The JAC T9 Pro has yet to be launched in the country but customers who are interested in getting one will be happy to know it's a safe pickup truck to be in. Recently, the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) awarded JAC's new midsize pickup truck with a perfect five-star safety rating.

Simply called the JAC T9 in Australia, the midsize pickup demonstrated its ability to keep occupants safe in an accident. In physical crash tests, the JAC T9 scored full points for driver protection in the full-width frontal, side impact, far-side impact, and whiplash tests.

In the oblique pole and front offset tests, the pickup was able to deliver adequate protection for the driver's chest. Meanwhile, the driver and front passenger's lower legs were also protected during the tests. Over to the full-width frontal crash test, which focuses the effectiveness of seatbelt and airbag restraints for smaller adults, the pickup was able to deliver marginal protection for the rear passenger's chest.

When it comes to child protection, full points were awarded to the JAC T9 in the frontal offset and side-impact tests. Like most vehicles today, ISOFIX child seat anchors are available in the rear seats although customers should take note that installation of child seats in the rear center seat is not recommended as there is no top tether anchorage.

Further giving the JAC T9 top marks is its full suite of intelligent driver aids and active safety features. With it, the T9 is capable of detecting and reacting accordingly to other vehicles, motorcycles, pedestrians, and cyclists. These include autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane-keep assist, and lane departure warning.

The pickup was awarded full points in AEB tests with motorcycle, adult, and child pedestrians. The system also works when reversing as it was able to successfully apply the brakes when it detected individuals and objects in the way. The AEB system was also able to stop the JAC T9 in an AEB head-on test. Full points were also seen in the lane support systems, including overtaking scenarios with a motorcycle.

With JAC Cars Philippines looking to join the pickup truck market soon with the T9, the automaker will have something quite special when they officially launch it. Perhaps the only question now is, can we expect the PH-spec T9 to come with active safety features?