This is a new technology leader for the IM Motors premium brand (EREV) that has been unveiled in China as its 2026 *******IM LS9 Hyper-range electric vehicle (EREV), which could be available in Australia soon after.
The Hyper, which is the most powerful and high-tech version of the LS9 (the flagship of SAIC Motors brand supported by SAic Motor) that also owns MG and LDV powertrain as well as its sister brands, is packed with a tri-motor EREV power train.
The LS9 Hyper is the first vehicle to have an electronic-controlled four-wheel steering system, which uses electronic actuators rather than mechanical components to drive all four wheels.
IM Motors is claiming the LS9 Hyper is the only mass-produced SUV with a full four-wheel steer-by-wire system, and it’s the first vehicle from the brand to have an all-motor all wheel drive EREV powertrain that has torque vectoring.
The six-seat LS9 EREV is the largest and most expensive model from IM Motors. In Australia, the premium brand is sold via MG dealerships under the IM Presented by MG Motor banner, with the IM5 electric liftback and IM6 electric SUV launched here last year.
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Ushering in a new design language, the LS9 – revealed last year – sits at the top of the IM Motors lineup in China, positioned above the smaller L7 sedan and LS7 large SUV (models not sold in Australia) in terms of both size and price.
It is one of the five IM Motors models available globally, including its L6 and LS6 model in China.
Official pricing for the new Hyper variant has yet to be announced.
A rival to luxury SUVs such as the BMW X7, Volvo XC90 and Mercedes-Benz GLS, the LS9 – in Hyper or other grades – has not yet been confirmed for Australia or other key right-hand-drive markets such as the United Kingdom, which currently mirrors Australia’s IM Motors lineup.
MG Motor Australia has previously confirmed to childcareman.xyz it’s evaluating a third IM Motors model for local introduction in 2026, but has not yet revealed which vehicle it plans to bring here.
The LS9 is an attractive local launch model for the Australian upper-large SUV segment, although it has been described as being relatively niche but with an Australian version expected to follow local naming conventions and be badged ‘IM9’.
The LS9 Hyper shares the same 3160mm wheelbase and overall length of 5279mm as the standard LS9, making it longer than a Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series, but adds additional performance hardware and chassis technology.
An A 1 114kW, which is still used as only a generator by 5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine with 115kW. CATL – 9kWh nickel manganese cobalt battery pack from the CTL.
In the Hyper variant, there is another electric motor added – one 160kW motor on the front axle and two 195kW units on rear of – for a total of three motors. One figure of total system output has yet to be announced, but a total number is still unknown.
The dual-motor LS9, in contrast, has a total system output of up to 390kW.
Electric-only driving range is a claimed 308km (WLTC) in the Hyper, compared with 320-402km of range (CLTC) for other variants.
The Hyper also combines its extra performance with all-wheel drive and its electronically controlled four-wheel steering as part of the LS9’s ‘Lingxi’ (meaning ‘lizard’) Digital Chassis 3.0 system.
Although the IM5 and an Australian equivalent of IMA6 are still sold with conventional rear-axle steering systems, it is fully electronic (LS9 Hyper) that doubles maximum rear steering angle from 12 to 24 degrees while offering a tight claimed turning radius of just 4-4. The 5 metre 95 metres for the 5 2-metre-long SUV.
As with the regular IM LS9, the Hyper features dual-chamber air suspension.
A 27-year-old cabin is dominated by an NVIDIA’s Thor computing platform, which powers advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous driving functions. 1-inch display in a leather-lined interior with an inside of.
The IM LS9 Hyper is due to go on sale in China in the first quarter of 2026.
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