When the JAC T9 PHEV bakkie eventually lands in South Africa, it looks set to take the crown from BYD’s Shark 6 Performance as the country’s most powerful bakkie. When exactly that will be isn’t known yet, but JAC Motors’ local website reckons it is “coming soon”.
For eager JAC fans, waiting for the T9 PHEV isn’t new. The Chinese company has been promising the T9 PHEV since the end of 2022. Back then, it was supposed to launch in 2023. That target was shifted to an April-July 2025 window, which obviously didn’t happen. But 2026 isn’t over yet, so there’s still a chance we’ll see it before the year is out.
Charging stations look out
Other than the vague launch timeframe, JAC’s website lists what we assume are the total combined power and torque figures — 360kW and 674Nm, respectively. These numbers surpass those of the BYD Shark 6 we reviewed earlier this year (321kW/650Nm) and even overtake the newly announced Shark 6 Performance derivative.
It’s also interesting to note that they are much higher than JAC’s own figures from a press release published early last year. The discrepancy between the older figures and the powertrain that produces them, and the figures now on JAC’s site, makes it a little hard to pin down what South African drivers can expect when the T9 PHEV eventually lands.
There has been mention of a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine, a pair of electric motors, and a 31.2 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery pack. But we’ll have to wait for the official launch to know for sure.
Cars.co.za also points out that the JAC T9 PHEV in Australia (also a right-hand drive market) has the same physical measurements as the locally available derivatives, with claimed electric and combined ranges of 100km and 1,005km, respectively, based on the NEDC standard.
