JAC T9 2025 Review

While the 2025 JAC T9 Haven presents as a box-fresh player for the current model year, it’s been around for a while in other markets. In fact, carsales first drove this cut-price dual cab in May 2023.

So, it’s been a long gestation period to arrive at a local launch with the manufacturer sighting the desire to attain a five-star ANCAP safety rating as the main culprit.

In that time the dual-cab game has moved forward with the current generation Ford Ranger and Volkswagen Amarok setting car-like standards, while there’s also an electrification push with the likes of the BYD Shark 6, GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV and Ford Ranger PHEV.

However, JAC’s unique selling point (USP) is price. And with traditional brands pushing upwards of $60k for a decent specification, the T9’s entry point of $42,662 (plus ORCs or $45,650 drive away) becomes very attractive. We’re testing the range-topping Haven, which comes in at $45,630 (plus ORCs)

Therefore, the GWM Cannon, LDV T60 and KGM SsangYong Musso are rivals to the JAC T9.

Aside from the attention-grabbing price, JAC offers a competitive seven-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty as well as seven years of included roadside assistance and a service loan-vehicle program.

Servicing intervals (which can be carried out at one of more than 60 dealers in Australia) are every 12 months or 15,000km. Seven years of capped-price servicing is available, with the total cost coming to $3069 across the entire period.

That averages out to $438 per visit, which is expensive against the popular Ford Ranger. Compared like for like, the T9 averages $427 for the first five years opposed to $303 for the Ford.

Design wise, the 2025 JAC T9 Haven has an attractive aesthetic with LED headlights, LED daytime running lights, LED taillights, 18-inch alloy wheels, sports bars, side steps, plastic body cladding and auto-folding side mirrors with puddle lamps. You also won’t mistake it for anything else with oversize JAC badging front and rear.

Inside the Haven gains diamond-stitched synthetic leather trim, heated and electronically operated front seats (six-way driver and four-way passenger), climate control, roof trim, keyless entry and start, privacy glass, 64-colour mood lighting, chilled/heated centre console and an electrochromatic rear-view mirror.

Metallic paint is a $595 option, while there’s an array of accessories to choose from – and they’re all covered by the seven-year warranty, too (if fitted at the time of purchase via an authorised dealer). Highlights include a front light bar ($802), nudge bar ($1284), carpet mats ($158), electronic tray roll top ($4571), electronic brake controller ($876) and a towbar ($1263).

Our test T9 Haven adds a soft tonneau cover for an additional $804 (all quoted prices include fitment). While it’s vastly cheaper than the electronic version, it’s not the work of a minute to put in place.

According to the manufacturer, the 2025 JAC T9 is Australia’s safest dual-cab ute. This is because it scores the highest aggregated score across all four ANCAP protocols and, naturally, gains a five-star rating.

It’s also one of the only dual cabs to attain such a grade under the stricter ANCAP measures introduced in 2024. The T9 Haven gains seven airbags (including the new must-have front-centre airbag) as well as rear ISOFIX points and top-tether anchorages.

Elsewhere the active safety kit is bolstered by autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with cyclist, pedestrian and junction detection, rear AEB, forward and rear collision warning, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, blind sport monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, adaptive cruise control with traffic jam assist, front and rear parking sensors, 360-degree camera, speed limit assist and driver monitoring.

However, while it has the on-paper rating and all the gear, how the systems are calibrated leaves a bit to be desired. The active lane keeping is relatively progressive to be fair. It isn’t overly eager to take control and it won’t raise an alert the moment you take a hand off the wheel.

The speed-sign recognition isn’t so gracious and will readily tell you off for breaking the speed limit. The problem is, it can often present the wrong limit – the most comical being when it registered an 80km/h zone as 10km/h.
Turning off this warning means delving into the infotainment screen to not only find the right menu, but also decipher myriad acronyms, upon which the driver monitor swiftly tells you to pay attention.

It must be noted that incessant audible warnings for the systems required to gain a five-star ANCAP safety rating is an industry-wide issue and not just specific to the JAC T9.

At first glance, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’re in a Ford Ranger considering the 10.4-inch portrait-style infotainment screen. And luckily, like the Blue Oval offering, the 2025 JAC T9 Haven also offers dedicated climate-control buttons separate from the main touch-screen. Perfect.

The digital displays continue with the 7.0-inch instrument cluster, which showcases all the vital information in a logical way via two separate styles. Elsewhere there’s the usual Bluetooth connectivity, USB-A and USB-C ports, DAB+ digital radio and a generic six-speaker audio system.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are present, but both aren’t wireless and require a wired USB-A connection (if anyone still has that type of cable). On the flipside, the wireless charging pad is fan cooled, which is a nice touch.

The four-cylinder turbo-diesel powertrain is a tried and tested formula within the dual-cab segment and the 2025 JAC T9 Haven doesn’t break that mould.

Under the bonnet is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine that produces 120kW and 410Nm. Both figures are down on the class averages, especially when you factor in the V6 and hybrid powertrains available in other dual cabs.

The T9 has four driving modes (Eco, Normal, Sport and Snow). Throttle response is rather lax in both Eco and Normal, which further highlights the initial lag from the Honeywell turbocharger. Switching to Sport perks up responses slightly, but the four-cylinder engine never delivers anything more than adequate performance.

It’s refreshing to see high-quality hardware in terms of the transmission, which has been outsourced to German powerhouse ZF and its venerable eight-speed torque-converter unit. It’s a smooth gearbox, but it sometimes hunts for ratios as it goes in search of torque.

The Chinese marque proclaims a combined average consumption of 7.6L/100km, which stacks up well against its core competition. Plus, with a 76-litre tank, the 2025 JAC T9 Haven has a maximum cruising range of 1070km.

Yet, in our short weekend loan of the T9, we couldn’t match the claim, returning an average of 9.5L/100km. The near 300km test route included city, suburban, highway and light off-road conditions.

Again, the 2025 JAC T9 Haven doesn’t break with dual-cab convention with its ladder-frame chassis and live rear axle with leaf springs. It’s a setup used by most of the ute segment.

How does this underpinning work in practice with the T9 Haven? Well, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. It’s rare to find a ute with compliant ride quality, especially unladen, and the JAC certainly doesn’t challenge the notion with its MacPherson struts up front with the leaf springs out back.

On-road its firm and unsettled with unresolved suspension movements reverberating through the chassis to the cabin on the roughest of surfaces. The damping also struggles to recover through smooth undulations.

With the short loan we didn’t have time to test the T9 with gear in the back or a hitched load. It would be interesting to see if extra weight calms the JAC’s demeanour.

Conversely, due to the inherent stiffness, body control is largely kept in check. Roll is minimal and it feels energetic enough – for a dual-cab ute. Yet, this is all based on finding a smooth bitumen, something that isn’t readily available in Australia.

Elsewhere the steering is relatively quick and responsive, while the brakes are proficient with discs at all four corners.

With the increased lifestyle use of dual cabs, being able to head off sealed surfaces is paramount.

The 2025 JAC T9 Haven doesn’t disappoint and features a Borg Warner part-time four-wheel drive (4WD) system and transfer case. There’s also 4WD low and high range as well as two-wheel drive. A locking rear differential adds to the comprehensive package.

Ground clearance is a little low at 210mm, while the approach and departure angles are 27 and 23 degrees respectively. Initially the T9’s wading depth was rated at 800mm, but that has since been reduced to 650mm. Although that remains significantly better than the GWM Cannon’s 500mm.

We did manage to traverse some mild trails, with the stiff suspension tune proving an issue in terms of composure on dirt roads, too. However, despite the tarmac-focussed Giti tyres (265/60 R18) and less-than-generous ground clearance, the JAC tackled more than we expected.

Given that the JAC T9 underwent a comprehensive engineering and durability program in Australia, we’re keen get it back and conduct a more detailed off-road test.

In one fell swoop the 2025 JAC T9 Haven went from near the top of the class to middling around at or below the segment average in terms of its load-lugging ability.

JAC announced last year that the T9’s braked towing capacity had reduced from 3500kg to 3000kg and its towball weight limit dropped to 300kg from 350kg. Those figures have since been revised again just before launch after further validation and certification testing, resulting in a 3200kg towing capacity and a towball weight of 320kg.

However, it claws back points via payload, which increased from 1000kg to 1045kg. This could matter more to those who intend to use their T9 as a workhorse ute. The tub itself is sizeable, too, measuring 1520mm in length, 1590mm in width and 470mm in height.

It also has the capacity to handle a full-size Aussie pallet between its wheelarches and gains a spray-on liner as well as four tie-down points.

At first glance, the cabin of the 2025 JAC T9 Haven is impressive and leans into the car-esque push dual cabs have been making. The dash design is clean and logical with care taken to accommodate storage areas, too.

Anyone trading in their older Hilux would certainly be impressed by the styling and soft faux leather with diamond stitching and large screen. Ergonomics are decent with a conventional gear selector as well as physical buttons for climate and various setting for the 4WD drivetrain.

Space inside the cabin is generous, too, with appreciable levels of leg and headroom. The back seats are also a highlight with a genuine recline angle to the seatback and soft cushioning, while the amenities are covered off with air vents, USB ports, 220V power outlet, map pockets, door bins and a central arm rest with cup holders. The seat base also flips up for added practicality.

However, there are niggles as we found some issues with the build quality – for example, the ill-fitted glovebox and stitching on the dash. The steering wheel is only adjustable for rake and not reach, meaning some found it hard to get comfortable. Not having dual-zone climate control is a misstep and the mood lighting is somewhat pointless given the 64 hues only emanate from two lights.

It’s frustrating that the phone mirroring isn’t wireless and the Bluetooth connection completely dropped out on a few occasions – although we’ve been informed by JAC that Apple’s iOS 18.3.1 update released in February 2025 solves this. Plus, the driver’s door keyless entry button worked sporadically. At certain angles, the silver trim around the gear selector projects glare straight into your face and wind noise is ever-present at highway speeds

The 2025 JAC T9 Haven is cheap – but it needs to be.

Our recent test of the rebranded GWM Cannon Ultra proves that first impressions can be reversed with a transformed product.

Still, the JAC T9 Haven comes with the headline low price and a robust warranty to add peace of mind. It also totes a one-tonne payload and 4WD gubbins that builds off-road promise.

The JAC T9 is also stocked with mechanical items from reputable brands like Iwis, Gates, Borg Warner, Federal Mogul, Honeywell and ZF. However, for now, it’s a case of being less than the sum of its parts.

2025 JAC T9 Haven at a glance:
Price: $45,630 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol diesel
Output: 120kW/410Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 7.6L/100km
CO2: 202g/km
Safety rating: Five stars (ANCAP 2024)

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