2025 JAC T9 EV Luxury Review

With the gradual rise of the Southeast Asian new energy pickup truck market, models that combine loading capacity and electrification advantages are becoming a new choice for family users and small businesses — the 2025 JAC T9 EV Luxury is the latest contender in this segment. As the brand’s first fully electric four-wheel-drive pickup, it not only features a dual-motor all-wheel-drive system but also emphasizes range, configuration, and space as its core selling points. Today, through a real-world test drive, let's see whether this RM199,888 electric pickup truck can truly balance practicality and experience.

From the exterior, the T9 EV Luxury continues the rugged contours of a traditional pickup but incorporates details of electrified design. The front face adopts a closed grille, with the JAC logo embedded in the center. On both sides, the LED headlight cluster connects to the edges of the grille, and the LED daytime running lights are of a through-type design, offering high recognition. The side profile features straight lines, with dimensions of 5330mm in length, 1965mm in width, and 1920mm in height, and a wheelbase of 3110mm, achieving the size of a standard mid-to-large pickup. The black plastic cladding on the wheel arches paired with 265/60 R18 tires retains an off-road flair. At the rear, the LED taillight cluster also uses a through-type design, echoing the front face, while a silver skid plate under the rear bumper makes for a coordinated and unified style.

Inside the cabin, the interior adopts a dark color scheme with a minimalist center console layout. A 10.4-inch touchscreen is located in the center, with some physical buttons retained below for convenience during blind operation. For materials, the steering wheel and seats are wrapped in leather, providing a good tactile feeling; the inner sides of the door panels are covered with soft materials, enhancing the overall texture to some extent. In terms of features, it comes standard with a fully digital instrument panel, keyless entry, electrically adjustable front seats, automatic air conditioning, and rear air vents, maximizing practicality. For safety features, it is equipped with seven airbags, unfastened seatbelt reminders for all seats, adaptive cruise control (ACC), rear parking sensors, and a reverse camera, meeting mainstream standards for this price range.

Space is one of the advantages of the T9 EV Luxury. After adjusting the front seats to a suitable position, a 180cm tall tester still has two fists worth of headroom remaining. Rear legroom is equally spacious, with more than two fists of space, so it does not feel cramped. The nearly flat middle floor ensures that even with three passengers in the back, it does not feel crowded. In terms of storage, the central armrest box has a large capacity, the door panel storage pockets can fit two 500ml water bottles, and the rear seats support manual folding. Once folded, the cargo bed and cabin space become more flexible for storage (the cargo bed size is not specifically mentioned, but judging by the wheelbase, it should be sufficient for daily transport needs).

For performance, it is equipped with front and rear permanent magnet synchronous motors, delivering a combined system output of 230kW (313PS) and a peak torque of 516N·m. Officially, it accelerates from 0 to 100km/h in 8.4 seconds. During actual driving, the acceleration response is swift, and a light tap on the pedal provides noticeable thrust. Mid- to high-speed acceleration is also strong, and during overtaking, deep pressing the accelerator results in smooth and continuous power delivery without the lag typical of traditional fuel-powered pickups. There are three driving modes available: Eco, Standard, and Sport. In Eco mode, power output is relatively smooth, suitable for daily commuting; in Sport mode, the power response is more aggressive, ideal for scenarios requiring rapid acceleration.

In terms of handling, the combination of front double wishbone independent suspension and rear multi-link independent suspension is relatively rare among pickups in the same class. When driving on bumpy roads, the suspension effectively filters out small vibrations, and the vehicle's body remains stable. During cornering, body roll is well controlled, steering is precise with minimal slack, and overall handling is superior to traditional leaf spring pickups. The four-wheel drive system is full-time, and although it wasn't specifically tested on off-road terrain, it should handle light off-road conditions without any issues.

As for range, the official all-electric range is 340 km with a battery capacity of 88 kWh. During testing on half-city roads and half-highway conditions with the air conditioning fully on, the range achievement rate was approximately 85% (actual distance of 289 km with 10% battery remaining), which is a fairly standard performance. In terms of charging time, fast charging takes 0.75 hours (30%-80%), while slow charging takes 8.5 hours, which meets daily charging needs. Regarding energy consumption, the urban energy consumption is approximately 25 kWh/100 km, and the highway energy consumption is about 28 kWh/100 km, which is consistent with the level of electric pickups of this class.

In terms of driving comfort, sound insulation exceeds expectations, with almost no external noise heard below 60 km/h. On highways, tire and wind noise become slightly more noticeable but do not affect conversations. The seat comfort is commendable, with leather seats offering good support and not causing fatigue during long drives. The rear seats have an appropriate angle, the cushion length is sufficient, and the support is well-designed. The energy recovery system has two modes. In the low mode, the drag effect is hardly noticeable, resembling the driving experience of a fuel car; in the high mode, the drag effect is more pronounced and effectively extends the range.

Overall, the core advantages of the 2025 JAC T9 EV Luxury lie in its spacious interior, rich features, and commendable performance. Compared to fuel-powered pickups of the same class (such as the Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger), it has a clear advantage in terms of electrification and lower operation costs. Compared to competitors in the new energy electric pickup class (such as the Great Wall Cannon EV), it offers better value for money and more comprehensive features.

This vehicle is suitable for two types of users: first, families prioritizing utility, as it can meet daily commuting needs while also accommodating weekend outings or cargo transportation. Second, small business owners, since the low operating costs brought by electrification, coupled with the capability of the four-wheel drive system, can meet various usage scenarios. However, it's worth noting that if long-distance highway driving is a daily requirement, the 340 km range may necessitate frequent charging.

All in all, the JAC T9 EV Luxury is a well-balanced electric pickup with highlights in terms of space, features, and performance. Its price of 199,888 MYR is also relatively affordable, making it suitable for users who want to try out an electric pickup.