Every JAC Hunter PHEV built from now on has the full Australian handling tune. All of it, from the first customer car. New Zealand gets the same setup next.
Michael Barber wrote JAC a list of what the Hunter needed to work properly on Australian roads. JAC built that list into the production car. Every one that reaches a customer has it, from the very first. Nothing shaved for cost, nothing pushed out to a facelift.
Barber is an Australian engineer with senior time at Holden Special Vehicles and at Multimatic behind him. He evaluated and tested JAC Hunter PHEV here, then flew to China and worked through his recommendations with JAC’s engineering team. We covered the proving-ground running in February, when the Hunter finished its first round of local testing. That was more than 50,000km under a program JAC badged “Project No Shortcuts”, with SEGULA Technologies handling independent testing alongside.
Ahmed Mahmoud, Managing Director of JAC Motors Australia, said, “JAC listened, acted and implemented every one of his recommendations. Nothing was selectively adopted or deferred to a future update. There were no shortcuts.”
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ABOVE: Hunter
Every JAC Hunter PHEV Gets the Whole List
JAC describes what the tune delivers in outcomes rather than hardware. More precise steering response, better body control through corners and over uneven surfaces, and a more settled ride. Greater stability at speed, and a better balance between everyday comfort and carrying a load. Those are JAC’s claims, not our findings. We haven’t driven the car.
No component is named anywhere. Not a spring rate, not a damper spec, not a bush, not a steering calibration. Outcomes only. Nobody outside the company can audit that, so the road test settles it.
A Multi-Million Dollar Spend With No Dollar Figure
JAC Motors Australia calls the Hunter program a “multi-million dollar” engineering and development investment, over and above standard product development costs. The local arm reckons it’s well beyond what a brand would normally put into taking an existing global model into a new market. The investment covered local testing, engineering, validation, and the vehicle dynamics work itself.
The Hunter had its world premiere at the 2025 Melbourne Motor Show, and we ran the story when JAC claimed 1,005km of combined range for it. NRL player Josh Addo-Carr signed on as a brand ambassador and had a custom one built. All of that’s marketing, and none of it changes how a ute behaves at 100km/h on a patched country highway. The tuning budget just might though.
New Zealand Takes the Australian Tune Next
New Zealand is the first market outside Australia confirmed to get JAC Hunter PHEV with Barber’s complete tune. JAC has it on the product roadmap for several other international markets too. Australia is usually on the receiving end of somebody else’s work, so the traffic going the other way is a sweet change of direction. Mahmoud called the export of it “a strong endorsement of Michael’s expertise and JAC’s willingness to listen to local markets”.
Hunter Pro 4×4 opens at $49,988 plus on-roads, with top-spec Hunter X at $54,844. We went through that when JAC priced the Hunter against the plug-in ute establishment. BYD Shark 6 asks around $57,900 before on-roads. GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV is around $63,990, and Ford Ranger XLT PHEV opens near $71,990. JAC Hunter PHEV is the cheapest way into the segment by a wide margin. That makes the engineering spend a more interesting decision than it would be on a $70,000 ute.
Chery sent the Stockman to Premcar for local validation, and JAC put Barber and Multimatic on the Hunter. Both paid Australian engineers to sign off a car designed on the other side of the world. None of that shows on a spec sheet, which is why it took an announcement to tell anyone it happened.
Reservations are open through JAC Motors Australia, with showroom stock from August 2026. The first 1,000 buyers can hold a build with a fully refundable $1,000 deposit. The first 1,000 who reserve and take delivery get a free home charger or a $500 accessories voucher. JAC Hunter PHEV claims 1.6L/100km consumption and 1,005km of combined NEDC range.
JAC Hunter PHEV Launch and Development Summary
| Detail | Figure |
|---|---|
| Hunter Pro 4×4 price | $49,988 plus on-road costs |
| Hunter X price | $54,844 plus on-road costs |
| Body and drive | Plug-in hybrid dual-cab 4×4 ute |
| Claimed combined range (NEDC) | 1,005km |
| Claimed fuel consumption (NEDC) | 1.6L/100km |
| Local testing | More than 50,000km, including Lang Lang Proving Ground |
| Vehicle dynamics development | Michael Barber, Multimatic |
| Independent testing | SEGULA Technologies |
| Showroom stock | From August 2026 |
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More JAC Stories
- 2026 JAC Hunter PHEV Undercuts BYD Shark 6 by 6-thousand
- JAC Hunter PHEV Opens Under $50K With Big Ute Numbers
- 2026 JAC Hunter PHEV Ute Australia: 1,005km Range and Josh Addo-Carr Is Already a Fan
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Alan Zurvas is the founder and editor of Gay Car Boys, Australia's leading LGBTQI+ automotive publication. Before launching GCB in 2008, Alan's automotive writing was published in SameSame.com.au and the Star Observer. With over 16 years of hands-on car reviewing experience, Alan brings an honest, irreverent voice to every review — championing value and innovation over brand loyalty.
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