Australia to be first target for JAC T9 Hunter electric ute, coming from China in 2024

Another electric ute from China is set to make its way to Australia in the form of the JAC T9 Hunter, also joined by a diesel variant.

The JAC brand, which had a very brief stint locally about a decade ago, is now managed by Queensland-based bus and chassis builder BLK Auto.

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The plan is to bring a turbo-diesel version of the T9 Hunter to Australia and New Zealand in June 2023, using the BLK Auto dealer network in Queensland, New South Wales, and Auckland.

JAC hopes to expand its dealer network, while also readying the arrival of the electric version of the T9 Hunter in early 2024, which aims to be amongst the first EV utes in the country following the LDV eT60.

While details of the electric version are yet to be set, the diesel version will arrive with a 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder making 125kW and 410Nm, sending drive through an eight-speed auto, while claiming a relatively standard 3500kg towing capacity.

The T90 Hunter is also set to arrive with comforts like heated seats, a 10.4-inch touchscreen, active cruise control, wireless charging, and a surround-view parking camera.

BLK Auto managing director Jason Pecotic has put other Chinese rivals in the sights of the Hunter, saying pricing would be about on par with utes like the GWM Cannon and the LDV T60, which both retail from between $35,000 and $50,000 drive-away. That excludes the 

“Australia’s best-selling vehicles overall are the Toyota HiLux and the Ford Ranger. Pickup trucks are incredibly popular at the moment,” Mr Pecotic said.

“This segment is huge, it’s about 180,000 units per year.”

However, the ute segment has since surpassed that annual tally, as in 2021 there were more than 222,000 utes sold in Australia and so far this year volume has reached more than 211,000 to the end of November.

“But many buyers face a long wait to buy a pickup, so we expect the JAC T9 to be an extremely attractive alternative at a more affordable price point,” Mr Pecotic said.

The trend for Chinese dual-cab uptake in Australia is slow, with both the Cannon and the T60 commanding less than 4.0 per cent of the dual-cab market each, while only four models, HiLux, Ranger, Mitsubishi Triton, and Isuzu D-Max make up any more than a tenth of the market.

“By the end of 2023 we will be importing three models of JAC electric trucks and the two JAC pickup models will significantly add to the product range and help us grow our dealer network by giving our dealers more products to sell,” Mr Pecotic said.