2023 BMW XM | Superlative of exaggeration
Half a century of BMW M models, that cannot simply pass by! BMW and M need to celebrate 50 years of exciting cars! A lot of petrolheads were dreaming of the return of a supercar that could compete with the legendary M1. But it wasn’t supposed to be! No, BMW M celebrates its 50th birthday with a 2.7-ton super-SUV. Surprise!
This above is only half true
BMW also celebrates with the M4 CSL, the M3 Touring and the 3.0 CSL. The research and production of these cars needed to be financed and the BMW XM was born. Just because big -read: huge- SUVs will sell. Just think about the Cayenne in the Porsche line-up.
BMW wants (and needs) to sell a lot of these XMs and to do so, a mountain, or should we say: Mount Everest, of power will help. The BMW XM produces 653 hp/800 Nm of torque out of the well-known 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 (489 hp) that is linked to the 8-speed M Steptronic gearbox and an additional electric motor with 197 hp. Yes, this big and heavy SUV puts down 653 hp! But it can also drive 82 kilometers on electricity only, thanks to a 25.7 kWh battery. This setup theoretically reduces the CO2 emission to a mere 33g/km and allows the average fuel consumption to drop to 1.5 liters per 100 km. We didn’t hit that number and we weren’t even close: 14l/100km. Auwtch.
The reason for this is the lovely feeling of accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in less than 5 seconds, 4.3 to be more specific. But with a stronger will and in EV-mode, the car can easily hit 100 km/h (a lot slower) and goes on to an electric top speed of 140 km/h. All while you are listening to the IconicSounds Electric produced by the great Hans Zimmer himself. But why should you do that if you have a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 at the disposal of your right foot?
Going fast in a straight line is only one part of a performance car. Real performance cars are also good at braking and cornering. How do you guys think a 2.7 ton heavy SUV will cope in the corners? It really sucks! Under hard acceleration, braking and cornering you feel the car tilting thanks to the weight and the high center of gravity. And talking about the brakes, they aren’t enough to stop this 653-hp beast as fast as it accelerates. So, I‘m sorry for the BMW-fanboys but this XM isn’t a real performance car. Sadly enough, the attempt to make it as sporty as possible has negative consequences on its ride comfort. The 23-inch wheels don’t help either, making the XM too cheeky and hard for its own good.
Not everyone’s cup of tea
With the dimensions of the BMW XM, you would think it’s the biggest car in the line-up. But with a length of 5,110mm, width of 2,005mm and height of 1,755mm the XM is just a little bit smaller than the X7. This definition of a typical American SUV feels that big, but thanks to the rear axle steering you could take a tight corner without hitting something like a house. Furthermore, this BMW XM suffers from the typical modern BMW oddities when it comes to styling. The big luminous kidney grill on an ever bigger nose with an abundance of lines that flows over to a back that lacks any line or shape. We aren’t a big fan of this styling.
Christmas lights
On the inside of the BMW XM, there is little to complain about! Just like -almost- all the other BMWs, the interior breaths quality and doesn’t lack drive support systems (sometimes as an option). The seats are beautiful, very supportive and are just comfy enough (only just). With a typical M-styled steering wheel that contains the M1 and M2 buttons and a “visually one-piece and slightly curved screen consisting of a 12.3 and 14.9-inch screen”, the drive should feel special enough. Isn’t this the case? Then the roof that comprises 100 colorful LEDs should do the trick! Yes, there isn’t a panoramic roof, but a light show.
At the rear, there isn’t a movie screen -that you might expect- like in the i7. But leg- and headroom isn’t an issue. Trunk space isn’t either, with 527 liters and the possibility to enlarge that to 1,820 liters, your weekly groceries will fly around in the boot when you are trying to hit 100 km/h in 4.3 seconds!
All of this can be yours for an eye-watering starting price of 177,450 euros (BE), but this can easily jump to 200K. Making this BMW XM not only the most powerful but also the most expensive new BMW. That is, if you don’t count the XM Label with 748 hp and a starting price of over 200.000 euros.
Conclusion
Every time we ask us the question: would we buy the car? The answer is NO. BMW wants this car to be good at everything, unfortunately it’s like a 6.5 out of 10 in everything. It’s great if you want a statement piece with an outspoken design and a sort of designer feel on the inside, the XM might be for you. However if you want a fast, practical BMW, you could get a cheaper and faster BMW X5 M Competition or the “soon coming to the market” BMW M5 touring.
