The highly awaited and somewhat controversial BMW XM is nearing its launch date. According to sources, the high-end M crossover will be unveiled on September 27th. The luxury XM joined a global tour this year where potential customers and VIPs had a chance to see the car fully unveiled. We also had a chance to see BMW XM at this year’s Concorso d’Eleganza at Villa d’Este. And even more importantly, we got behind the wheel of an XM prototype back in May.
2023 BMW XM unofficial rendering / www.Kolesa.ru
Fully revealing patent images of the final version emerged at the end of last month to confirm the dedicated M car won’t stray away at all from the Concept XM. The front fascia is perhaps less striking now that the 7 Series G70 and X7 LCI also have a split headlight design, but the large kidney grille is still polarizing. The most obvious change compared to the concept will be the adoption of regular door handles, but there are other tweaks as well. For example, the front bumper is not as aggressive since the lower air intake is narrower and now incorporates the radar sensor for safety features and driver assistance systems.
At the back, the Concept XM’s stacked dual exhaust tips are staying, and there’s a good chance the BMW roundels in the upper corners of the glass will remain as well. The taillights are also less slick as on the concept model. The roof is less tapered while the hatch takes a more conventional shape, typical to a crossover. Overall, the shape of the production XM is a bit more conventional in design than the concept car. Its panels are not as sharp and the design is simply more cohesive. There are no images of the interior, but we’ve already seen a glimpse of it in the XM prototype we drove. It basically mimics the design of the BMW X5 M Competition, with minor changes unique to the XM.
We also learned earlier this year that the first dedicated M car since the mid-engined M1 is actually “a centimeter or…
