The JAC Hunter PHEV will arrive in Australia with a locally developed vehicle dynamics tune, with engineer Michael Barber of Multimatic brought in to tailor the ute to local roads and conditions.

The plug-in hybrid ute is planned to launch in Australia in the third quarter of 2026, with Barber’s work forming part of the development program ahead of its arrival.

Barber began by testing and evaluating the Hunter in Australia before travelling to JAC’s facilities in China to work directly with its engineering team on implementing the changes into the production vehicle. His previous experience includes senior engineering roles with Holden Special Vehicles and Multimatic. 

“We asked Michael to tell us exactly what the Hunter needed to perform at its best on Australian roads,” said Ahmed Mahmoud, Managing Director of JAC Motors Australia. “JAC listened, acted and implemented every one of his recommendations. Nothing was selectively adopted or deferred to a future update. There were no shortcuts.”

JAC says the complete dynamics tune will be fitted to production vehicles from launch, rather than having some changes introduced later as part of a model update.

The company has spent several million dollars on the Hunter’s Australian development program, including local testing, engineering and validation. The work has focused on steering response, stability, body control and ride quality.

4

According to JAC, the changes should deliver more precise steering, greater stability at higher speeds and improved control over uneven surfaces, along with a more settled ride.

The Hunter PHEV will be sold in Australia in two 4×4 variants. The Hunter Pro is priced at $49,988 plus on-road costs, while the Hunter X costs $54,844.

Both variants use a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine and dual electric motors, producing a combined 360kW and 1010Nm. The ute has a 915kg payload and 3500kg braked towing capacity, while JAC claims up to 100km of EV-only driving and combined fuel consumption of 1.6L/100km.

The Australian-developed tune will also be used in other markets, with New Zealand the first overseas market confirmed to receive the Hunter with the same vehicle dynamics package. JAC says it is also planned for multiple other international markets.

MORE T9 news and reviews!