Adding to an ever-growing list of new Chinese plug-in hybrid utes coming to Australia, the JAC Hunter PHEV has been revealed at the 2025 Melbourne Motor Show, and will arrive in showrooms in early 2026 with some headline-grabbing power and torque figures.
Based on the JAC T9, which is already on sale in Australia, the Hunter PHEV is the most powerful and economical version of its dual cab 4×4 ute. A combined system output of 385kW and a colossal 1000Nm compares favourably to the 300kW/750Nm GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV and the BYD Shark 6 – which generates a total of 321kW and 650Nm.
An electric-only touring range of 100km is targeted, but battery specs are largely unknown at this stage, although V2L (vehicle-to-load) capability will be part of the equation. Safety-wise, JAC claims that it sells Australia’s safest ute, based on aggregated scores from ANCAP’s four key criteria.
A modern interior with a 10.4-inch portrait infotainment display with phone mirroring and a 10.25-inch digital instrument display sits behind a two-spoke steering wheel, with EV-esque rotary transmission control.
JAC Motors’s Australian importer, LTS Auto, offered the following to say from its managing director, Ahmed Mahmoud:
“We are thrilled to host this Global Premiere for JAC Motors, and we are even more thrilled to confirm that the JAC Hunter will arrive in JAC dealerships across Australia in early 2026.”
JAC says the T9 has been tested and tuned in Australia, however, it hasn’t specifically said if the Hunter version will undergo local testing and tuning as well. Final specs and prices for Australia will be announced closer to its launch.
