JAC PH wants multi-link coil suspension for T9 truck

Upcoming JAC T9 Pro pickup for PH won't use leaf spring suspension

Last week, we confirmed that JAC Cars Philippines will be launching the T9 Pro pickup truck soon. They plan to hold its official reveal before 2024 ends and will be available in three distinct variants. More importantly, the pickup truck will reportedly start at around PHP 1.3 million and will top out at PHP 1.5 million for the top-of-the-line 4x4 A/T.

Official specifications have yet to be revealed although we won't be surprised if it will be similar to what global markets get. That means the T9 Pro will likely be available with features such as a touchscreen infotainment with Apple CarPlay & Android Auto, power-adjustable front seats, LED headlights with LED daytime running lights, leather upholstery, rear USB charging ports, and automatic climate control.

Recently, we received a tip that the T9 Pro for the Philippine market will get a unique suspension setup. While the front suspension will get a double wishbone like most pickup trucks nowadays, the rear suspension of the T9 Pro will reportedly be a multi-link coil spring setup. This was shared with us by a contact involved in the retail of JAC vehicles.

According to our source, JAC is evaluating a potential spec of the T9 Pro for the Philippines that focuses more on comfort. Since a traditional leaf spring rear suspension is geared towards cargo-carrying, having a more comfort-biased rear suspension could attract more customers who want to daily a pickup truck daily, minus the stiff ride.

Currently, the only pickup trucks in the Philippine market that have a multi-link coil spring rear are the Nissan Navara and the Ford Ranger Raptor (albeit meant for taking on uneven terrain at speed). While they don't have the best cargo-carrying capacity, the coil spring multi-link rear suspension allows for a better ride quality which some pickup truck customers prefer. With midsize pickups becoming more popular with customers who daily them, it's no surprise JAC Cars Philippines has decided on the rear suspension swap.

With the T9 Pro set to become available soon, we'll be curious to try just how comfortable the T9 Pro is. Moreover, we also want to test the pickup truck's 2.0L turbo-diesel that makes 170 PS with 410 Nm of torque and is paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission.

We'll be keeping our eyes peeled for more info regarding the T9 Pro and its other specifications.