Barber grooms JAC T9 Hunter PHEV ute: Holden hero shapes new BYD Shark 6 rival for Aussie roads
Globetrotting Aussie vehicle engineer Mike Barber has popped up on home soil using his Holden-honed talents to tune the new JAC T9 Hunter plug-in hybrid petrol-electric dual-cab ute for both local and international road conditions.
Barber, who was last reported working on the Australia-bound funky Chinese Nio Firefly, started his career at now defunct Holden before joining the world-renowned automotive engineers Multimatic.
He has worked across multiple global vehicle dynamics programs with his involvement in local development work on the electrified T9 centred around his old stomping ground at Holden’s former proving ground in Victoria.
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Barber’s involvement forms part of JAC’s broader Australian validation program for the plug-in hybrid ute, which is expected to launch locally in 2026 as a rival to electrified dual-cab offerings such as the BYD Shark, the Ford Ranger PHEV, the GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV, the incoming GWM Cannon PHEV and the diesel-electric Chery ute currently codenamed KP31 due around year’s end.
“Australian roads are unique – we have challenging surfaces, long distances, and demanding conditions from urban to Outback,” said Barber. “I want customers to find Hunter easy to drive and confident across all those conditions, straight out of the box.”
The tuning program became a true family affair, with Michael Barber’s son Pierce working alongside his father. Pierce also works at Multimatic, usually based in the UK.
Local tuning has focused on ride, handling and overall durability for Australian conditions, with Barber’s involvement aimed at refining suspension, steering and chassis calibration to better suit local roads and off-road use.
The T9 Hunter is based on JAC’s existing T9 ute platform but introduces a plug-in hybrid powertrain combining a petrol engine with an electric motor and battery.
JAC Motors Australia Technical Director, Hongjian Jiang, said Barber’s expertise complements the comprehensive engineering and validation program JAC has undertaken to develop Hunter for Australian roads and driving conditions.
“Michael brings a level of dynamics expertise that is rare globally and invaluable for the Australian market,” Mr Jiang said. “His work for JAC is primarily focused on optimising Hunter’s driving dynamics for Australia, while also influencing JAC Hunter’s suspension tune for China and international markets outside Australia.”
While full technical specifications have yet to be confirmed, the set-up is expected to offer a mix of electric-only driving for trips under roughly 80km alongside extended range hybrid capability.
Recent spy shots had already confirmed the model is undergoing testing in Australia ahead of its planned launch,.
The T9 Hunter is expected to retain the towing and payload credentials required of a dual-cab ute, while also targeting improved efficiency and lower emissions compared with traditional diesel rivals.
It follows a broader trend of Chinese brands accelerating development of electrified utes for markets like Australia, where demand for dual-cab vehicles remains strong but emissions regulations are tightening.
The use of Holden’s former engineering facilities for local development highlights the continued relevance of Australian ride and handling expertise, echoing other recent examples of global programs drawing on local know-how, including GWM’s permanent residency there manged by another high profile former Hoden engineer, Rob Trubiani.
The JAC T9 Hunter’s Australian launch timing has not been officially confirmed beyond a mid-2026 target. Exopect pricing and specification announcements soon.
