HAVEN & HELL

THE JAC T9 IS THE MOST AFFORDABLE NEW UTE ON THE MARKET AND AFTER TESTING IT WE CAN CLEARLY SEE WHY

- MATT RAUDONIKIS

The suspension is stiff with very little travel or compliance. The JAC T9 is a 4x4 double-cab, body-on-frame ute that comes from Jianghuai Automobile Corporation (JAC). It follows the traditional path of 4x4 utes with a diesel engine, automatic transmission and dual-range part time 4x4.

Starting at $42,662 (+ORC) for the T9 Oasis and stepping up to the $45,630 (+ORC) for the T9 Haven that we have on test here, it represents a step back in time for 4x4 utes, a time of simpler and more working-class utes than the over complicated and expensive offerings elsewhere in the market today.

The Haven is the top-of-the-range T9 ute and as such comes heavily loaded with features including a 10.4-inch touchscreen infotainment system with phone mirroring by cable only, quilted leather-accented power-adjustable and heated front seats, 360° camera, adaptive cruise control and multiple drive modes.

The cabin is comparable in size to a previous generation Mitsubishi Triton, so not as big as a Ranger or Amarok but big enough for kids in the back.

JAC claims you can fit a pallet in the cargo tub while the payload is 1045kg. The GVM is 3100kg and maximum braked towing is 3200kg. The cargo tub has a spray-on bed liner but no power outlets and the four tie-downs are mounted higher than the ideal position, but at least they are in each corner. The sports bar adds nothing.