Australia loves its utes.
How much? Well, the best-selling vehicle in the country in 2023 was the Ford Ranger (63,356 sales) followed closely by the Toyota HiLux (61,111 sales) with the Isuzu Ute D-Max in third (31,202 sales). So that’s the top three spots on the sales chart taken out by a style of vehicle that was once considered something of a tradie’s workhorse.
And there are many more to choose from than those three models mentioned above. If you are so inclined you could go for a Mitsubishi Triton, a Mazda BT-50, a Nissan Navara, an LDV T60, a GWM Cannon, Jeep Gladiator, Mahindra Pik-Up, VW Amarok, or SsangYong Musso. And if your budget is chunkier, you could decide on something a little (or a lot) beefier, like a RAM 1500, a Ford F-150 or Chevy Silverado.
And those are just the models available to you now. More are coming, and one of the latest comes from Chinese manufacturer JAC Motors.
In March, the company – represented in here by importer and distributor LTS Auto – arrived with its first Australian-delivered vehicle, the JAC T9 Ute.
Available in two trims – Oasis and Haven – on the face of it, the dual range 4×4 JAC T9 looks like a solid entrant to the market. It looks good (and no matter what anyone says, even a workhorse vehicle has to look good) and its rugged and muscular dual-cab appearance is combined with a mechanical set-up that looks pretty decent too.
Power comes from a two-litre, four-cylinder turbo diesel engine paired with an 8-speed automotive transmission and the T9 produces 125kW and 410Nm. JAC claims it can run at 7.6 litres per 100km (combined cycle). The T9 also features a 3500kg braked towing capacity and a 1000kg payload.
Up front is double wishbone independent with coil spring suspension set-up while at the rear there’s non-independent leaf spring rigid axle suspension.
Inside, a nice set-up includes a 10.4-inch touchscreen infotainment system offering Bluetooth, Apple Carplay/Android Auto connectivity and DAB digital radio. There’s a wireless charger here too and USB charging ports. A host of safety and driver assistance features includes Autonomous Emergency Braking, Lane Departure Warning, Forward Collision Warning, Rear Collision Warning, Speed Limit Assist, Rear Autonomous Emergency Braking, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Traffic Jam Assist, Blind Spot Protection, Adaptive Cruise Control, Driver Monitoring System and Hill Start Assist Control. There are front, centre, rear and curtain airbags too.
“The T9 is the perfect new ute for the Aussie after something they can drive to work through the week, before loading up all their gear for an off-road adventure on the weekend,” said Danny Lenartic, Deputy Managing Director of JAC Motors Australia. “We’ve put this ute through its paces, making sure it can handle our harsh climate and rough conditions and the feedback has been fantastic.
“The diesel T9 is just the beginning of what we have in store, so Aussies should keep their eyes peeled for more news soon.”
The JAC T9 Ute top spec Haven has an MSRP of $45,630 and the base model Oasis has an MSRP of $42,662.
Source: Motor Trader e-Magazine (April 2024)
10 April 2024