JAC T9 2025 review: Haven - Australian first drive

The JAC T9 is the latest value-packed Chinese ute to arrive in Australia, but this time with something of a difference.

That's because the JAC seems content to stay in its lane, with the T9 not promising to take down the Ranger Raptor, or go to work alongside a higher-grade HiLux. It says it is not trying to be the toughest or the towing-est ute in the country.

Instead, it’s aiming for the middle ground, doing just enough of everything, and doing it for less money than most of the competition, to keep most people happy. 

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So, does it live up to that promise? Let’s find out.

Price and features – Does it represent good value for the price? What features does it come with? 8/10

8 / 10

There aren’t eleventy-billion options in the JAC family, with the T9 arriving in just two grades, the top-spec Haven we've tested, and the entry-level Oasis. Both are dual-cab 4X4s, and both are sharply priced, with the Oasis kicking things off at $46,329, drive-away, (in NSW) and our Haven at $49,390, drive-away.

The fact that you can put either of the T9 models on the road at less than $50K is pretty good, right? That puts both well under something like a Ranger XL 4X4, and under the Mitsubishi Triton GLS 4X4.

2025 JAC T9 Haven (image: Dean McCartney)

The equipment list is strong, too. There are 18-inch alloys, LED headlights and DRLs, auto mirrors with puddle lights, and you get the side steps, the sports bar and the sprayed tub liner included.

Inside, there is leather trim, a 10.4-inch central screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 7.0-inch digital dash, heated front seats and some clever power sources, including a home-style plug in the back row.

You also get a whole heap of ute stuff and a stacked safety list, but we’ll come back to all that in a second.

2025 JAC T9 Haven (image: Dean McCartney)

Design – Is there anything interesting about its design? 7/10

7 / 10

Okay, so the T9 doesn’t change the ute game in terms of design, but I reckon it looks pretty sharp. The domed bonnet, the blacked-out grille and the seemingly ubiquitous giant brand lettering all kind of scream tough truck, and the side steps, roof rails and sports bar all help it look the part, too.

There does seem to be two competing approaches to new-ute design at the moment. The first is to borrow from the existing pool of products to create something familiar, though hardly groundbreaking. The other is to rip up the rule book and create something fresh, but potentially polarising.

2025 JAC T9 Haven (image: Dean McCartney)

2025 JAC T9 Haven (image: Dean McCartney)

JAC has gone with the first approach here, with the benefit being nobody is going to be talking negatively how the T9 looks, and the drawback being nobody is going to be talking about it much at all. For mine, I side with no news is good news, and I reckon JAC has made the right call.

Anyway, climb into the JAC T9 Haven and you’ll find a surprisingly premium – in ute terms at least – feeling space, with the leather-wrapped seats and steering wheel, and the hard plastics countered by soft quilted leather-like patches in the door panels and a soft panel in the dash.

The screen looks good, but is old school in its graphics and a bit clunky in its operation, but we're really talking big, bulky ute design here, without anything particularly standout about it.

2025 JAC T9 Haven (image: Dean McCartney)

Practicality – How practical is its space and tech inside? 6/10

6 / 10

Remember I said the T9 isn’t trying to out muscle Australia’s dual-cab big guns? That mostly occurs in the workhorse stuff, with the JAC able to tow 3200kg, rather than the 3.5-tonne norm, but its payload is pegged at a competitive 1045kg, and the brand says you can fit an Aussie pallet in its tray.

Speaking of which, the tray arrives with a tub liner and stretches to 1520mm (length) by 1590mm (width), and there are four tie-down points for cargo.

While we're talking about the back, there’s a solid axle with leaf springs at the rear, and a rear diff lock, too.

2025 JAC T9 Haven (image: Dean McCartney)

2025 JAC T9 Haven (image: Dean McCartney)

There’s 210mm of ground clearance and JAC promises a 650mm wading depth. And if you are venturing off road, expect approach and departure angles of 27 and 23 degrees, respectively.

In terms of the backseat, I had more than enough room to get comfy with my 175cm frame, and there are two USB charge points, and air vents with no temp controls.

But I did struggle a bit with the baby seat. The top-tether point is located in the middle of the cabin, which makes fitting a seat in either window seat tricker than it needs to be. There are ISOFIX connections in the window seats, too.

2025 JAC T9 Haven (image: Dean McCartney)

Under the bonnet – What are the key stats for its engine and transmission? 6/10

6 / 10

The JAC T9 is powered by a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine, producing 120kW and 410Nm, which is fed through an eight-speed automatic and delivered to the tyres in either 2WD, 4WD High or 4WD Low.

And if you’re thinking those numbers don’t sound overly exciting, you’re right.

The turbocharger helps get things moving eventually, but when you first plant your foot in this two-tonne-plus truck, not much of anything happens. And we haven’t towed or carried anything yet.

Efficiency – What is its fuel consumption? What is its driving range? 7/10

7 / 10

JAC is claiming 7.6L/100km for combined fuel consumption, but our figures have been more like 10 litres.

There’s a 76-litre tank under there, which at today’s money means about a $150 to fill up, and using JAC’s figures, a full tank should carry you 1000km.

2025 JAC T9 Haven (image: Dean McCartney)

Driving – What's it like to drive? 6/10

6 / 10

First, a caveat – we didn't put the T9 through its paces off-road, with a full tray, or with a load in tow, so you'll have to consider this a more urban, lifestyle review. We will put it through the tough stuff in time, so watch this space.

In the meantime, I actually found the T9 fairly easy to live, and fairly car-like in the way it goes about its business.

Yes, it's got that unladen jostle and bounce common to most utes, but it's pretty easy to drive, easy to steer and easy to park, helped by the bird's-eye view camera, which makes it simple to see where the ute's edges are in tighter parks.

2025 JAC T9 Haven (image: Dean McCartney)

But there are some downsides. For one, it feels as though the turbo is doing a huge amount of heavy lifting in the T9. Plant your foot, and almost nothing happens for a moment or two, before all the power arrives in a big lump, sometimes setting the tyres squealing if you're going around a corner.

There is turbo lag, but this feels like it is taking a turbo holiday before the power finally turns up, and it does make the overall drive experience a little jarring and unrefined.

Issue number two is the safety squawking, but more on that in a second.

Warranty & Safety Rating

Basic Warranty

7 years/unlimited km warranty

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ANCAP Safety Rating

Safety – What safety equipment is fitted? What is its safety rating? 8/10

8 / 10

JAC calls the T9 the safest ute in Australia – a title it copped from ANCAP last year after scoring 85 per cent in Adult Occupant Protection, 87 per cent in Child Occupant Protection, 87 per cent Vulnerable Road User Protection and 89 per cent for its safety systems.

There are seven airbags, including a centre bag, and all the active safety systems - like front and rear AEB, lane-keep assist, lane departure warning with emergency lane keeping, a driver monitor and speed sign recognition, are on board, too.

2025 JAC T9 Haven (image: Dean McCartney)

But, and this is a big but, the active systems can be an absolute punish. Special mention goes to the the overspeed warning, which will bing and bong at you should you going at 50km/h through a 40km/h school zone. But because it has no idea what time it is, it will kick off whether it's school-zone time or not.

In NSW at least, that makes the T9 accurate for three hours in every 24-hour block. The other 18 hours it's hair-tearingly annoying.

And the driver monitor is laughably highly-strung as well, chirping away every time you take your eyes off the road, sometimes even for a second.

Ownership – What warranty is offered? What are its service intervals? What are its running costs? 8/10

8 / 10

JAC offers a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, with 24/7 roadside assist and the promise of a like-for-like loan vehicle if yours is off the road for a warranty repair.

Servicing is required every 12 months or 15,000km (whichever comes first), and the capped-price servicing program averages out to around $438 per year.

Pricing & Specs Insurance Quote

Verdict

Pricing Guides

$49,384

Price is based on the Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price for the lowest priced JAC T9 UTE 2025 variant.

LOWEST PRICE

$42,662

HIGHEST PRICE

$45,630

See all JAC T9 UTE pricing & specs