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The JAC Hunter is now Australia’s cheapest plug-in hybrid (PHEV) dual-cab 4×4 ute, but does that mean it’s not as good as its rivals?
JAC means business with the Hunter PHEV, which will take on the hot-selling BYD Shark 6, as well as another Chinese competitor in the GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV, and the slower-selling Ford Ranger PHEV.
This is also coming here with an armada of other new-generation car engines, from rivals Chery and Nissan to Mitsubishi as well as possibly – gulp in the Toyota family.
This is in essence the Hunter, an upgrade to existing JAC T9 dual-cab 4×4 ute; but it has chassis revisions as well as its new plug–in hybrid petrol-electric powertrain.
Typical of its rugged exterior, it has a few Ranger-esque touches – such as the front guard panel (for example), and orange-yellow hero paint may be homage to the lifestyle-focused Range Rover Wildtrak.
The top-spec version tested here – leather trim, a large central infotanment touchscreen and enough safety tech to get ANCAP safe rating for five-stars inside.
Initially launched as an integrated tray-equipped pickup, it will also be released to match the Shark in a version of cab/chassis before end of 2026.
There’s also a lot of local chassis tuning, with over 50 different shock absorber calibrations tested during the electrified ute’S Australian development program under former Holden engineer Michael Barber.
Paper paper The Hunter PHEV is big for under $50,000, it’s the cheapest price of any phEV ute sold here; 360kW its most powerful; and matches its competitors with a benchmark 3500kg braked towing capacity to boot.
Furthermore, in addition to its commercial use warranty, it’s covered by the same cover as private buyers – small businesses and rental companies are JAC looking to attract retail and fleet customers.
Can we expect the real world to see it as a ? We drove ‘pre-production version of the Hunter ahead of its imminent release for information about its future.
How much does the JAC Hunter PHEV cost?
The Hunter is currently the cheapest PHEV ute on sale in Australia, where a sub-$50,000 starting price was announced before the order book opened on May 5, and ahead of first customer deliveries in the third quarter of this year.
| Model | Price before on-road costs |
| — | — |
| 2026 JAC Hunter PHEV Oasis pickup | $49,990 (estimated) |
| 2026 JAC Hunter PHEV X pickup | TBC |
The price is not confirmed by JAC Motors Australia but will likely be $49,990 before on-road costs for the cheapest of two available model grades.
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The company has not confirmed details of equipment, but the Oasis will be the first-level variant and the X flagship tested here will bring more goodies for a higher price.
A version of the cab/chassis is also available, due to arrive later this year. Typically it will start around $48,500 before on-roads – although that’s still not confirmed but buyers will have to consider the extra cost of a tray or canopy.
To see how the JAC Hunter PHEV lines up against the competition, check out our
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What is the JAC Hunter PHEV like on the inside?
The cabin in the top-spec prototype we tested is simple, effective and reasonably well-equipped.
Standard dark-charcoal quilted leather seat trim is paired with largely fingerprintless brushed aluminium-look highlights, while the seats and steering wheel have traditional red stitching.
The t9 is familiar territory, but there’s a big improvement for the driver adding telescopic steering adjustment means awkward driving position in the T9 has been thankfully banished.
It is reasonable to fit and finish, and in isolation the Hunter doesn’t feel like a bargain-basement ute. It is only a low-budget, with the hard door trim toppers and slightly flimsy indicator stalks.
Sharp and crisp, the digital instrument cluster is sharp but some icons may be more prominent (e.g. displaying what drive mode was in Hunter’s current state).
The portrait-style 10 is a good news, but that’s the best for me. Our pre-production cars had a 4-inch infotainment touchscreen that was slow to start up and featured outdated welcome graphics, but its real operating graphics were much better (simply showroom versions may be faster and more polished) – so the actual OS looked far better.
There are also some petty jokes, like having to choose drive modes in order on the screen – meaning that painfully you have to start from left and select each for your preferred setting.
While the second row seat bolster is a single-piece bench, while the rear backrest can tilt as one unit and also has’centre armrest with two cupholders’.
The outboard rear seats have a reasonable head, leg and shoulder room; rear passengers also receive two air vents; USB-A, USB–C and 12-volt sockets mounted low under the rear centre console.
It is standard with a tub liner and the tray is almost identical to T9’s, although changes for the next version of an cab/chassis will be less than typical (and probably least) variant.
The new soft-opening tailgate is part of its central locking system, although we tested vehicles did not have the soft tonneau covers that were expected to be fitted to production models.
| Dimensions | JAC Hunter |
| — | — |
| Length | 5330mm |
| Width | 1965mm |
| Height | 1920mm |
| Wheelbase | 3110mm |
| Tub length | 1520mm |
| Tub width | 1590mm |
| Tub height | 470mm |
To see how the JAC Hunter PHEV lines up against the competition, check out our
comparison tool
What’s under the bonnet?
Hunter PHEV A 2-year-old motor is used to power the Hunter PEV. This is a combined system output of 360kW – 10kW more than the new BYD Shark 6 Performance, which was powered by 0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine with two electric motors for 0kW (or less) total.
| Specifications | JAC Hunter PHEV |
| — | — |
| Engine | 2.0L 4cyl turbo-petrol |
| Engine outputs | 120kW/370Nm |
| Electric motor outputs | 130kW/300Nm (front) 150kW/340Nm (rear) |
| System outputs | 360kW/1000Nm (claimed estimate) |
| Battery | 31.2kWh LFP |
| Transmission | 4-speed Hybrid Transmission |
| Drive type | Four-wheel drive (on-demand) |
| Weight | 2512kg |
| 0-100km/h (as tested) | 8.5 seconds |
| Fuel economy (claimed) | 1.6L/100km (NEDC) |
| Electric driving range (claimed) | 100km |
| Combined driving range (claimed) | 1005kg (NEDC) |
| Fuel tank capacity | 77L |
| Fuel requirement | 91-octane standard unleaded |
| CO2 emissions | 38g/km |
| Emissions standard | Euro 6d |
| Braked tow capacity | 3500kg |
| Payload | 915kg |
Peak torque figures for Claimed peak are 370Nm from the petrol engine, 300NM from front electric motor- integrated in four speed DHT hybrid automatic transmission – and to 339Nnm (340N) from rear electrical drive).
There is also 31 s. This is a battery pack of 2kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) that JAC says allows an electric-only driving range of “more than 100km” which, if true, would be close to class-leading. The Shark claims up to 100km and the Cannon Alpha 115km, both of which are also on the NEDC cycle.
According to JAC, the Hunter PHEV offers an overall touring range of 1005km (based on its claimed 1–1-litre fuel tank and electric drivetrain) from its 77-liter fuel tanks. 6L/100km combined fuel consumption figure (NEDC) – 6 L/ 100km).
The electronic four-wheel drive system includes locking front and rear differentials, which are selected via the Off-road mode; while the electrical system provides vehicle-to-load (V2L) functionality that allows you to power electrical devices.
The Hunter also brings a 3500kg braked towing capacity, multi-link rear suspension, and a 915kg payload.
To see how the JAC Hunter PHEV lines up against the competition, check out our
comparison tool
How does the JAC Hunter PHEV drive?
It was first driven outside China by Australian media, which removed the Hunter PHEV from smooth roads and newer infrastructure there; it soon became on the coarse-chip, pothole-ridden roads north of Sydney onto the fine- chip, marijuana-riddled roads that were laid down.
However, in fact, the launch drive route was near a quarry; surrounding roads were damaged by heavy trucks carrying volcanic rock and other materials. This was not a ‘play it safe’ environment for launching.
The biggest improvement over the T9 is the Hunter’s vastly improved driving position.
In this case, where the T9 suffers from an error in steering wheel adjustment – what is a dealbreaker for that person’s problem with being on his own team – the Hunter’S ‘telescopic steering column gets things off to eloquently good start’.
The Hunter is more polished than its T9 sibling on road, with the powertrain switching from petrol to electric operation smoothly and seamlessly (with little vibration) while it’s still very smooth.
There are four powertrain modes – EV Max (electric power), v Priority, Fuel Priorit and Auto – as well as three drive modes Eco, Standard and Sport.
The drive modes change throttle response (steering weight can also be adjusted separately), and the switch between petrol and electric power is smooth with little disruption.
At about 8pm we did several 0-100km/h runs. A test vehicle had 205/60R18 Pirelli all-terrain tyres instead of the standard Giti rubber in the same size, but was fitted with 5 seconds.
When the throttle is sown, there was a slight delay off the line for but when it’s done that Hunter accelerates strongly once they are underway.
Fastest launches came with the Sport drive mode in ‘Fuel Priority’ powertrain setting, but it still didn’t feel like a motor-generating machine that produced 360kW of electricity and claimed 1000Nm (strength) of torque.
In hard-road roads, the Hunter’s suspension remained flat on sharp edges and slightly jiggly overall; in its default setting, however, it is fair to weight for the steering.
This is not the final calibration, however; over 50,000km of local testing including extensive suspension revisions (especially for multi-link rear suspension setup) this is again an exception to this.
This was our short drive on coarse-chip bitumen, which gave us a comfortable ride and solid body control; with’stuffy but light steering supported by responsive yet lightweight steering that we hope will feel more in final production form’.
It had been a good wind noise at 100km/h (though there was little to criticise) the powertrain kept smooth and the cabin – even after being cycled through by heavy-footed journalists did not suffer from squeaks and rattles.
Similarly, we tried the Hunter away from the bitumen; in the ‘Off Road’ mode we locked the front differential. JAC climbed steep, muddy tracks with ease and demonstrated sufficient suspensionarticulation to tackle major drops along the route.
Our short experience is a good test for the final locally tuned production models and may be the step forward JAC’s attempt to establish itself as he has been regarded as an authentic player in the dual-cab ute segment – and perhaps beyond.
| Off-road dimensions | JAC Hunter PHEV |
| — | — |
| Track front and rear | 1570mm |
| Ground clearance | 220mm |
| Approach angle | 28 degrees |
| Departure angle | 30 degrees |
| Ramp breakover angle | TBC |
| Wading depth | 700mm |
To see how the JAC Hunter PHEV lines up against the competition, check out our
comparison tool
What do you get?
Although it has not yet been announced that the Hunter’s official equipment list will be available in Oasis and X grades, JAC Motors Australia said it will offer this service. It will only be available in base Oasis specification, but the cab/chassis due later this year will have been released.
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2026 JAC Hunter PHEV X equipment highlights (provisional):
• 18-inch alloy wheels with 205/60 tyres
• Rear sports bar
• Automatic LED headlights and daytime running lights
• Front and rear fog lights
• 10.4-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• 7.0-inch trip computer display
• Wireless phone charger
• Vehicle-to-load capability
• Adaptive cruise control with traffic jam assist
• Automatic wipers
• Leather-accented interior trim and steering wheel
• Powered driver’s seat adjustment
• Climate control air-conditioning
• Rear air vents
• Rear USB ports
• Off-road side steps
• Spray-in tub liner
• Full-size spare wheel
To see how the JAC Hunter PHEV lines up against the competition, check out our
comparison tool
Is the JAC Hunter PHEV safe?
The Hunter PHEV carries over the five-star ANCAP safety rating achieved by the T9 (pictured below) in 2024.
| Category | JAC Hunter PHEV |
| — | — |
| Adult occupant protection | 85 per cent |
| Child occupant protection | 87 per cent |
| Vulnerable road user protection | 87 per cent |
| Safety assist | 89 per cent |
The Hunter was additionally crash-tested to ensure the safety of its high-voltage electrical systems during a collision.
The rear seat includes two ISOFIX anchors and top-tether mounts for the outboard seats.
Standard safety equipment (provisional) includes:
• Forward collision warning
• Autonomous emergency braking
• Lane-keeping assist
• Emergency lane keeping
• Driver attention monitoring
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Rear collision warning
• Exit warning
• Front parking sensors
• Rear parking sensors
• Surround-view camera
To see how the JAC Hunter PHEV lines up against the competition, check out our
comparison tool
How much does the JAC Hunter PHEV cost to run?
Despite the fact that JAC has confirmed it will provide capped-price servicing and a seven-year, unlimited–kilometre warranty, scheduled service pricing for the Hunter PHEV is yet to be announced.
| Servicing and Warranty | JAC Hunter PHEV |
| — | — |
| Warranty | 7 years, unlimited kilometres |
| Roadside assistance | 7 years |
| Service intervals | 12 months/15,000km |
| Capped-price servicing | Pricing TBC |
| Total capped-price service cost | TBC |
While service costs remain unconfirmed, the diesel-powered T9 currently averages $473 per visit under its capped-price service program.
The standard warranty spans seven years or unlimited kilometres (whichever comes first), includes roadside assistance and is transferable between owners.
The Hunter PHEV warranty is also important for commercial use, providing the same coverage to both private and business buyers – unlike some competitors which provide the latter less aftersales coverage.
To see how the JAC Hunter PHEV lines up against the competition, check out our
comparison tool
childcareman.xyz’s Take on the JAC Hunter PHEV
This is the most important step for the JAC brand in Australia, which has big plans for its first hybrid ute but should you want to own one?
While it may not be as punchy as the BYD Shark 6, it looks like that and feels solid enough to tackle rough terrain – something which was demonstrated during our limited drive.
Despite being the lowest PHEV on sale, it doesn’t feel cheap. Our test car failed to deliver on its headline performance claims, but it delivered a smooth and mature power with an assured on-road performance that was also achieved.
We’re particularly glad that we’re getting a better driving position, and the rest of our cabin showed little evidence about the Hunter’s relatively low price point.
But there are still some sagging edges to iron out, so we’re looking forward to driving the final showroom version in the coming months as it is promised by our first taste of the Hunter PHEV.
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