The 2026 IM LS9 Hyper extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) has been unveiled in China as a technological leader for the IM Motors premium brand – and it could arrive in Australia in the near future.
Packing a tri-motor EREV powertrain, the Hyper is the most powerful and high-tech version yet of the LS9, the flagship of the IM Motors brand backed by SAIC Motor which also owns MG and LDV.
The LS9 Hyper debuts a fully electronically controlled four-wheel steering system, which uses electronic actuators rather than mechanical components to steer all four wheels.
Per Chinese media, IM Motors is calling the LS9 Hyper the only mass-produced SUV with a full four-wheel steer-by-wire system, and it’s the first vehicle from the brand with a tri-motor all-wheel drive EREV powertrain with 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’s one of five IM Motors models currently offered globally, including the IM5 and IM6, which are sold as the L6 and LS6 respectively 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 CarExpert 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.
While the Australian upper-large SUV segment is relatively niche, the LS9 is considered a strong candidate for local launch, with an Australian version expected to adopt local naming conventions and be badged as the ‘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.
A 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine continues to act solely as a generator, producing 114kW, paired with a 65.9kWh nickel manganese cobalt battery pack sourced from CATL.
The Hyper variant adds another electric motor – with one 160kW motor on the front axle and two 195kW units on the rear – for a total of three motors. A total system output figure has yet to be announced.
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.
While the IM5 and IM6 sold in Australia use conventional rear-axle steering systems, the LS9 Hyper’s fully electronic setup doubles the maximum rear steering angle from 12 to 24 degrees, delivering a tight claimed turning radius of just 4.95 metres for the 5.2-metre-long SUV.
As with the regular IM LS9, the Hyper features dual-chamber air suspension.
Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous driving functions are powered by NVIDIA’s Thor computing platform, while the cabin is dominated by a 27.1-inch display set within a leather-lined interior.
The IM LS9 Hyper is due to go on sale in China in the first quarter of 2026.
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