BMW took everyone by surprise in November 2021 with the reveal of its aggressively angled Concept XM. Prepare to encounter the next production version with much of the same polarizing design, including the love/hate split headlights we recently saw on the new 7 and X7 series. The bold SUV available exclusively with a plug-in hybrid powertrain is the first autonomous M product since the original M1 was discontinued in 1981.
As you can see, it’s far from being a direct successor to the mid-engined coupe since the XM wants to cash in on the SUV craze. It sits above the X5 M/X6 M Competition and X7 M60i while looking nothing like those models, for better or worse. Everything is big in the partially electrified M-Division behemoth, including 23-inch wheels with 275/35 R23 front and 315/30 R23 rear tires as standard equipment. Alternatively, you can possibly go down a size.
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It has two roundels on the back as a throwback to the M1, but that’s about where the similarities end. As with all full-fledged M cars, the XM features a quad exhaust system, but this time with stacked tips to bring out the sporty luxobarge. Impressively wide taillights complement the muscular bodywork and flank a prominent XM badge with a gold surround to echo other exterior details.
The first M product with a PHEV configuration includes a charging port on the left front fender, which will be the same story as the next-gen M5. Under the hood, BMW installed its new S68 engine, a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 with mild-hybrid technology. The combustion engine alone is good for 483 horsepower at 5,400 rpm and 479 lb-ft (650 Newton-meters) of torque from just 1,600 rpm.
Integrated into the eight-speed automatic transmission, the electric motor develops 194 hp and 280 Nm (207 lb-ft). With the power of both combined, the XM delivers 644 hp and 590 lb-ft (800 Nm). The electrified punch allows a 0 to 60 mph (96 km/h) in 4.1 seconds or 4.3 s for the sprint to 62 mph (100 km/h). The ultimate M SUV is electronically capped at 155 mph (250 km/h) from the factory, but add the M Driver’s Package and BMW will lower the limiter to 168 mph (270 km/h).
The electric motor draws its juice from a lithium-ion battery with a useful capacity of 25.7 kWh. The XM will hit 87 mph (140 km/h) in electric mode, and BMW estimates a full charge will last 30 miles (48 kilometers) based on EPA testing procedures. In Europe, the super SUV named after a 1990s Citroën model has a WLTP rating of 82 to 88 kilometers (51 to 55 miles).
Tipping the scales at 6,062 pounds (split almost 50:50), the XM is the heaviest production BMW ever made. That should come as no big surprise given that it packs a big V8 engine, electric motor and battery into a more than generously sized vehicle: 5,110 millimeters (201.2 in) long, 2,005 mm ( 78.9 in) wide, and 1755 mm (69.1 in) high. Although the 3,105 mm (122.2 in) wheelbase is the same as the three-row X7, the XM only seats five.
It doesn’t have the flamboyant interior of the Concept XM, but you do get a two-tone theme that reminds us of last year’s showcar by featuring Vintage Coffee Merino leather combined with Soft Nappa leather. The headliner incorporates no less than 100 LEDs for whimsical lighting effects depending on the driving mode selected. The speedy SUV uses the latest iDrive 8 and comes with a head-up display as standard while offering the widest range of driver assistance systems ever fitted in a BMW.
The XM will go into production before the end of this year at the Spartanburg plant in South Carolina. Pricing starts at $159,000 (plus $995 destination and handling), but a more expensive version is planned for next year. Known as XM Label Red, the first in a series of BMW Label models will enter limited production in mid-2023 with over 735 hp and 735 lb-ft (nearly 1,000 Nm). Price? Starting at $185,000. For your money, BMW will add special paint, wheels, trim and interior trim.
With the XM, BMW M is signaling its hybrid revolution as the M2 and 3.0 CSL arriving in the coming weeks will be the last M products powered exclusively by a combustion engine. The mechanically linked next-generation M5 and all other complete M vehicles with straight-six and V8 engines coming after it will adopt electrification to some extent.
