2024 JAC T9 diesel ute in Australia this year, EV version due next year

Following an announcement handed down in late 2022, Chinese carmaker JAC Auto has again confirmed its T9 dual-cab ute will reach Australia this year.

The JAC T9 will arrive in diesel form first, launching at the 'affordable' end of the ute market as a rival to models like the GWM Ute, LDV T60 and SsangYong Musso.

An electric version will launch in the first half of 2024, and while details are still to come, buyers will be hoping it's cheaper and more capable than the underwhelming – if at least pioneering – LDV eT60.

Both models will follow JAC's larger commercial electric trucks to market, including the N55 electric truck available right now (thanks to the appointment of dealer groups CMV, WestEnd Group and WestPoint Group), along with the upcoming N75 7.5-tonne truck debuting at this week's Brisbane Truck Show, and the N90 9.0-tonne truck later this year. Again, all three models are battery-electric.

Mike Stevens

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December 6: JAC T9 ute confirmed for Australia

Chinese carmaker JAC Motors has announced it will launch an electric and diesel ute in Australia in the next 18 months.

The four-wheel-drive dual-cab, the JAC T9, will be introduced in June 2023 in diesel guise, with the all-electric version set to follow in the second quarter of 2024.

It will be imported by third-party distributor BLK Auto, with the NSW and Queensland-based company presently trialling JAC’s electric N55 truck. It aims to establish a “comprehensive dealer network” in Australia and New Zealand, including an office in Auckland.

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The firm has the Chinese-manufactured GWM Ute and LDV T60 Max firm in its sights, with both utes priced between $35,000 and $50,000 before on-road costs in Australia.

It is powered by a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine producing 125kW and 410Nm – down on the segment favourites, including the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger, but similar to the GWM Ute, Ssangyong Musso, and soon-to-be-replaced Mitsubishi Triton. It is matched with a ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic transmission.

Under the skin, as reported by Automotive Daily, the JAC T9 features a 3500-kilogram braked towing capacity, a part-time four-wheel-drive system, a rear differential lock and rear disc brakes – rather than drum brakes, as is still common on many dual-cab utes.

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Image: JAC T9 at the 2020 Beijing Auto Show, courtesy Car News China

It measures 5330 millimetres long, 1965mm wide and 1920mm tall, with a 3110mm wheelbase. This is similar to the latest Ford Ranger, which is 40mm longer, 47mm narrower and 36mm shorter, with a 160mm longer wheelbase.

While the electric version has yet to be detailed, it is likely to compete head-to-head with its only rival, the LDV eT60.

Inside, the JAC T9 features a 10.4-inch infotainment system, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a wireless phone charger, heated power-adjustable front seats, and a 360-degree camera system.

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Image: JAC T9 at the 2020 Beijing Auto Show, courtesy Car News China

“Australia’s best-selling vehicles overall are the Toyota HiLux and the Ford Ranger – pickup trucks are incredibly popular at the moment,” said BLK Auto managing director Jason Pecotic.

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

BLK Auto said it expects the JAC T9 to achieve a five-star ANCAP safety rating, with safety features including seven airbags, autonomous emergency braking, lane-keep assist, blind-spot alert, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, and tyre pressure monitoring.

ANCAP’s latest criteria, set to be enforced from January 1, 2023, will expand to assess a vehicle’s ability to avoid a crash with a motorcyclist, child presence detection, and vehicle submergence.

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Image: JAC T9 at the 2020 Beijing Auto Show, courtesy Car News China

It is unknown if the JAC T9 has been engineered to meet the newest criteria, which can also favour a front-centre airbag and junction-turning AEB to achieve the highest points.

Of note, the LDV T60 – including the $90,000 electric version – currently offers no active safety technology, including a potentially life-saving autonomous emergency braking system.

Also unknown is JAC’s warranty period, with the GWM Ute and LDV T60 both covered for seven years – including unlimited-kilometre coverage for the GWM.

“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,” added Pecotic.

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Image: JAC T9 at the 2020 Beijing Auto Show, courtesy Car News China

JAC will become the second Chinese manufacturer to arrive in Australia in 2023, with Chery set to be resurrected in the first half of the year with a new small SUV, the Omoda 5 – after it withdrew from the local market after four years, in 2015, following low sales in the wake of poor safety ratings and an asbestos recall.

While the GWM Ute and LDV T60 Max are proving popular in Australia, several other Chinese-based marques have failed to achieve success in the local market, which is dominated by dual-cab utes.

This includes the JMC Vigus, ZX Grand Tiger and Foton Tunland, while GWM – when it was marketed under its full name, Great Wall Motors – struggled with its predecessor to the Ute, the Steed and V240.