vehicle.

🔋 Range Anxiety? Not in the Korean Corner

The biggest critique of early electric utes has been their underwhelming range. Here, the Musso EV lands a decisive blow.

Powered by a reliable 80.6 kWh Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) Blade battery (sourced from EV giant BYD), the Musso delivers a genuinely usable driving range:

• Musso EV 2WD: 420 km (WLTP)
• Musso EV AWD: 380 km (WLTP)

Compare this to the Toyota HiLux BEV. Confirmed international specifications reveal the HiLux will carry a significantly smaller 59.2 kWh battery, offering a meagre 240 km (WLTP) range. In the real world, laden with tools or towing a trailer, that figure could drop well below 150km, severely limiting the Toyota’s practicality for anything beyond on-site work or short urban hops.

The Musso’s 420km range makes it a viable weekend adventurer and a capable daily driver that doesn’t need to be tethered to a charger every few hours.

🛠️ Power and Capability: The Spec Sheet Showdown

It’s not just about how far you can go, but what you can do. The Musso EV AWD is a powerhouse, featuring a dual-motor setup that produces a combined 266 kW of power and 630 Nm of torque. This allows for brisk acceleration and effortless hauling capability.

The HiLux BEV, by comparison, is expected to output around 144 kW from its dual-motor setup. While torque figures are respectable, the power deficit is glaring.

Towing and Payload:

• KGM Musso EV: 1,800 kg braked towing capacity; ~805–905 kg payload.
• Toyota HiLux BEV: ~1,600 kg braked towing capacity; ~715 kg payload.

While neither vehicle matches the 3.5-tonne towing standard of diesel utes, the Musso EV edges out the HiLux in every critical metric. It can tow more, carry more, and get there faster.

🔌 Charging: The Speed to Get Back to Work

Time is money, especially for commercial vehicles. The Musso EV supports 300 kW DC fast charging, allowing for a 20-80% top-up in just 31 minutes. This future-proof charging speed ensures that as Australia’s infrastructure improves, the Musso will be ready to exploit ultra-fast chargers.

The HiLux’s charging speeds are yet to be fully detailed for the Australian market, but given the smaller battery architecture, it is unlikely to match the peak speeds of the Musso’s modern LFP system.

🛡️ Warranty: The Ultimate Confidence Booster

KGM is backing its electric challenger with an industry-leading assurance package:

• Vehicle Warranty: 7-year / Unlimited Kilometres.
• Battery Warranty: 10-year / Unlimited Kilometres.

This level of support is virtually unheard of in the commercial segment and speaks volumes about KGM’s confidence in the BYD-sourced battery tech. Toyota, while legendary for reliability, typically offers a standard 5-year warranty, and their battery coverage usually caps at 160,000 km.

🇦🇺 Verdict: The New King of the Electric Worksite?

The arrival of the KGM Musso EV is a watershed moment for the Australian ute market. It proves that a capable, reasonably ranged, and well-equipped electric ute doesn’t have to cost six figures.

While the Toyota HiLux badge carries immense weight in Australia, the specs of its upcoming BEV suggest a vehicle compromised by a retrofitted platform and a conservative fleet-first strategy. The Musso EV, conversely, feels like a product designed to sell to actual Australians—offering the range, power, and price to make the electric switch viable today.

For now, the underdog has the upper hand. The KGM Musso EV isn’t just a “cheaper alternative”—on paper, it is arguably the better truck.

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