Someone unfamiliar with the concept of an embargo decided to spoil BMW’s big debut and leak an official image of the hotly anticipated XM. The first dedicated M model since the iconic M1 is an entirely different beast, taking the shape of a plug-in hybrid SUV with edgy styling and an imposing set of kidney grilles likely visible from the moon.
For such a large vehicle, the greenhouse is surprisingly small as the design team likely wanted to mimic the side profile of a coupe as much as possible by adopting a sloping roofline and a rising beltline. Even though they’re not immediately noticeable, the split headlights are there if you know where to look. The upper two-piece LEDs represent the daytime running lights and are joined lower on the bumper by the main clusters “hiding” behind a heavily tinted panel, serving as the low and high beams.
The image currently making the rounds on Instagram also reveals the roof-mounted extra lights we are not expecting to see on the production vehicle. BMW is likely ushering in a new design language with the Concept XM because the electrified SUV looks quite different than an X6 M by featuring an angular exterior with more edges than we can count.
Bavaria’s PHEV luxobarge with a Citroën name rides on massive two-tone alloy wheels probably measuring at least 21 inches in size. There are no visible handles for the doors as far as we can see, but chances are the production version will have electric pop-out handles as implemented on recent BMWs. An image of the rear is not available for now, although we’re getting the impression the taillights are extremely wide. Spy shots have shown prototypes rocking a quad exhaust system with dual-stacked tips on each corner of the bumper.
The official reveal is only a few hours away ahead of the production model’s debut in 2022 when it’s set to hit the assembly line at the Spartanburg factory. The road-going model is unlikely to look this aggressive, which can be both a good or a bad thing depending on personal preferences. We can all agree the XM will stand out in BMW’s growing X lineup, and if the rumors regarding the technical specifications are accurate, it will deserve its flagship SUV status.
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[Source: wilcoblok / Instagram]
