JAC T9 UTE vs Volkswagen T-ROC

What's the difference?

It's not the roughest, toughest ute in the marker. Nor is it the smoothest to drive. But I found the T9 easy to live with, and I'm a fan of the value proposition.

So that’s the T-Roc, a bit of Euro style that’s still priced to take the fight to some small SUVs from Japan or Korea.

Is it the cheapest style-forward small SUV you can get? No, but it’s far from the expensive end of things.

Plus, if you can resist ticking some option boxes, it beats some value-focused rivals and looks good doing it.

If the feeling of a sturdy fit-out and a confidence inspiring drive is important to you, I reckon the T-Roc should be an entry on your shopping list.

Okay, so the T9 doesn’t change the ute game in terms of design, but I reckon it looks pretty sharp. The domed bonnet, the blacked-out grille and the seemingly ubiquitous giant brand lettering all kind of scream tough truck, and the side steps, roof rails and sports bar all help it look the part, too.

There does seem to be two competing approaches to new-ute design at the moment. The first is to borrow from the existing pool of products to create something familiar, though hardly groundbreaking. The other is to rip up the rule book and create something fresh, but potentially polarising.

JAC has gone with the first approach here, with the benefit being nobody is going to be talking negatively how the T9 looks, and the drawback being nobody is going to be talking about it much at all. For mine, I side with no news is good news, and I reckon JAC has made the right call.

Anyway, climb into the JAC T9 Haven and you’ll find a surprisingly premium – in ute terms at least – feeling space, with the leather-wrapped seats and steering wheel, and the hard plastics countered by soft quilted leather-like patches in the door panels and a soft panel in the dash.

The screen looks good, but is old school in its graphics and a bit clunky in its operation, but we're really talking big, bulky ute design here, without anything particularly standout about it.

The T-Roc subtly stands out without being garish, avoiding becoming part of the highway or suburban camouflage without relying on extreme design decisions.

For example, the LED daytime running lights that wrap around the shapes below the LED 'I.Q' headlights where vents would otherwise be on the R performance variant are quite cute.

In fact, the whole front end of this small SUV has a friendly look, even if there’s nothing specific that’s particularly exciting about it.

This 'Petroleum Blue Metallic' colour is a $700 option, but anything other than white costs extra.

However, the black roof two-tone look is a standard for the Style, as are the black mirror caps and its 18-inch alloys.

There are roof rails up top, tinted privacy windows for rear passengers and for the rear window and a sloping roofline at the rear that adds a touch of ‘sport’ to the silhouette along with a small spoiler at the top.

Remember I said the T9 isn’t trying to out muscle Australia’s dual-cab big guns? That mostly occurs in the workhorse stuff, with the JAC able to tow 3200kg, rather than the 3.5-tonne norm, but its payload is pegged at a competitive 1045kg, and the brand says you can fit an Aussie pallet in its tray.

Speaking of which, the tray arrives with a tub liner and stretches to 1520mm (length) by 1590mm (width), and there are four tie-down points for cargo.

While we're talking about the back, there’s a solid axle with leaf springs at the rear, and a rear diff lock, too.

There’s 210mm of ground clearance and JAC promises a 650mm wading depth. And if you are venturing off road, expect approach and departure angles of 27 and 23 degrees, respectively.

In terms of the backseat, I had more than enough room to get comfy with my 175cm frame, and there are two USB charge points, and air vents with no temp controls.

But I did struggle a bit with the baby seat. The top-tether point is located in the middle of the cabin, which makes fitting a seat in either window seat tricker than it needs to be. There are ISOFIX connections in the window seats, too.

Inside the T-Roc is a bit of an interesting dichotomy.

Some of what’s in here is ‘old-gen’ Volkswagen stuff, but it still holds up today against even some recently introduced models.

The dichotomy is that while it’s very usable and slick, some of its materials and surfaces let it down a touch.

The good points are that the cabin tech is a perfect level of physical and digital. The buttons and controls are easy to use and feel solid and even though the climate controls could be more physical, they’re still good as far as touch panel style controls go.

The older VW gear is arguably better than a lot of what’s found in newer models where some use of touchscreens and haptic panels has drawn negative feedback from customers.

The multimedia software managed via the 8.0-inch touchscreen is more simple and sensible than the new version, plus the Digital Cockpit Pro display for the driver is clear and, importantly, customisable. It’s a similar cockpit system that used to seem quite impressive in high-end Audis.

But what doesn’t feel very high-end is some of the plastic and the decisions around function in the rest of the space.

The leather on the seats is not a cheap option box to tick at $3450, but it feels a little cheap to the touch. It’s a tad hard and even has a bit of a rough look to it.

That option also makes them heated and electrically adjustable, though, which is welcome in winter. Otherwise, cloth seats without the optional leather or heating would be absolutely fine, and that means you get a storage space under them, too.

This central space between the driver and front passenger, too, is a little awkward with the cupholder placement. It’s behind the shifter meaning a tall bottle will be in the way and it’s got slightly odd sizing for bottles or cups with nothing to stop them wobbling.

I am, however, a fan of the angled-away phone slot under the climate controls to minimise phone screen visibility (and distraction) and the traditional shifter itself is welcome.

Look up, and (in our test car) there’s an optional ($2000) panoramic sunroof there. It’s yours if you want it, and it does have an electric blind, but some Japanese and Korean cars at this price point get that as standard.

An average-sized adult will find the second row is spacious enough and relatively comfortable. There’s an armrest, dual-directional vents and two USB-C ports.

Behind that, boot space is generous at 445L with the seats up thanks to an adjustable floor, which is very useful for tall items and even manages to fit a space saver spare tyre under it.

It’s a total of 1290L with the split-fold seats down, too, though they’re not super flat with the adjustable floor down.

The specific Style test vehicle being reviewed here is priced at $38,890, before on-road costs. But it's worth noting a new example of the Style will cost you $39,790 at the time of writing, as its price has since ours was 'delivered'.

While the Style features some older VW fitout, it comes with a decent list of features.

A set of 18-inch wheels, self-levelling headlights (with cornering function), some cute LED DRLs plus chrome highlights with black contrast trim are the best way to spot a Style from the outside.

Inside, there’s an 8.0-inch touchscreen for multimedia paired to the driver’s 'Digital Cockpit Pro' display.

The multimedia screen is last-gen VW gear, but that’s not a bad thing.

There’s also dual-zone climate control with an allergen filter, ambient lighting, a six-speaker sound system, wireless phone charger and wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

There are a few options on our test car that nudge the price up quite quickly, like the metallic paint, leather upholstery, sunroof, plus the keyless entry or ‘Easy open and close package’.

All this brings the total price as-tested to $45,640, before on-roads.

The good news is you don’t need to tick all, or any, of those options for this to still be a compelling option. 

The JAC T9 is powered by a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine, producing 120kW and 410Nm, which is fed through an eight-speed automatic and delivered to the tyres in either 2WD, 4WD High or 4WD Low.

And if you’re thinking those numbers don’t sound overly exciting, you’re right.

The turbocharger helps get things moving eventually, but when you first plant your foot in this two-tonne-plus truck, not much of anything happens. And we haven’t towed or carried anything yet.

The engine in the T-Roc - as with most Volkswagens - does what it says on the tin. Essentially, a 110TSI means there’s 110kW of turbocharged VW happening, in this case a 1.4-litre four-cylinder that also makes 250Nm of torque.

It’s paired to an eight-speed torque converter, which will be music to the ears of those who have been scorned by older VW dual-clutches.

It drives the front wheels only, and there’s no hybridisation or 48-volt system.

JAC is claiming 7.6L/100km for combined fuel consumption, but our figures have been more like 10 litres.

There’s a 76-litre tank under there, which at today’s money means about a $150 to fill up, and using JAC’s figures, a full tank should carry you 1000km.

A lack of electrification in a relatively small engine and a traditional drivetrain shouldn't scare you too much, in this case.

Combined cycle fuel consumption is a claimed 6.3L/100km. On test in mostly urban areas or for spirited driving we saw the fuel use rise a little higher than that but not by as much as you might think.

After a mix of primarily urban, some highway and a stint of dynamic test driving, the trip computer admitted to a figure of 8.1L/100km.

First, a caveat – we didn't put the T9 through its paces off-road, with a full tray, or with a load in tow, so you'll have to consider this a more urban, lifestyle review. We will put it through the tough stuff in time, so watch this space.

In the meantime, I actually found the T9 fairly easy to live, and fairly car-like in the way it goes about its business.

Yes, it's got that unladen jostle and bounce common to most utes, but it's pretty easy to drive, easy to steer and easy to park, helped by the bird's-eye view camera, which makes it simple to see where the ute's edges are in tighter parks.

But there are some downsides. For one, it feels as though the turbo is doing a huge amount of heavy lifting in the T9. Plant your foot, and almost nothing happens for a moment or two, before all the power arrives in a big lump, sometimes setting the tyres squealing if you're going around a corner.

There is turbo lag, but this feels like it is taking a turbo holiday before the power finally turns up, and it does make the overall drive experience a little jarring and unrefined.

Issue number two is the safety squawking, but more on that in a second.

The T-Roc is essentially a previous-generation Golf-turned-small SUV in terms of its platform, and that’s a great thing for anyone who likes driving.

The Golf 7.5 was a benchmark for everyday driving as far as hatchbacks are concerned, and even though the current Mk8 might be a bit more up to date, the T-Roc’s use of the platform it rides on is practical and fun.

It’s not as nimble as a Golf, but the T-Roc in front-drive Style guise, with a responsive turbocharged engine and no all-wheel drive system weighing it down, is not only more dynamically capable than most rivals, it’s also easy to access that capability.

The 1.4-litre engine feels well-tuned for its two modes accessible through the shifter - calm but not lazy in ‘Drive’ and eager but not thrashy in ‘Sport’.

It works well with the transmission on the move, picking right gears fairly accurately, though there are paddles behind the wheel for those who prefer to take charge.

The drive modes are also more customisable than just those on the shifter, with 'Individual' selections for steering and drivetrain able to be used rather than the standard 'Eco', 'Normal' or 'Sport' full-system modes.

While the steering wheel itself is a little thick and the feedback, while adequate, isn’t the most telling, it’s accurate and inspires confidence in cornering.

The T-Roc handles turn-in and exits well, even soaking up bumps and not becoming unsettled when braking.

Its safety systems are relatively subtle, and the active cruise control is well sorted, though the automatic braking at car park speeds can be overzealous. Something I’ve experienced in VW Group models several times over the years.

The main culprit for the T-Roc was a shrub beside my driveway that, while not touching the car, would set off the automatic braking system. Still, better than letting the car roll back if there was a proper obstacle or someone who could be hurt in the way.

Aside from that, the Volkswagen T-Roc is fun and easy to drive, and the work that’s gone into that puts its price into perspective a little more.

There are more expensive cars available that are less impressive, some even disappointing.

In 2017, ANCAP gave the T-Roc five stars for safety. For most people, that says enough, plus the list of features the SUV comes with is fairly comprehensive even in the Style.

While its rating is getting on in years, the only real downside to the T-Roc’s age when it comes to safety is it only having six airbags - front and side for the front passengers, plus curtain airbags for front and rear passengers.

But the list of tech isn’t lacking, with driver fatigue detection, pedestrian monitoring, parking bay and parallel parking assistance, pedestrian monitoring, side assist, rear cross-traffic alert and lane assist.

JAC offers a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, with 24/7 roadside assist and the promise of a like-for-like loan vehicle if yours is off the road for a warranty repair.

Servicing is required every 12 months or 15,000km (whichever comes first), and the capped-price servicing program averages out to around $438 per year.

Volkswagen’s five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty is pretty standard for a premium-leaning brand, with VW also offering roadside assistance for the warranty period.

In terms of servicing, VW offers care plans of three years or five years, covering servicing for $1515 or $2770 respectively. That's an average of $505 or $554 per workshop visit.

Otherwise, servicing costs at 12-month/15,000km intervals can cost from $470 for some to $1104 to the biggest service if you don’t go with the locked-in package.