The 2023 BMW XM is just the second product ever developed from the ground up by the brand’s famous M high-performance tuner shop. There is no more everyday version – every XM is M tuned. Every XM is a plug-in hybrid.
Every XM also wears a love-it-or-hate-it bulldog look, with big flaring nostrils outlined in muted gold to make you look at them.
Our Lyn Woodward got some seat time in the XM. What does she make of what she called “a watershed moment” for BMW?
Unsurprisingly, she says, it puts the emphasis on the driver. “Out of the gate, my first impression is that this is definitely a cockpit,” she says of the interior. A pair of big screens housed together like one wide screen for the driver add to that impression.
But the rear seats are surprisingly spacious and comfortable for a vehicle that feels track-ready. “If you’re lucky enough to sit in the second row, you’ve got a ton of space,” she says. The unique prism-effect headliner grew on her, even if she didn’t love it at first sight.
The power, of course, is “monstrous,” Woodward says. The twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 and hybrid system combine for 644 horsepower. Woodward found the XM “a lot of fun to drive when it comes to its acceleration and quickness.” But shoppers should be aware that the chassis is “super rigid and sporty. Even in comfort mode, there’s a tautness and a stiffness,” she says.
That’s what longtime M fans expect, but it could be off-putting if you’re not used to it. With a $159,000 starting price, the XM is a niche vehicle. But, after a few hours with it, Woodward says she is “super excited for this hybrid technology to make its way across the M products” that cost less.
Check out the video for more on this monster BMW SUV.
