Chinese brand JAC Motors has conducted the global-premier of an Australia-bound powerful plug in dual-cab 4X4 Ute at the Melbourne Motor Show, alongside a teaser of its fully electric version.
The new Hunter PHEV was revealed at the show, and like the already popular BYD Shark 6, has up to 100 km of fully electric range, thanks to its lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery pack. The size of the battery has yet to be revealed, but given its stated range is likely to be similar to BYD’s 30 kWh.
It also features vehicle-to-load (V2L) which helps with powering equipment or other devices when needed.
There is also a 2.0-litre turbo-charged petrol engine that can charge the batteries at low states of charge or power the vehicle. This delivers a combined power output of 385 kW and 1,000 Nm of torque.
On the inside, there are multiple screens for infotainment and to display key driving information. For those looking at using Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, it’ll be available on the main infotainment screen.
Safety and convenience features in the ute include enhanced autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go functionality, and a 360-degree camera system.
JAC Hunter will arrive at the brand’s local dealers in the first quarter of 2026 with local pricing and specification announced closer to then.
JAC is a Chinese truck manufacturer with over 60 years of history in making commercial vehicles. In Australia, it launched last year with its local importer, LTS Auto.
Ahmed Mahmoud, MD of JAC Motors local importer, LTS Auto, said: “The global premiere of the JAC Hunter marks a pivotal moment in JAC Motors’ 61-year history of innovation,”.
JAC T9 EV
The brand also teased its forthcoming fully electric ute, the T9 EV. A full-sized 4×4 ute with sidesteps and a reasonably sized tray were displayed at the motor show.
Not much was revealed about this ute aside from what’s been seen in international markets of it being equipped with an 88 kWh battery pack, delivering over 300 km of range.
If it does arrive in Australia, it’ll likely be competing with the LDV e-terron 9 which is expected to arrive in the first half of 2025.
Riz is the founder of carloop based in Melbourne, specialising in Australian EV data, insight reports and trends. He is a mechanical engineer who spent the first 7 years of his career building transport infrastructure before starting carloop. He has a passion for cars, particularly EVs and wants to help reduce transport emissions in Australia. He currently drives a red Tesla Model 3.