Jaecoo J7 vs JAC T9 UTE

What's the difference?

The Jaecoo J7 SHS Track enters the medium SUV segment with a sharp drive-away price and generous equipment list. The ongoing ownership benefits add strong value but the on-road driving experience needs some finessing and the cabin doesn't quite hit every mark for practicality. Although it's ‘on track’ to make waves in this corner of the market, it hasn't yet carved out an iron-clad niche for itself. It's worth a look but it's not class-leading.

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. 

The J7 is, in essence, a scaled-up version of its smaller sibling, the J5 - a car my family affectionately dubbed the “Temu Range Rover” during our week with it. The resemblance remains.

The squared-off proportions, upright grille and slim lighting signatures lean heavily into that premium off-roader aesthetic, and there’s no doubt the look will appeal to buyers chasing presence without the associated price tag.

Compared to the J5, the J7 carries a touch more personality. 

There’s a small racing-flag accent panel along the flanks, flush-fitting door handles and a set of 19-inch aerodynamic alloy wheels that add some visual flair.

Inside, the cabin is cleanly executed with its pared-back styling and the 13.2-inch central display dominates the dashboard. This makes it the visual anchor of the interior as physical buttons are minimal and most functions are accessed via the media screen. That screen-led design will divide opinion, but it does create a modern aesthetic.

The synthetic leather upholstery feels convincingly premium, and the materials do enough to lift the ambience beyond what you might expect at this price point.

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.

Up front, the J7 Track delivers where it matters. The electric front seats offer heating and ventilation functions and feel supportive over longer drives. There’s enough width and shoulder room to avoid feeling hemmed in.

Access is good with wide door apertures and an easy step-in, step-out height from both rows. In the rear, the available space is generous, and the thick seat padding and supportive backrests will make longer journeys quite comfortable. The flat floor also means the middle seat isn’t automatically the punishment position for an adult.

Storage has been thoughtfully considered. Up front, the large centre console shelves make it easy to keep clutter contained, while the dual-opening middle console is deep enough to swallow a small handbag. There’s also a small side pocket beside the driver that’s ideal for keys or a garage remote.

Rear passengers will enjoy four device pockets, as well as a couple of map pockets. There are two cupholders and drink bottle holders in each row, as well as good-sized bins in each door.

With all rows in use, the boot has up to 500L of capacity, and the flat loading floor makes it easy to slide larger items in and out. Overall, it’s a usable and practical space for gear storage but you'll notice the lack of a powered tailgate as there isn't a dedicated handhold on the outside of the lid to easily open the boot.

There's also no charging ports or power outlets in the boot, which feels unusual for a plug-in hybrid. You have to make do with a tyre repair kit rather than a spare wheel but that's not unusual in this corner of the market.

The individual charging options are functional with a single USB-A and C port offered in each row and a 12-volt socket up front but you miss out on a wireless charging pad in this grade. The multimedia touchscreen is responsive and the layout is fairly intuitive to use. However, the lack of physical controls for simple adjustments like side mirror positioning or climate control can become frustrating. Some functions are just better served by buttons.

The wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto operate smoothly and the CarPlay has maintained a steady connection this week. The built-in sat nav is also easy enough to use.

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.

The T9 range is only available in 4x4 dual cab specification with a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-diesel engine, eight-speed automatic transmission and part-time, dual-range 4x4.

It’s offered in two model grades, comprising the entry-level Oasis for a list price of $42,662 and the top-shelf Haven (as per our test vehicle) for $45,630, which is competitive with Chinese turbo-diesel rivals. Our example is finished in ‘Karak’ black metallic paint, which is an extra cost option ($595).

The T9 Haven offers compelling value when you consider how much standard equipment is included for well under $50K.

Like the Oasis, the Haven comes standard with 18-inch alloy wheels and 265/60R18 tyres with a full-size steel spare, tubular ‘iron’ side-steps, black metal sports bar, LED lighting with DRLs, electronic parking brake with auto-hold, heated door mirrors, leather-accented interior trim and steering wheel, power-adjustable driver’s seat, climate control, wireless phone-charging, colour 7.0-inch driver’s instrument cluster and six-speaker audio with a 10.4-inch multimedia touchscreen and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity.

The Haven adds decorative (non-load carrying) roof rails, privacy glass, ‘welcome’ puddle lamps, a 360-degree camera, front/rear parking sensors, auto-folding chrome door mirrors, heated front seats, choice of black or brown leather-accented interior, an auto-dimming rear view mirror, power-adjustable front passenger seat, rear 220V accessory socket and more. JAC also offers a range of genuine accessories.

Both plug-in hybrid grades of the J7 share the same powertrain, pairing a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine with a single electric motor. Combined outputs sit at a healthy 255kW and 525Nm which is the same as its Chery cousin and makes it more powerful than its MG rival but the GWM Haval H6 GT has bigger outputs.

However, once the EV battery is depleted and the system leans more heavily on the petrol engine, the outputs drop significantly to 105kW and 215Nm. This shifts the J7 from feeling spritely to serviceable on the open road.

Power is sent exclusively to the front wheels, and towing capacity is rated at 750kg unbraked. That’s enough for a small box trailer but it won’t be hauling any serious weekend toys.

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 J7 Track has a Type 2 CCS charging port and accepts up to 6.6kW on AC power and up to 40kW on fast DC power. On that type of DC charger you can go from 30 - 80 per cent in as little as 20 minutes which is great for when you’re on the go. You can shop and charge without much fuss.

The 18.3kWh lithium-iron phosphate battery supports an electric-only driving range of up 90km (WLTP). That sits below its Haval and MG rivals with their respective WLTP ranges of 153km and 120km. Overall though, the J7 has a theoretical driving range over around 1200km, which is great. Of course, you will only see that type of range if you regularly charge it.

Jaecoo claims a combined fuel cycle usage (urban/extra-urban) of 1.0L/100km but my real-world usage has come out at 5.0L/100km even after regularly charging it. However, it's worth noting that I do a lot of longer, highway driving which is where plug-in hybrids are typically less efficient.

Jaecoo recommends a minimum 91 RON unleaded petrol to be used for the J7.

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.

This is where the J7 Track feels less resolved. It's not fundamentally flawed by any means but it's not as polished as it could be.

With a charged battery, acceleration is strong and immediate, and there’s enough punch for hills and confident overtaking. Even when the battery is running low, the drop in output doesn’t feel as dramatic in real-world conditions as the standalone engine figures might suggest. You won't win any drag races but it remains competent. It just loses some of the initial punch when accelerating.

Steering is light, which makes urban manoeuvring easy, and the suspension leans toward the softer side. Around town, that translates to a comfortable and compliant ride. Push it harder through bends, though, and the body control starts to feel a little loose.

Highway refinement is another area where there’s room for improvement. Road noise becomes noticeably more present at open-road speeds, although it remains quiet around town.

Visibility out the front and sides is good, and the driving position gives you a fairly commanding view of the road. I don’t feel like there are any large blind spots from my driving position.

There are three levels of regenerative braking, and running it in the strongest setting does a good job of harvesting energy. However, even on the lowest setting, the braking response feels abrupt. At low speeds when the system tends to remain in EV mode, the transition can feel lurchy.

The 360-degree camera system is clear and outside of the heavy-handed regen braking, the J7 is straightforward to park. Just be prepared for passengers, especially opinionated children, to comment on the body movement.

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.

The T9 comes with a five-star ANCAP rating (awarded in 2024) and JAC claims it's "Australia’s safest ute" based on its unmatched aggregate scores across all four ANCAP testing protocols.

So, that means benchmark features including multiple airbags, AEB (including autonomous emergency braking when reversing), lane-keeping, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, tyre pressure monitoring, speed sign recognition, adaptive cruise control, trailer mode and lots more.

Junior tradies get ISOFIX child-restraint anchorages on the two outer rear seating positions plus three top tethers across the second row.

The Chinese lucky number '8' is heavily featured in the ownership as the J7 is offered with an eight-year/unlimited km warranty, eight years of battery cover and roadside assistance, plus eight years of capped-price servicing where services average just $422 per visit. That's an impressive suite of terms for the class.

Servicing is well-spaced at every 12 months or 15,000 kilometres and for now the service network is still fairly small, with around 50 centres nationwide.

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.