In a press release today, BMW confirmed that “an all-new high-powered, hybrid-electric” will be unveiled on Monday, November 29 at 8:00 Eastern Time. BMW says that the new BMW M flagship vehicle will be built in the U.S. at Plant Spartanburg. Even though BMW has refrained from revealing the name of the new M PHEV SUV, we strongly believe that this is the BMW XM. The high-powered M flagship crossover has been a hot topic in the BMW community and several bits of information were already revealed by insiders.
We also believe that the XM will first be unveiled in a concept form with the production version arriving sometimes in 2022. The BMW Concept XM is rumored to feature a bold design with lots of gold/bronze elements to match its imposing size. Selected media will have the chance to see the XM on November 16 behind closed doors, but unfortunately no images or videos will be released until the embargo day.
Franciscus van Meel, chairman of the board of BMW M GmbH and Marcus Syring, head of BMW M Design will be on site to talk about the new plug-in hybrid SUV. Van Meel has just returned to BMW M after a three year hiatus, replacing Markus Flasch who will take a new role within the company.
When it arrives in 2023, the BMW XM will be the most powerful production series vehicle at BMW. The top model is rumored to feature a staggering 552 kW / 750 PS (740 hp). Two other PHEV XM models are part of the new XM family as well. One of the six-cylinder hybrid XM models could produce around 650 horsepower. BMW is likely to use their S58 six-cylinder 3.0 liter engine in combination with an electric motor to produce that massive output.
We understand that the top model is likely to use a new plug-in hybrid setup with a V8 Twin-Turbo petrol unit. It remains to be seen if this the new BMW S68 powerplant which first appeared on our radar in 2019. The very same drivetrain is also likely to appear in future PHEV M cars, like the upcoming 2023 BMW M5. The electrified engine is a stepping stone for BMW M who plans to reveal their first fully electric M car in the 2025-2026 timeframe. It’s also likely that the PHEV V8-powered M models will live for a while side-by-side with fully electric M cars.
Since the BMW XM is an M-engineered product, we will see a limited slip differential on the list of features, along with red, black or blue sport brakes, M seats and tons of carbon fiber parts. The autonomous driving team could also contribute to the BMW XM with their latest and greatest tech which will arrive in 2023. The wheel options are also worthy of a car of this size, so they will range from 21 to 23 inches.
The interior is also rumored to be quite unique and apparently extremely interesting for the rear-seating passengers, as least in the concept variant. We also expect to see large LCD screens and the latest and greatest cabin tech paired with high-quality leathers, trims and materials.
As always, we will be on site to cover the launch of this new BMW M product so stay tuned for some exclusive materials.
[Rendering by @magnus.concepts on Instagram]
