With already six passenger vehicles in its roster and a couple more on the way in 2025, JAC Philippines is gearing up to take a solid position in the Philippine automotive market.
That said, what the Chinese carmaker currently lacks here is a hybrid car. Currently, the all-electric Ytterby is its only EV on our shores. But back in its home market, JAC recently showcased two hybrids that could make some noise here: the plug-in hybrid JAC JS6 and JS8.
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The company currently offers the compact JS6 and the seven-seater JS8 in the Philippines. Both are equipped with 1.5-liter turbocharged engines and perform similarly, making 182hp and 300Nm of torque.
These two gas-powered cars fulfill the brand’s obligation to the SUV market, but local interest in hybrids and EVs is beginning to gain traction. The PHEV versions of the JS6 and the JS8 showcased at Auto Guangzhou 2024 earlier this month pack some serious range.
Among locally available PHEVs, the BYD Sealion 6 DM-i achieved 1,100km on a full tank of gas and a fully charged battery. However, the hybrid JS6 (called the QX in China) has the ability to surpass this with its impressive 1,300km range. That range is split between 120km on battery power and the rest on gas power.
Using the same powertrain, the bigger JS8 hybrid (called the X8 in the Chinese market) should mimic the JS6 in range and fuel economy (albeit with an extra row of seats).
There are currently no official plans from JAC to bring the hybrids over to the Philippines, but competition is always welcome.
