JAC Reviews

Still don’t reckon diesel is on the chopping block in Australia? Well strap in, because another nail in its coffin has just arrived in the shape of the JAC Hunter PHEV.And with it comes a like-for-like comparison. See, the Hunter shares its underpinnings with the diesel-powered T9 ute, giving the brand’s customers a choice – take the new petrol-electric version, or stick with the cheaper diesel.And having driven both, the people in the latter camp should be able to be counted on one hand. It’s not that the Hunter feels like the best ute in its segment, it’s more that the combination of petrol power and electric propulsion massively improves the drive experience compared to the one with a diesel donk.But more on that in a moment. For now, let’s dig deeper into the details.The Hunter has been JAC’s long-promised volume play, and while we test drove this one in Australia, it’s not actually the ute that will be launching here wearing a sub-$50k price tag later this year.For perspective, the cheapest BYD Shark 6 ute, the Premium, is $57,900, while the Ford Ranger PHEV Stormtrak is currently around $73k drive-away. So the Hunter is sharp.JAC has also commendably joined the localised-ride-and-handling community (like GWM, and Kia and Hyundai before it), recruiting former Holden chassis engineer Michael Barber to fine-tune the Hunter for our conditions.We’re talking more than a nip and tuck here. Barber says he went through 50 damper rebuilds to get the Hunter where he wanted, which was a ute that feels tighter, more responsive to inputs and more confidence inspiring than the JAC products to have come before it.The catch is that, while the work is reportedly done, it hasn’t entirely made its way to the vehicles we’ve tested. Some changes are present (notably a focus on noise, vibration and harshness and the fitment of better acoustic glass), but not all of them. And the brand says the cars that eventually go on sale here will drive very differently to these ones.What we can tell you, though, is a bit more about the powertrain, and how it works. The PHEV system here pairs a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine with twin electric motors (one at each axle) to produce a total 360kW. It doesn’t feel like that much power, to be honest, though the progress is smooth and definitely doesn’t feel underpowered once underway. It is a slow-ish getaway from a standing start, though – we were recording (very unofficial) runs to 100km/h of around 8.5 seconds.Part of the slower-than-expected take-off, I think, is that the different power sources all kick in at different times. The on-screen display suggests the rear motor starts first, which is then joined by the front motor, and then – at around 30km/h – the petrol engine kicks in, adding a noticeable boost in performance. Again, it does not feel underpowered, and the power delivery provides a constant urge when everything is humming along altogether. And it’s infinitely smoother and more predictable than the diesel-powered alternative.The other focus for JAC has been proper work-ready performance. The Hunter will tow 3.5 tonnes no matter the battery state (I think because the software won’t let it fall below 20 per cent charge), combined with a 915kg payload, front and rear diff locks and five pre-programmed off-road modes. Clearly JAC is taking the demands of the Aussie market seriously.On board is a V2L connection, while a 31.2kWh LFP battery (with 45kW DC fast charging) delivers an all-electric driving range of around 100kms, and contributes to the total driving range (so with a full battery and a full tank) of more than 1000kms on the NEDC cycle.Our brief preview test included what I would describe as moderate off-road challenges, including a couple of deep gullies and some pretty steep dirt climbs, and the Hunter did it all easily enough that it felt like it had plenty more to give. Interestingly, it’s also very quiet off-road – I had to check whether the petrol engine was running a couple of times, and it was.On the road, the Hunter feels a marked improvement over the diesel T9, even if it doesn't feel as spritely under foot as some of its plug-in rivals. The transition from electric power to petrol power feels subtle and unobtrusive, and the steering is good for the segment, too – though even on my very brief trip I was desperate to turn off the overzealous driver attention monitor, which loved a happy beep and bong.It also has that kind of jittery ride quality a lot of unladen utes have, but it's impossible to pass judgement on that stuff yet, as we haven't driven the finished product. On price and spec alone, the Hunter looks as though it will draw plenty in for a look. And if Mr Barber can deliver an Aussie masterclass in ride and handling, it should attract plenty more.But for that we'll have to wait and see.

The number of Chinese players in Australia’s 4x4 ute market continues to rise, with BYD, GWM and LDV recently joined by JAC Motors (Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Company Ltd) with its T9 offering.

The 2025 JAC T9 isn't going to tempt you from your Ford Ranger Raptor or Toyota HiLux GR Sport. You know it, and they know it, too.Instead, the T9 is being positioned as a value-packed Chinese 4x4 dual-cab that can do enough of the ute stuff to satisfy most people, and with a price so sharp it might make people wonder if they need to tow a full 3.5 tonnes after all...

White Motors Corporation (WMC) imports JAC trucks, as well as other Chinese vehicles, to Australia and is very serious about the success of the new brand. On staff it has senior executives with extensive experience in the Australian truck industry, usually gained while working with what are now competitors to JAC.WMC has appointed major dealer groups, including AHG, CMC, Adorns and Macquarie, to sell the JAC trucks, and tell us more are at various stages of negotiating agreements.VALUELet’s begin our first local review of Chinese-made JAC trucks in Australia by talking about their prices. Because that’s going to be their big selling point. With recommended retails typically around 15 to 20 per cent lower than those for the current major players in the light commercial field JAC trucks will immediately appeal to those chasing a bargain.We also write about the prices at the start of this news story because the low dollar numbers may help dull some of the upcoming criticisms of the JACs you’re about to read. JAC prices begin at just $36,389 for the entry level J45 4.5-tonne model. On-road costs have to be added but you get a lot of vehicle for under forty grand in a market segment that typically starts in the high forties.JAC is proud of what it says will be exceptionally strong aftersales service in Australia. It also boasts its spare parts pricing will be lower than those for others in the industry. The warranty on JAC trucks is for two years for the complete vehicle, with the driveline being warranted for up to five years. The distance limit on the latter is an impressive 500,000 kilometres.TECHNOLOGYOne reason for the big warranty is that JAC trucks use a Cummins ISF diesel engine. This is a brand new design and uses the latest Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) technology to enable it to meet Euro 5 emission standard.These dedicated truck engines have capacities of 2.8 or 3.8 litres. The former used in the J45, the latter in the J65 and J75 (the numbers represent the GVM of the trucks). Power output is 110 kW in the 2.8 and 105 kW in the 3.8, the apparently odd numbers reflecting the smaller engine is aimed at the car-licence vehicle. Torque tells the full story, with the 2.8 engine producing 360 Nm, and the 3.8 having a very useful 450 Newton metres.The 2.8-litre engine sits in front of a five-speed ZF manual gearbox, the 3.8 gets six forward ratios. An automatic is in the pipeline for the JAC J45 and will help sales with those more used to driving cars than trucks. Standard on all JAC light-duty trucks being imported to Australia are air conditioning, power windows, a radio/CD/mp3 audio system and central locking.The JAC importer says its J65 and J75 models are the only vehicles in its class to have full air brake systems.DRIVINGOur initial test drives were done only in JAC J75s. Our first impression was a serious likeness to an old Isuzu light-duty truck of 10 or so years back. The fit and finish on the Chinese vehicles was quite good, though one of them later developed a squeaking noise from somewhere under the dashboard on the driver’s side. So something wasn’t fastened in correctly.The Cummins ISF 3.8-litre engine is a delight to sit behind and by far the best feature of the trucks. It pulls effortlessly from anywhere over 1000 revs and is willing to use its torque to hold only high gears for long periods. The trucks were loaded to about 80 per cent and we did a fair bit of driving in heavy traffic in the suburbs of Brisbane, as well as in hilly country areas on a roundabout trip south to the Gold Coast.The ZF six-speed gearbox was generally OK, but did tend to bind at times, requiring quite forceful changes on several occasions. Steering was on the vague side and even a highly experienced truck driver I shared vehicles with found it hard to keep on the straight and narrow at times.Despite the compact overall dimensions of the J75 it has a large turning circle that makes manoeuvring in tight spots very difficult at times.Ride comfort isn’t too bad for a light truck, with the suspension coping with most Australian back roads. Tyre and road noise were higher than we liked and would be tiring over extended periods behind the wheel.VERDICTThere’s room for improvement in the JAC light commercials. The local importers are well aware of this and are sending information back to China on a constant basis. If these improvements can be incorporated without any significant increase in prices then light trucks seem assured of success in Australia.RANGEJ45 2.8-litre 4995 kg GVM: from $37,389J65 3.8-litre 6995 kg GVM: from $39,589J75 3.8-litre 7995 kg GVM: from $40,689 J75Price: from $40,689Engine: 3.8L Cummins ISFe5 engine, 105kW/450NmGearbox : six-speed manual