KATHMANDU: Hyundai Motor Company’s official distributor in Nepal, Laxmi Intercontinental, is preparing to launch the Hyundai Ioniq 9 in the Nepali market.
The company has already started promotional activities for the upcoming electric SUV. However, it has not been confirmed which battery and motor option will be available in Nepal.
The Ioniq 9 is currently on sale in the US, Europe and some Asian markets. It comes with a 110.3 kWh battery pack. Hyundai claims a WLTP range of up to 620 km.
The SUV is built on Hyundai’s E-GMP platform with an 800-volt architecture. Using a 350 kW DC fast charger, the battery can charge from 10 to 80 percent in just 24 minutes.
Hyundai offers the Ioniq 9 in both rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive versions. The RWD variant gets a 160 kW electric motor, while the AWD version produces a combined 320 kW power output.
The SUV weighs around 2,500 kg. Hyundai says the front and rear weight distribution is balanced at 50:50, improving driving stability on different road conditions.
The Ioniq 9 is a seven-seat luxury SUV. It offers 1899 mm headroom and 2050 mm legroom. The SUV also gets an adjustable center console.
Inside the cabin, the SUV features premium leather seats, a panoramic sunroof, ambient lighting and 620 liters of boot space. It also gets a 12-inch infotainment screen and a 12-inch digital instrument cluster.
Other features include roof-mounted AC vents, 100W Type-C charging ports and a premium Bose sound system with 8 standard speakers and 14 optional speakers.
For safety, the SUV comes with 10 airbags and ADAS features. The Ioniq 9 measures 5060 mm in length, 1980 mm in width and 1790 mm in height. It has a wheelbase of 3130 mm.
Hyundai offers the SUV with 19-inch, 20-inch and 21-inch wheel options globally. The wheel size for the Nepal-spec model has not been confirmed yet.
The Kia EV9 is also based on the same Hyundai Motor Group platform. The expected price of the Ioniq 9 in Nepal is likely to remain below Rs 19 million.
