JAC T9 UTE vs Mercedes-Benz Sprinter

What's the difference?

The budget-priced JAC T9 Haven is a traditional one-tonne turbo-diesel ute with plenty going for it. Sure, there are things that could be improved like any ute, but those issues are more about refinement than major design flaws. And when you consider it has five-star safety and is backed by a generous warranty, capped-price servicing and a 60-strong Australian dealer network, it represents excellent value for tradies on a sub-$50K budget. 

Given the original Sprinter was released in 1995, it’s not surprising the current third-generation model feels like it’s benefitted greatly from decades of continuous refinement. Although the list price difference between our test vehicle and its closest Chinese rival is substantial, the 417 MWB Panel Van is hard to fault in terms of driver comfort, safety and all-round competence. It really is very good.

The T9 rides on a 3110mm wheelbase with 5330mm overall length, 1983mm width (with door mirrors folded) and 1920mm height.

It adheres to a traditional body-on-frame design with double-wishbone coil-spring front suspension, leaf-spring live rear axle, electronic power steering and four-wheel disc brakes.

Off-road credentials include 27 degrees approach and 23 degrees departure angles, 210mm ground clearance and 650mm wading depth.

The Haven's styling has a chunky and purposeful appearance and its spacious interior offers a tasteful blend of tones and textures with chrome and satin chrome highlights, contrasting red stitching and numerous soft-touch surfaces including curved diamond-quilting on the seat facings and door trims.

The 417 MWB Panel Van rides on a 3665mm wheelbase (the shortest of three Sprinter wheelbases) and is almost 6.0 metres long (5932mm), more than 2.0 metres wide (2020mm) and stands almost 2.4 metres tall (2378mm). Its 12.4 metres kerb-to-kerb turning circle is impressively tight for a vehicle of this length.

It rides on simple and rugged MacPherson strut front suspension, with a robust live axle/leaf-spring arrangement under the tail. Steering is via rack and pinion and it has disc brakes all around.

Look beyond the optional silver metallic paint on our example and there’s extensive use of unpainted dark grey plastic on all the external surfaces where hard-working vans are most prone to wear and tear, including the hubcaps, front/rear bumpers, grille, door-handles/mirror shells and along the sides.

Its work-focused exterior styling is nicely integrated, combined with an equally neat and functional interior design that offers a visually-pleasing combination of patterned fabric seat-facings and hard surfaces that blend different shades of grey with splashes of satin chrome and piano black.

We also like the feel and response of mechanical switches (rather than touchscreen prompts) for adjusting settings like cabin temperature, fan speed and media volume.

With its 2055kg kerb weight and 3100kg GVM, our test vehicle offers a sizeable 1045kg payload rating so it’s a genuine one-tonner.

However, it’s only rated to tow up to 3200kg of braked trailer, which is 300kg less than the category benchmark. And with its 5630kg GCM (or how much it can legally carry and tow at the same time), to tow that weight would require a substantial 670kg reduction in payload to avoid exceeding the GCM.

That would also leave only 375kg of payload capacity, which could be used up by a crew of four tradies before you could throw their tools on board. Fact is, most owners would rarely (if ever) need to tow the maximum 3200kg, but should be aware of these GVM/GCM numbers to avoid overloading.

The load tub is protected by a spray-in liner and is 1520mm long, 1590mm wide and 470mm deep, with 1175mm between the wheel arches allowing just enough room for a standard Aussie pallet.

However, the front and rear load-anchorage points are positioned in the upper half of the sidewalls, which is not ideal for securing loads of lower height (anchorage points near floor level are ideal).

Even tall people will find the interior accommodating, given I’m 186cm and have ample space to not only find a comfortable driving position but also sit behind the driver’s seat (set to my position) with plenty of knee clearance.

There’s also generous rear headroom and enough floor space behind the centre console for the centre passenger to sit with their feet together, rather than either side of a transmission hump like numerous rivals. However, like all dual cab utes short of a full-size American pick-up, shoulder room is squeezy for three adults, so a limit of two would be preferable for long trips.

Front of cabin storage includes a large-bottle holder and bin in each front door plus an overhead glasses holder, single glove box and a handy drawer for small items near the driver’s right knee.

The centre console, with its two USB ports, 12-volt socket and wireless phone-charging pad, has a large-bottle and cupholder plus a small box at the rear with an internal air-con cooling vent and a padded lid that doubles as a driver’s centre elbow rest.

Rear passengers get a large-bottle holder and bin in each door plus three storage pockets on each front seat backrest. The centre seat’s backrest also folds down to reveal two cupholders while the centre console offers adjustable air vents, a pair of USB ports and a handy 220V three-pin domestic socket.

The rear seat is split 60/40 and both base cushions can swing up and be stored vertically if more internal load space is required.

Our only criticism is that the rear seatbelt buckles fall into deep recesses in the base cushions when not in use and can be difficult to fish out by hand when you need to buckle-up.

With its 2215kg kerb weight and 4100kg GVM, our test vehicle has a sizeable 1885kg payload rating.

It’s also rated to tow up to 2000kg of braked trailer and with its 6100kg GCM (or how it can legally carry and tow at the same time), that means it can tow its maximum trailer weight while hauling its maximum payload to ensure optimum versatility.

The cargo bay, which offers a cave-like 9.0 cubic metres of load volume and internal lighting front and rear, has internal dimensions of 3316mm length (with bulkhead), 1732mm width and 1719mm height.

So, with 1350mm between the rear wheel-housings, it can comfortably fit two standard 1165mm-square Aussie pallets or up to four 1200 x 800mm Euro pallets, held in place by a choice of 10 floor-mounted load-anchorage points.

The cargo bay is accessed through a single kerbside sliding door with a wide 1260mm opening, or symmetrical rear barn-doors with large handles on each pillar to assist operator access.

The barn-doors also have internal storage bins and open to a full 180-degrees to assist forklift and loading dock access. Thoughtfully, their hinge design also holds the doors firmly open at 180 degrees, to minimise the chance of wind gusts slamming them shut with potential injury to the operator.

There’s also plenty of cabin storage starting with two tiers of bins in each door, with the highest being spacious enough to hold large bottles.

There's also a deep shelf on the passenger side lower dash, a large lidded compartment in the central dash-pad and overhead shelves with lockable storage on the passenger side. Plus, the dash offers a total of eight cup/small-bottle holders.

The base cushion of the two-passenger bench seat is also hinged at the front, which allows it to tilt forward and provide access to a large hidden storage area beneath.

A crew of three can travel in relative comfort (for a commercial van that is) thanks to a central seating position that provides a sturdy hoop-handle for support, sufficient knee clearance from the dash even for tall people, and a reasonably flat and spacious floor area.

The cabin also features the latest next-gen 'MBUX' multimedia system with 10.25-inch touchscreen, which for the first time offers wireless connectivity for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

There’s also digital radio and enhanced functionality including an optional navigation upgrade with seven years of map updates.

Our test vehicle is the 417CDI MWB (Medium Wheelbase) Panel Van with standard roof height, which comes equipped with a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-diesel engine and nine-speed automatic transmission for a list price of $86,018.

Our example is fitted with a couple of factory options, including the 'Cargo Pack' ($2265) which comprises a two-passenger bench seat, solid cabin bulkhead with fixed window and side-entrance assist handle, wooden cargo bay load floor and floor-to-roof wall-trim using 5.0mm-thick wood panelling.

It also has optional 'High-Tech Silver' metallic paint ($2534) which combined with the Cargo Pack raises the total price to $90,817.

In addition to the latest model’s upgraded safety (see Safety) and comfort/convenience (see Design) features, our test vehicle comes standard with 16-inch steel wheels and 235/65 R16C tyres plus a full-size spare, keyless start, steering wheel paddles for manual shifting, multi-function leather steering wheel, three USB-C ports and two 12-volt sockets, side marker lights and heated exterior mirrors.

There’s also daytime running lights, a parking package with reversing camera and front/rear parking sensors, traffic sign assist, tyre pressure monitoring and lots more.

The T9 is equipped with a Euro 5-compliant 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-diesel engine that produces 120kW of power at 3600rpm and 410Nm of torque at 1500-2500rpm.

It’s paired with a ZF-designed eight-speed torque converter automatic with the option of sequential manual-shifting. It also offers different drive modes ('Eco', 'Sport' etc) and the part-time, dual-range 4x4 system features an electronic rear diff-lock.

The (OM654) 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-diesel, which meets Euro 6 emissions standards using AdBlue, produces 125kW of power at 3800rpm with peak torque of 400Nm served between 1700-2400rpm. The nine-speed torque converter automatic offers the choice of sequential manual-shifting using the steering wheel-mounted paddles.

JAC Motors claims official average combined cycle (urban/extra-urban) consumption of 7.6L/100km but the dash readout was showing 9.8 at the completion of our 288km test, which comprised a mix of suburban and highway driving of which about one third was hauling a near-maximum payload.

However, our own numbers calculated from fuel bowser and tripmeter readings came in at a lower 8.3L/100km. So, any vehicle weighing more than two tonnes that can achieve sub-10L/100km in daily driving gets a big tick from us in terms of fuel efficiency.

Therefore, based on our consumption, the JAC T9 should achieve an extensive real-world driving range of around 900km from its 76-litre tank.

The dash display was claiming average combined consumption of 9.5L/100km when we stopped to refuel at the completion of our 281km test, of which about one third of that distance was hauling a heavy payload (see Driving).

Our own figure of 11.7 (based on actual fuel bowser and tripmeter figures) was higher but still reasonable economy for a vehicle in this GVM class in mostly urban use.

So, based on our own figures, you could expect a ‘real world’ driving range of around 800km from its 93-litre tank, which has been enlarged from 71 litres as part of the latest upgrades.

The steering wheel only has height adjustment, which is notable given that most ute rivals have height and reach adjustment. Even so, the driving position offers ample headroom, a good-sized left footrest and, although lacking adjustable lumbar support, a comfortable and supportive seat.

It has good steering feel although we struggled to detect much difference between the various steering modes on offer. Unladen ride quality is firm and a bit jiggly on bumpy roads, but it’s no firmer than a HiLux and acceptable given its one-tonne-plus payload rating.

The engine is reasonably quiet and despite its relatively modest 120kW/410Nm outputs produces good acceleration when unladen, which we suspect is partly a result of its relatively light kerb weight.

However, there's a slight delay in response when using full throttle from standing starts, which feels like turbo lag. However, the response is fine when applying the accelerator with less aggression, so some refinement in this area would be beneficial.

Selecting the Sport mode in the smooth-shifting eight-speed (ZF-sourced) automatic alters the shift calibrations to provide the most eager response. It also displays helpful ‘intelligence’ by automatically downshifting to assist with engine-braking when the driver applies the brakes on descents.

To test its GVM rating we forklifted 890kg into the load tub, which with driver equalled a payload of 980kg that was just under its 1045kg limit. The rear leaf-springs compressed about 60mm yet there was still about 60mm of static bump-stop clearance remaining, which was ample to ensure no bottoming-out on our test route.

It competently hauled this payload around town and proved equally comfortable at highway speeds, where the engine required just under 2000rpm to maintain 110km/h which was right in the middle of its peak torque band.

The adaptive cruise control, which only adjusts in 5.0km/h increments, maintained the set speeds with discipline. However, on some uphill gradients (in cruise control mode) the transmission would rapidly shift between the sixth and seventh gears numerous times before deciding which was the correct ratio.

Even so, it made light work of our 13 per cent gradient, 2.0km-long set climb at 60km/h, decisively downshifting to fourth gear and 2500rpm to easily haul this load to the summit.

We were also genuinely surprised by its powerful engine-braking on the way down. In a manually-selected second gear, it never exceeded the posted 60km/h limit on overrun, with almost one tonne of payload to restrain and no use of the brake pedal. 

It was the strongest engine-braking we’ve experienced from a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel on this descent (in either ute or van) which would be most useful when hauling heavy loads, particularly in hilly terrain.

Our only major gripe is the overly sensitive driver attention monitor located at the base of the driver’s windscreen pillar, which ensures you’re directly in the firing line for constant prompts to ‘please focus on driving’ even though you are doing just that.

Such technology, with constant nagging from audible and visual warnings designed to save us from ourselves, is well intentioned. However, if its questionable judgement of what represents driver inattention is so annoying that it becomes distracting, then it defeats the whole purpose.

Large handles on the doors and overhead shelves assist climbing aboard and there’s enough adjustment in the well-bolstered seat and leather-rimmed steering wheel to find a comfortable position.

Driver views from all angles are excellent thanks to well-designed mirrors along with cameras supported by active aids like blind-spot monitoring etc.

The cabin, with its high roof relative to seat height, has a spacious and airy feel and all controls are reasonably intuitive and easy to reach.

Unladen ride quality is surprisingly supple for a vehicle with a 6.0-tonne-plus GCM rating, combined with excellent steering feel that strikes a fine balance between minimal turning effort at low speeds (for loading etc) and firm handling response at higher speeds.

The drivetrain is also energetic, pulling strongly and cleanly from 1000rpm even though its maximum torque is tapped higher in the 1700-2400rpm zone. The automatic transmission has admirable refinement, with near-seamless shifting between its nine ratios.

The Sprinter is also impressively quiet at speeds up to 80km/h. Tyre and wind noise (the latter mainly around the large door mirrors) naturally increase at highway speeds, but remain far from intrusive. And with the engine requiring less than 2000rpm to maintain 110km/h, it’s well-suited to highway work.

To test its load-carrying ability, we forklifted 1.3 tonnes into the cargo bay which with driver equalled a payload of 1.4 tonnes. That's still almost half a tonne less than its limit.

Not surprisingly, it handled this load with ease, as handling and braking were largely unaffected and the ride quality became smoother thanks to such a big increase in sprung weight. Even so, the rear springs only compressed about 30mm.

It easily conquered our 13 per cent gradient, 2.0km-long set climb at 60km/h with this load onboard, as the auto downshifted to fourth gear to tap maximum torque when hauling this load to the summit.

Engine-braking on the way down, in a manually-selected second gear, wasn’t as robust but not unexpected given a 2.0-litre engine trying to restrain 1.4 tonnes of payload on a steep descent. Even so, the quartet of disc brakes efficiently kept speeds in check.

Overall, it was an impressive performance. However, we did note that the speed sign recognition function was not working for the duration of our test. And some welcome enhancements would be a driver’s left footrest and a fold-down inboard armrest for the driver’s seat, as fitted to its smaller Vito sibling.

ANCAP ratings do not apply to Heavy Commercial vehicles. Even so, in addition to the Sprinter’s existing long menu of passive and active safety features, the latest range adds significant enhancements as standard equipment including thorax-protecting airbags for driver and passenger, lane-keeping assist, traffic sign assist, rain-sensing wipers, tyre pressure monitoring and a parking package with reversing camera and front/rear sensors.

Also new is ‘Moving Off Information Assist’ which utilises a camera mounted in the grille plus six ultrasonic sensors to monitor an area 3.7 metres in front of the steered direction of the vehicle and 0.5 metres to the side.

This automatically activates at start-up and remains active up to 10km/h. So, if a road user is detected in the monitored area, the driver is alerted by audible and visual signals.

The latest range also introduces ‘Sideguard Assist’ which provides extended detection in the blind-spot on the passenger side. It activates when the vehicle is stationary and at low speeds, providing an extra set of eyes during parking, low-speed manoeuvring and traffic congestion.

The T9 is covered by a seven-year/unlimited km warranty plus seven years' roadside assist.

Scheduled servicing is every 12 months/15,000km, whichever occurs first. Capped-price servicing, which applies to the first seven scheduled services up to seven years/105,000km, totals $3069 or an affordable average of $438 per service.

Warranty is five years/250,000km whichever occurs first and includes a roadside assist support package.

Scheduled servicing is every 12 months/40,000km. Pay-as-you-go capped-pricing for the first five scheduled services totals $5905, or a pricey average of $1181 per year. Service plans are also available.