I for one, am not a bakkie/pick up truck/ute fan. Never have been one and most likely will never be one but recently I had the opportunity to drive a new kid on the block. It looks like an American from the front, bold and big. A Japanese from the side in terms of height. A European from the back.Now before all the keyboard warriors say, “what? How dare you!” I mean American, Japanese and European pick ups.Now stop what you’re typing and read on!
The particular vehicle is a JAC T8. Now if you can recall, I’ve already done a blog on the X200 and I explained a bit of their history and where they came from.Just to refresh your memory, it’s a Chinese motor company. They are partially owned by the VW Group. Looks promising!Now, let’s get on with the show.
The JAC T8 has a motor that is loosely based off of the VW 1.9 TDi motor that got so much praise back in the day. A brisk 100kw of power and over 300nm of torque. It really is a pleasant motor and has a lot of torque whenever is needed. A pleasant interior, especially for the price bracket that it falls into! A touchscreen that is easy to access as well as a reverse camera as standard! The gearbox is nice and smooth and has a very short throw for a bakkie, pleasantly surprised I must say!
After driving it at night, the lights are beyond insane. Now I know why everyone wants LED lights on their cars, it’s literally enough to see into the next universe.It corners quite nicely, feeling very planted on the road. Roads in South Africa, as we know are not the greatest but it soaks up the bumps very well. It’s a new bakkie on the scene and it has not disappointed. It turns lots of heads with a good presence and also, due to the fact its coming in at such a good price, I suspect they will only start becoming more and more seen on the road!
The Chinese vehicles are here to stay and they are no where near what they use to be. European influences with decent equipment at affordable prices. Its a winner winner chicken dinner from me!