The Concept XM previews the new flagship performance BMW XM SUV which will launch in 2022 and could be in Australia by 2023.
This is the BMW Concept XM, a plug-in-hybrid concept car that previews a new flagship performance SUV called the XM. When the production model is unveiled next year, it will be exclusively available in flagship M specification only.
The XM will be the first M model with a petrol-electric hybrid powertrain and will take on the Porsche Cayenne, Bentley Bentayga, Lamborghini Urus and the new Range Rover. The XM will become the second model in BMW’s ‘X” SUV range that doesn’t have a number in its name, after the fully electric iX SUV.
The Concept XM offers a glimpse of what the brand’s next-generation flagship M models will look like, although the design of the final production car is likely to be toned down somewhat. The nose features a pair of oversized kidney grilles with slim triangular headlight clusters either side. The bonnet is a ‘clamshell’ style design, with a recessed BMW badge on the nose and an aggressive power bulge.
A profile view of the car reveals squared off wheel arches, black bodywork cladding and a set of large alloy wheels. The roofline slopes gradually towards the rear of the car, along with an upswept window line leading to an angular C-pillar.
The rear is possibly the most radical aspect of the concept’s design, with a recessed roofline cutting into the tailgate glass and a slim pair of LED strip lights wrapping around from the tailgate into the rear quarter panel. Below this, a stacked set of triangular quad exhaust tips are separated by a rear diffuser.
The interior of the Concept XM borrows design cues already seen in the new BMW iX SUV, with a more dedicated sports-car style design that BMW says is an “M interpretation of a driver-focused cockpit”. Both the infotainment screen and digital dial cluster are contained within a single continuous housing, a feature already seen in the iX. It runs an M-specific version of the brand’s iDrive software, which gets unique displays for the hybrid system and EV driving mode.
Elsewhere, there’s red contrasting detailing on selected buttons and trim pieces, which is another feature that is shared with the current M5 and M8 models. The interior trim features carbon fibre on the centre console, with brown leather trim on the heavily bolstered front sports seats. This is contrasted by the rear seats, which are trimmed in dark green diamond-quilted velvet, a shade that BMW calls ‘Petrol’, along with contrasting black leather trim covering the upper sections and headrests. To match the mixed upholstery trim, BMW has also created an illuminated headlining that when lit up, has a three-dimensional effect.
The Concept XM is powered by a turbocharged V8 petrol engine and an electric motor for a total of 544kW. This is a new hybrid powertrain developed by the brand’s M Division specifically for the car. It’s thought that the production version of the XM could combine the twin-turbo 4.4-litre V8 petrol engine found in the M5 alongside an electric motor to give it a similar power output to this prototype, making it the most powerful production model ever made by the company.
BMW is yet to reveal the size of the Concept XM’s battery but has said that it’s capable of a pure-electric range of up to 80km, which is a similar figure to the 90km offered by the X5 xDrive45e plug-in hybrid. Production is set for next year and it is possible the model could launch in Australia during 2023.
Ben Hodges