BYD Shark hunter! 2026 JAC T9 Hunter PHEV Australian Edition gives us a taste of what’s in store for the Chinese Ford Ranger PHEV rival
Chinese brand JAC has celebrated the beginning of right-hand production of the 2026 T9 Hunter PHEV with a new Australian Edition special unwrapped at the catchily named Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Motor Show.
A less than subtle hint at the plug-in ute that should go on sale early next year, the JAC T9 Hunter PHEV show car is the first time we’ve see the plug-in hybrid version of the ute in right-hand drive.
The Australian Edition, spotted by CarNewsChina, car gets model-specific 18-inch aero wheels, a redesigned cargo system, overhead rack and a new integrated sport bar.
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The T9 Hunter PHEV show truck keeps the combustion ute’s split-type headlamps, but adds a black grille and blue accented JAC badging.
In China, the T9 Hunter PHEV is offered in both standard and long-wheelbase variants, with the standard version measuring in at 5330mm long, with a 3110mm wheelbase and with a 715kg payload. The XXL version adds another 290mm to the ute’s length, but the payload drops to a less-useful 665kg in exchange for the longer bed.
Under the bonnet, the standard and long-wheelbase version comes with a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine that adds dual-motors and a 31.2kWh lithium-iron phosphate battery that is said to provide an all-electric range of around 100km.
Total power and torque is 385kW and 1000Nm, which allows the electrified ute to tow up to 3500kg.
Switching from left- to right-hand drive has brough some compromise, the RHD’s 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster is dropped for a smaller seven-inch screen, that’s combined with a 10.4-inch infotainment screen, plus an electronic handbrake.
Hinting at a more luxurious version that might be inbound, the Australian Edition gets a four-spoke steering wheel, rotary gear selector and diamond-quilted leather seats.
With prices a long way off from being announced, when the 2026 JAC T9 Hunter PHEV lands in our market it’s thought it will be positioned to rival the BYD Shark 6, Ford Ranger PHEV and GWM Canon Alpha PHEV. That would see the the latest plug-in ute set to at least price match the $71,990 charged for the cheapest Ford Ranger PHEV XLT — a big step up over the $42,662 (plus on-roads) charged for the base T9 turbodiesel.
