JAC T9 2.0L Diesel Pickup Truck Drive Review

March 4, 2025

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The JAC truck company has had 60 years of experience and counting

Long gone are the days when pickups were designed and built only to tackle muddy tracks and tough terrains. As technology evolved and consumer preferences changed, the pickup truck DNA was altered, building it to be more versatile, luxurious and less utilitarian.

Features have been added for the humble pickup truck to take on the concrete jungle. Customers now have the option of owning not just an adventure or commercial-ready truck, but also a lifestyle and family vehicle.

In Malaysia, there is a growing number of pickup trucks on the road purchased for lifestyle reasons, thanks to its suite of smart technologies, which is further complemented by a stylish and well-sculpted car-like cabins.

Now comes a new ‘player’ in our pickup truck segment and it is a Chinese brand …… not surprising as Chinese auto manufacturers are making a strong case in ASEAN and Malaysia in the SUV, Crossover and passenger car segment.

So, why not the pickup truck segment?

Well, it is not a huge segment, not really a growing segment, but it is a very profitable one.

Say hello to to the JAC T9. Already teased for a few months and launched in October 2024, there are two powertrains options. A 2.0L diesel and surprise surprise, a full electric variant.

Arriving to challenge the Ford Ranger XLT PLUS at RM143,888 and Mitsubishi Triton Premium at RM145,980 this JAC T9 is priced at RM119,888 only.

On the exterior, this T9 looks like an American designed product. The styling is chunky and butch, with a Dodge RAM-esque front grille and the JAC decal across the rear tailgate. 18-inch alloy wheels wrapped in off-road tires, a rear rollover bar from the factory and chunky side steps further emphasizes on the macho-ness of this pickup.

Stepping inside the interior of the T9 may be its main selling point. The driver and front passenger get electric seats and a 10.4-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality, plus there are buttons on the center console for easy use of necessary functions. The T9 pickup also comes with a multifunction steering wheel and large air-con vents.

To further add to the refined feel of the cabin, JAC engineers explain that much work has been done to reduce the noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) in the cabin of this pickup to give a car-like ambience. The only cue that this interior belongs to that of a pickup is the chunky off-road selector knob on the center console.

Practicality is also abundant in the T9. As a workhorse, the T9 has a wading depth of 800mm and can accommodate a payload of up to 1.0 ton. And to the off-road enthusiasts who take their brand new pick-ups off the beaten path, the ground clearance on the T9 is 210 mm with a 27 degrees’ approach angle and a 23 degrees’ departure angle.

As for features, the T9 comes with the usual modern conveniences one expects from modern pick-ups like keyless go, adaptive cruise control, tire pressure monitoring system and traffic jam assistant.

This is in addition to the array of safety acronyms like airbags, ABS with EBD, ESP, traction control, self-locking differential, front collision warning, lane departure warning and hill descent control that comes standard on this pickup truck.

With all the necessary SUV cabin features, touch points and quality, this T9 looks like it is targeted for urban cowboys who want that open cargo space at the rear for their lifestyle activities.

Activities like cycling, camping, trekking, motor cross and more that require a rear deck that is easily washable whilst keeping its cabin spotless and clean. No matter if you are at work, with family or at play, safety is paramount, and this T9 offers some of the latest in crash protection features and driver assistance technologies delivering more confidence on the road.

BTW there is a no ‘farmers’ version or ‘plumbers’ version of the JAC T9 on sale right now but the asking price of RM119k is so reasonable that farmers and plumbers cannot ignore it.