China’s JAC will soon become the fourth car brand to enter Australia’s fledgling plug-in hybrid (PHEV) ute segment, and now the company has produced figures confirming it will beat the best-selling BYD Shark 6 on paper.
The JAC HunterDue to go on sale here mid-year, it will offer combined fuel consumption of 1.6L/100km and a combined driving range of 1005km, both figures based on the milder NEDC cycle.
That’s better than the best-selling Shark 6, which consumes 2.0L/100km when the battery is between 25 and 100 percent charged and has a total range of 800km.
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JAC previously confirmed that the Hunter will feature a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine combined with two electric motors and a 32kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery.
This results in total system performance of 385 kW and 1000 Nm, with “at least” 100 km of electric range in an unspecified test cycle. The battery also features Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) functionality, allowing the Hunter to be used to power small electrical devices.
The company says it will announce more specifications soon and will also open deposits soon.
“We are bringing the right vehicle to market at the right time, and it will be at the right price,” JAC Motors Australia managing director Ahmed Mahmoud said in a press release today, declining to confirm exactly what that price will be.
The Shark 6 is priced from $57,900 (excluding on-road costs), while the two-variant GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV range starts from $61,490 (on-the-road) and the four-strong Ford Ranger PHEV family starts at $71,990 (plus ORCs).
Chery will enter Australia’s dual-cab PHEV fray with an unnamed diesel-powered ute based on the KP31 concept in the fourth quarter of 2026, followed by a petrol-powered PHEV powertrain in 2027.
“The Hunter PHEV launches in Australia mid-this year and we believe it will capture the attention of Australians looking to switch to a plug-in hybrid without compromising on the performance, practicality and robustness they expect from a small car.”
At an event in Sydney today, JAC unveiled the Hunter in standard form as well as an example tailored for brand ambassador and NRL star Josh Addo-Carr.
The Parramatta Eels player’s bespoke Hunter features a custom paint job by Smith Concepts in Brookvale, along with Lenso tyres, lifting kit, hard load cover, additional lighting and other JAC original accessories.
It will be on display at the Melbourne Motor Show from April 10-12.
In February, JAC confirmed the Hunter had completed its testing program at Lang Lang Proving Ground (formerly Holden Proving Ground) in Victoria, after engaging Melbourne-based Segula Technologies Australia to demonstrate the suitability of its PHEV powertrain for local conditions and customers.
This month the company confirmed it had appointed Multimatic and its vehicle dynamics technical director, former Holden chassis engineer Michael Barber, to develop a localized ride and handling package for the Hunter, also at Lang Lang.
It’s unclear how extensive the changes to Hunter will be, as the local launch is just a few months away.
The Hunter will sit alongside its diesel-powered T9 dual-cab, all-wheel-drive counterpart in Australian showrooms.
The T9 introduced the JAC brand to Australia early last year. As of the end of February, JAC has delivered 221 T9s this year, putting it just behind the KGM Musso (237) in the ute sales race and further behind the MG U9 (416), LDV Terron 9 (271) and LDV T60 (604).
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