by Anthony Fongaro - Photos via BMW- 08/31/2021
Lately, BMW has been creating vehicles with…interesting front ends. Their grills have been getting bigger and dominating the design. You can find these on everything from the M3 to the X7 and 7-series. Before BMW was doing this, they were and still are creating amazing performance vehicles. The blend of luxury, high performance, and technology dominates the market. SUVs also dominate the market, so a combination of everything said above made sense. BMW’s top dog is the new XM, a plug-in hybrid with a V8. How is it as a performance SUV and does it look…interesting?
I’ll start with the positives for the XM. This XM was painted in Marina Bay Blue metallic paint, one of my favorite colors on a BMW. Massive 23-inch M Light wheels in black and nightgold are stunning. An optional NightGold Metallic Trim adds more pop to the design. A lot of black cladding and trim mixes well with the blue and gold. Now for the negatives…
Starting from the rear, the stacked exhaust is a little odd for a BMW. The tail lights seem to be bulging out, and the XM logo is oddly next to the left taillight. Looking at the silhouette, those tail lights don’t help with the design. The biggest, often explained as “controversial” part of the XM, is the front. Is it ugly? Is describing the front grille as a pig’s nose calling it ugly? Up to you! They illuminate at night so you can never get away from that! Let’s hope the interior is better.
The best part of the interior is the skyline with ambient lighting. When you turn on the XM, the BMW Tri-Colore lights cascade from the front to the back of the cabin. As a modern BMW, climate controls are in the climate control. They’re not as difficult to use as other vehicles *cough Volkswagen* but will take you a few times to get used to. The infotainment system itself works well; it’s quick to use and uses BMW’s sometimes useful gesture controls. I utilized the rotary dial for a majority of the features due to it being convenient. This has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
BMW’s M division took the shifter and buttons from other M controls. The shifter feels sporty, and you can quickly switch the car into different M Modes, EV-only mode, and hybrid mode. BMW also gave the XM the sporty steering wheel which has M1 and M2. These buttons can be individualized to tailor your needs, AKA putting the XM into its sportiest settings. Digital dials and a head-up display are crisp, large, and easy to use. Moving to the rear, you’ll see pillows! How luxurious! The rear seats are also comfortable but there is an odd storage area in the doors. This interior definitely helps to offset the exterior.
Now for the XM’s party piece. This is a plug-in hybrid with a 4.4 liter V8 which creates a combined 644 horsepower/474 kW and 590 lb-ft/800 Nm. With an eight-speed automatic and AWD, this rockets the XM from 0-60 MPH in a scant 3.8 seconds. The XM is seriously quick! If you put the transmission into manual mode, you better be awake! A few times, I bounced the transmission on the limiter and the entire vehicle shook. My passengers were not impressed and the transmission can be harsh! Even in automatic, that glorious V8 sounds fantastic, especially when you turn on the active exhaust.
Since this is a PHEV, there is a range of 30 miles of electric range. When I would drive this to the train station, I would leave my neighborhood electric-only, and get on the main streets in a more sporty set-up. This may be a large SUV, but when you chuck this into corners, you quickly forget. The XM is just crazy! When you want to cruise, this has BMW’s safety systems and you can have assisted lane-changing. Keep this in automatic with everything in comfort, and this is a relaxing SUV to drive. Sorry, “SAV” per BMW. I received around 20-24 MPG.
Starting at around $160,000, the XM is quite an expensive SUV. With a few options such as the paint, this was a $168,000 SUV! Is it worth it? This really depends! I know one person who liked the exterior design, but everyone else called it “controversial” or “ugly”. Honestly, I would say it’s between the two. It’s not good-looking by all means, but it is different. If you can get beyond the exterior, you have a gorgeous interior with comfortable seats and plenty of space. Pay attention if you put the XM in its sportiest settings because those shifts can be brutal. If you want “the ultimate expression of an SUV, sorry SAV, check out the XM. It’s crazy.
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