Blame the buyers for why the BMW XM is an SUV

Tuesday, 31 May 2022

The second-ever standalone M model is here.

BMW’s M division is nearing the reveal of its first standalone vehicle in 40 years, and while many expected it to come as a new-age M1, we’re instead getting a go-fast SUV.

Why? Because, as demonstrated by SUVs dominating the sales charts for the last decade or so, that’s what actually sells.

Speaing to Autoblog, the boss of M, Frank van Meel, said: “If you look today at the biggest, most important, and fastest-growing segment, it's clearly the SUV segment. And, in comparison to other manufacturers, we were still lacking this ultimate expressive luxury flagship at the top of M.”

The biggest reason why BMW’s first standalone car in 40 years is an SUV is essentially money.

Similarly, the M1 was also a product of its time. “When we did the M1, every car company that wanted to say 'I have something special' built a sports car – that was the segment everyone wanted to enter,” van Meel explained.

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At least the XM will be fast. A 550kW electrified biturbo V8 is taking care of that.

* BMW debuts plug-in SUV packing plenty of power

* BMW cutting combustion powertrains in half

* Electric M cars to leave ICE in the dust

Nowadays, BMW already has a handful sporty cars on offer in the M3, M4, M5 and M8. Neither it nor the M division really needs a halo car in the same vein, so a high-performance SUV does make sense.

The XM was shown off earlier in the year as a concept car boasting a new plug-in hybrid twin-turbo V8 powertrain with 550kW of power and 1000Nm. Expect an electric range of between 50km and 80km.

And yes, it will get a big grille. Apparently, it’s one of the biggest grilles BMW has ever put on a vehicle, concept or production.

We should see the production version soon, with pricing likely to eclipse the all-electric iX M60 $238,900 tag.