JAC Hunter PHEV’s Australian suspension tune goes global

The Australian-developed chassis tune for the Chinese JAC Hunter PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) dual-cab ute will be adopted for other global markets, including New Zealand and countries in Southeast Asia.

The Hunter PHEV ute, a rival to the BYD Shark 6 and Ford Ranger Hybrid, is now arriving in Australian showrooms with a unique suspension and steering tune developed locally by former Holden engineer Michael Barber.

Mr Barber, who now works for automotive engineering firm Multimatic, led the multimillion-dollar Australian program for JAC, which included local testing and validation. The former Holden engineer also worked with the JAC team in China to demonstrate the improvements and changes to have them signed off for production.

“There was discussion [in China] about ‘Are certain changes really necessary?’,” Mr Barber admitted to media, including CarExpert at a Hunter PHEV preview event earlier this year.

“It’s a pain, frankly, having specific components for a specific model, but I was very pleased with the level of reception. All the changes that I had proposed were accepted by JAC [China], and they’re in the vehicle.”

Now, the changes will also be adopted in Hunter PHEVs sold in other countries.

The chassis work was intended to deliver more ‘natural’ steering feel, high-speed stability and body control, as well as a more composed ride over rough surfaces, such as road surfaces with uneven repairs.

Mr Barber said Australia presented a unique combination of road types, making it ideal for extensive chassis tuning and testing. For the Hunter PHEV, this included around 72 damper rebuilds, for example.

It also included testing various spring rates, anti-roll bars, bushings and mounting points, as well as different tyre pressures.

“This work improved all aspects of dynamic performance, including vertical dynamics (meaning compliance and control), lateral dynamics (meaning steering and handling), hub and wheel control (this is road adhesion) and comfort,” Mr Barber said.

The Hunter PHEV is the second dual-cab ute from JAC Australia, following the diesel-powered T9 launched in 2024. Priced at $49,988 before on-roads, it's currently the cheapest PHEV dual cab on sale in Australia, undercutting the BYD Shark 6 Dynamic cab/chassis at $55,900 before on-roads.

A cab/chassis version of the Hunter PHEV has been confirmed, and while pricing is yet to be announced, is set to be priced even lower.

It, too, will have a raft of changes developed by the former Holden engineer.

“To see an Australian-developed tune adopted internationally is a strong endorsement of Michael’s expertise and JAC’s willingness to listen to local markets,” said Ahmed Mahmoud, managing director of JAC Motors Australia.

“Our ambition is for every future JAC vehicle launch to demonstrate this same level of Australian testing, engineering rigour and responsiveness. The Hunter is the beginning of that commitment, not the end.”

MORE: Explore the JAC Hunter PHEV showroom