Chinese brand JAC is launching in Australia soon, but it’s focusing on successfully rolling out one vehicle before it looks to expand its range.
Customer deliveries of the turbo-diesel T9 ute will begin in the fourth quarter of 2024 (October to December), with vehicles already in Australia. By mid-August, they’ll be available at dealers for test drive.
The T9 is a cut-price alternative to market leaders like the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux, and will compete with other ‘challenger’ models like the GWM Ute, LDV T60, SsangYong Musso, and potentially an upcoming model from Foton.
JAC Motors Ute vehicles are being distributed by LTS Auto, recently appointed to handle the task in Australia, and will be sold through a network of dealers, currently numbering 52 locations.
But while then distributor BLK Auto in 2022 announced a raft of product plans, including SUVs and electric utes, LTS Auto is being more circumspect.
“We’re always evaluating, there are always ambitions and we’re always evaluating vehicles, but our focus is ute,” LTS Auto deputy managing director Danny Lenartic told CarExpert when asked whether SUVs were on the cards.
“We need to make sure that ute is represented the best way it can be in this market, we need to do a really good job with that.
“Once we’ve done a good job with ute, then of course we’re going to continue to hopefully expand the portfolio, or certainly explore products that we believe might be fit for purpose.”
It did, however, single out one product it’s looking at beyond the diesel T9: a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) version of the ute, which could battle the upcoming BYD Shark and Ford Ranger PHEV.
“PHEV, for example, has to be considered if it’s available,” said Mr Lenartic.
“The PHEV is something that we’re really excited by, but we need to establish our foothold in Australia with the T9 diesel.
“It would be naive for us to just focus on diesel only, particularly with the way the structure of the councils and government departments and fleet companies are going as well.
“So we’ve got to move with the times.”
LTS Auto says it will be able to meet new government emissions regulations at first, but will need to introduce more efficient models subsequently.
“Since [the Australian Government] lightened the targets, it actually falls in our favour because when we were preparing this vehicle we were preparing for the scenario where this may be the case,” said Mr Lenartic.
“And so this is a testament to the way JAC are looking at the Australian market and taking it seriously and crossing their ‘t’s and dotting their ‘i’s.
“[NVES] was always part of the conversation, even before my time, so we’re looking good for 2025 but beyond that we’re definitely going to have to offset and that needs to be through product.”
JAC JS4
LTS Auto’s cautious approach to its Australian rollout contrasts with the initial burst of information out of BLK Auto in 2022.
At the time, BLK Auto confirmed it would launch the turbo-diesel T9 in June 2023, followed by an electric version expected in the second quarter of 2024.
An SUV was set to follow during 2024, with a hybrid ute following by the end of the year.
BLK Auto didn’t specify which of JAC’s various SUVs it intended to bring here.
JAC X8 Plus
LTS Auto now isn’t providing launch timing for any of these models.
It has also said it won’t just bring anything available to it in right-hand drive.
“We’re not just going to pick a car because they have it available, because we know that’s not the best way forward,” said Mr Lenartic.
“We need to make sure that it’s going to meet the needs of Australian consumers who are blessed with a lot of good product.”
JAC T9
JAC has been testing the T9 locally, calibrating everything from its suspension to its driver assistance systems.
Earlier this month, however, it confirmed the T9 wouldn’t offer 3.5-tonne braked towing capacity as it previously touted.
JAC also said the T9 will have a wading depth of 650mm, down from 800mm.
MORE: Everything JAC T9
