DRIVEN: JAC T9 Review – The Ute that JAC Built

By Damien O’Carroll 

“So how does a one-tonne ute from a Chinese truck maker measure up to some of the best-selling new vehicles in New Zealand? Remarkably well, and that’s before you even bring price into it”

The DRIVEN team put the JAC T9 through its paces comparing to the top utes on the NZ market.

The verdict: What kind of person would the JAC T9 suit?

“Anyone who wants a handsome, well-built ute with a close-to-class leading ride and isn’t keen on spending up to $20k more for a mainstream badge on the nose”

Read the full review using the button below:

“It’s been a pretty epic year for Chinese automakers in New Zealand. We’ve had new models from MG, Omoda, Jaecoo, as well as the launch of Leapmotor. Now commercial truckmaker JAC is joining in with its latest ute, the T9.

It’s joining a competitive market, not necessarily in the way of lots of competition, more in that Ford, Toyota and Mitsubishi have dominated for the past decade or so. But it’s coming in hot, with a price that undercuts the big two by a bit more than five grand, and outclassing Mitsubishi in the specification department.

We only get the one T9 variant here, crammed with just about everything available, asking just $49,990 before on-roads. Inside is an array of standard high-spec kit, including faux-leather/electric seats, ambient lighting, a large portrait screen, two wireless charging ports, wireless CarPlay/Auto, a 360 degree camera, and a hot/cold box in the centre console to keep those pies warm or your drinks cold.”