At that time, the Korean car maker pitched sales with USP of 'no boring until million km'. What made it possible was that the key engine components such as a piston, a short-block, a cylinder head were all assembled with the genuine parts of Mercedes-Benz.

In 1998 when the technical partnership between Ssangyong Motors and Mercedes-Benz expired, Ssangyong Motors was not supplied with the genuine parts from the German car maker but could secure the key parts (a piston, a short-block, a cylinder head) from the German auto parts suppliers for Mercedes-Benz.

This is why the Korean people still tend to first think of Musso and New Korando of Ssangyong Motors when it comes to the durability of a diesel engine.

The cylinder bores of these cars do not deviate from the design tolerance as long as their expendables are managed properly even when their mileage exceeds 500,000 to 700,000 Km, which ensures consistent compression ratio and thus almost the same gas mileage as a brand new car. However, there is a prerequisite for such satisfying durability of the diesel engine: a perfect diesel injection system has to be established. Diesel injection is not simply for running an engine.

It controls engine torque to remain accurate according to RPM, timing fuel injection and preventing the engine from generating unnecessary heat, which helps the diesel engine work at the most optimal state.

Furthermore, it is essential to separate moisture from fuel for a CRDi diesel engine. In reality, because it is not like that all fuel filters in supply to the automobile markets are not superior enough to separate moisture from fuel as much as automakers recommend, it can cause trouble to a diesel injector or a high-pressure pump, which is quite expensive and can break down early.

In contrast, it is safe to say that Musso, New Korando, Rexton 2.9TD, and Musso Sports Pick-Up Truck, which we repair and export, is almost insensitive to fuel. They can run with the kerosene and is not even troubled with used cooking oil as long as pollutants are excluded from it.

Of course, they do not easily break by the fuel that contains moisture. If a car with a CRDi diesel engine should use any of these fuels, however, it will come to a halt immediately, broken. Therefore, it could be sort of an act of gamble to use CRDi diesel engines where the quality of diesel fuel fails to meet the requirements of a car-maker or the infrastructure for auto repair has been properly established. Another problem rests in electricity.

ECU (Electronic Control Unit) controls a CRDi diesel engine and is powered by electricity. When there is a problem involving electrical energy, we need a scanner, which is a very expensive diagnostic instrument, to see and confirm various electronic signals in bare eyes. Without it, it would be almost impossible to scrutinize and repair the engine.

Even if the engine can be repaired, it is so expensive to purchase the parts of a diesel injector or a high-pressure pump, which is driven by electricity, that drivers often give up fixing it and choose to abandon the car.

On the other hands, Musso, New Korando, Rexton 2.9TD, and Musso Sports Pick-Up Truck, which we repair and export, use a diesel engine that is fully mechanical, except for 'glow plug', only one electrical unit necessary in starting the car. The diesel engine of Ssangyong Motors is a simple mechanical engine, indeed.