JAC Hunter PHEV's Australian suspension tune goes global

JAC says the Australian-developed suspension and steering calibration for its Hunter PHEV dual-cab ute will be rolled out to other markets, including New Zealand and parts of Southeast Asia. The Hunter PHEV, a rival to the BYD Shark 6 and Ford Ranger Hybrid, is arriving in Australian showrooms with a tune led locally by former Holden engineer Michael Barber, now at Multimatic. Barber’s program included multimillion-dollar testing and validation in Australia and work with JAC in China to get the changes approved for production. He said the goal was more natural steering feel, stability at speed, better body control, and a composed ride over rough surfaces, including about 72 damper rebuilds. Priced at $49,988 before on-roads, it undercuts the BYD Shark 6 Dynamic cab/chassis at $55,900. A cab/chassis version is confirmed and will cost even less.