JAC T9 set to sell nationally
Richard Bosselman
September 9, 2024
Latest diesel ute from China a new opportunity for Colonial affiliate.
AN affiliate of a motor vehicle group that got Ford started in New Zealand is distributing a China-born rival for the Blue Oval’s market-dominating Ranger.
NZ Automotive Limited, announced today as the representative of the JAC (pronounced ‘Jack’) brand, commercial vehicle specialist starting here with the JAC T9 double cab one tonne diesel utility.
Nz Automotive is a subsidiary of the Colonial Motor Company, which held rights selling Fords from the early 1900s until 1936, when Detroit took over, establishing Ford NZ.
Colonial predominantly has a Ford dealerships though it also has high profile with Mazda.
Nine of the 11 JAC dealerships, six in the North Island and the remainder south of Cook Strait, are NZ Automotive sites.
T9 price and specification are not yet clear. Launch timing is not exact, either, with today’s announcement via a public relations provider saying simply that T9 will launch “in the coming months.”
The T9 is powered a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine and eight-speed automatic gearbox. Peak outputs are 125kW and 410Nm, running through a part-time four-wheel-drive system with a low-range transfer case and locking rear differential.
Australia also takes the T9 and sale is about to kick off there. The model made news there recently for achieving a solid five star crash test result from independent assessor ANCAP, which is also New Zealand’s national crash test auditor for most new vehicles.
The T9 delivers in entry spec, Oasis ,and high-end Haven formats. The release suggests only the latter is coming.
Media reports there say a 10.4-inch infotainment display, LED lighting, single-zone climate control and 18-inch alloy wheels are standard.
T9 has a 1000kg payload, along with a 3500kg braked towing capacity. The JAC T9 uses leaf springs and disc brakes at the rear, along with strut-based independent front suspension with coil springs.
In terms of dimensions, the T9 is longer, taller and wider than a Toyota Hilux, but not as long as a Ford Ranger. The 3110mm wheelbase also sits between the Hilux and Ranger, in terms of length, according to Australia’s drive.com.au website.
JAC NZ’s general manager is Andrew Craw, who in the shared media material said the ute is as “no nonsense as it sounds, and that’s been the exact approach taken to its induction.
“We’ve had the JAC T9 ute four-wheel driving through a range of Kiwi terrain for months already,
including snow, mud, sand, metal, river crossings and more. We even put it through the toughest
test for any new NZ vehicle – a long road trip with Kiwi kids in the back!” Craw said.
JAC established in 1964 and currently employing over 33,000 staff. It sells passenger and commercial vehicles to over 100 countries worldwide.The PR material cites JAC Motors as one of the top commercial vehicle brands in China. It has established partnerships with Volkswagen Group,
Cummins and Huawei. More than 300,000 JAC utes have come from what Craw has described as a “state-of-the-art" factory in China.
The NZ Automotive locations include New Plymouth, Pukekohe, Masterton, Lower Hutt, Kapiti, Timaru, Dunedin, Invercargill and Queenstown and compliment existing two dealerships in Manukau and Christchurch.
