Top image: a Hyundai Ioniq 5 on display at GIIAS in Surabaya. Photo: Alex Neman, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Hyundai Motors Indonesia (HMID) says its forthcoming Neira, a three-row, seven-seat electric SUV that will be built at its Cikarang plant, will comfortably exceed the 60% local-content (TKDN) threshold that battery EVs must meet from 2027. The company gave the assurance at a media briefing in Jakarta on Thursday (5 November), ahead of the car’s public introduction at Gaikindo’s Jakarta auto show later this month.
Battery plant underpins the TKDN claim
HMID chief operating officer Fransiscus Soerjopranoto credited Hyundai’s existing battery manufacturing facility in Karawang, West Java, and final assembly at the Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Indonesia (HMMI) plant in Cikarang for the local-content level, according to Antara. Battery packs from Karawang would also be assembled into the car in Cikarang, he said.
“Neira’s TKDN is definitely above 60 per cent, because the battery plant itself is already in Karawang, so it’s just a matter of utilising it.”
— Fransiscus Soerjopranoto, HMID, to Antara (translated from Indonesian)
The timing matters. As we reported this week, the government is tightening the rules so that battery EVs need 60% local content, including locally built battery packs, from 2027. Antara notes that the roadmap in Presidential Regulation No. 79 of 2023 sets 60% for 2027–2029, rising to 80% from 2030. Brands that rely on imported packs or imported cars will need to localise further to keep qualifying for incentives, while manufacturers with local cell or pack production start with an advantage.
Filling a half-empty factory
In a separate Antara report, Fransiscus said the HMMI plant has an annual capacity of around 150,000 units but is currently running at about half of that. Hyundai hopes the Neira, together with the Kia Carens it also builds there, will push the factory towards full utilisation. Production will serve the domestic market first; exports are possible but are not the immediate priority, he said.
What Hyundai has revealed so far
The Neira, whose name refers to Banda Neira in Maluku, is aimed squarely at Indonesia’s appetite for seven-seaters. Kontan lists four selling points Hyundai highlighted:
- 200 mm of ground clearance, which Hyundai says suits Indonesia’s uneven roads;
- Bluelink connected-car technology linking the car to the driver’s smartphone;
- Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist, a feature Hyundai says scored well in its customer car-clinic research;
- a roomy three-row cabin with easy access from the second row to the third.
Hyundai has not yet published a price, battery size or range. Jawa Pos reports that HMID has not disclosed pricing and that pre-bookings will open during the show. Antara says full details of prices, variants and the ordering process will be announced there, and that several variants, from an entry trim to a top specification, are planned. Kontan reports the exhibition opens on 20 November and that visitors will be able to inspect the car at a dedicated “Neira Corner”. Antara refers to the show by its new name, Gaikindo Auto Week (GAW) 2026, formerly GJAW; Kontan still uses GJAW.
The Neira joins a growing list of debuts planned for the event, alongside the GAC, LEPAS and BAW models we covered in October. Hyundai’s current electric range in Indonesia includes the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 9, according to Jawa Pos; see our Hyundai directory entry for the wider line-up.
What it means for buyers
A locally built seven-seat EV from a mainstream brand would compete in one of the market’s most important segments, where families currently have relatively few electric options. Clearing the 60% TKDN bar should help keep the Neira eligible for whatever incentives apply from 2027, which in turn could make its pricing more competitive than imported rivals. Until Hyundai confirms the price, battery and range at the show, though, buyers should treat it as a model to watch rather than one to commit to; pre-booking terms are worth reading carefully before paying any deposit.
Sources: Antara: Hyundai pastikan Neira penuhi TKDN di atas 60 persen untuk aturan 2027; Antara: Hyundai optimalkan utilisasi pabrik lewat produksi Neira dan Carens; Kontan: Hyundai siapkan mobil listrik 7 penumpang NEIRA, ini empat keunggulannya; Jawa Pos: Hyundai siapkan NEIRA, SUV listrik 7 penumpang, buka pre-booking di GAW 2026