Overview BMW XM
The 2023 BMW XM Above the three-row X7 in BMW‘s SUV range will be the performance-oriented XM, the two-row crossover for sport and tuning purposes from the brand’s proud M division.
It’s the M division’s first plug-in hybrid and takes the form of a large SUV – maybe not the car you’d expect from BMW to celebrate a landmark birthday, but it’s full of technology.
Shown here in concept form, the XM features an aggressive design with a gaping kidney-shaped grille opening, stacked tailpipes, and a gently sloping roof that hints at a fastback shape.
Under the hood is a 644-horsepower plug-in hybrid powertrain powered by a twin-turbocharged V-8. We can get about 30 miles of electric-only driving on a fully charged battery, but it’s the XM’s performance potential that really interests me.
Interior, Comfort, and Cargo
While we think the concept’s exterior represents a close estimation of what will eventually roll off the line at BMW’s manufacturing plant in South Carolina, we expect that several of its posh interior details will not make the jump to production. The geometric headliner, We love the vintage leather upholstery and the quilted velvet rear seats, but BMW will likely choose more subdued materials for the final product.
BMW’s chassis engineers have worked just as hard as those on the powertrain to overcome the car’s mass, and with clever a 48-volt active anti-roll system the XM remains impressively flat and stable through corners that would usually see an SUV like this roll around.
The standard drive mode puts the XM in hybrid operation, where it’ll rely on the electric motors when possible and fire up the gas engine when needed. The transitions between the startups and shutoffs are seamless, especially under braking when the engine turns off before a stop. There’s a fully electric drive mode, too, complete with space-age wizardy woo-ahh sounds created by Hans Zimmer.