7 Series G70 project manager Christoph Fagschlunger announced last month during an interview with the XM would go down in history as the heaviest car BMW will ever make. That was a rather unexpected statement considering the i7 xDrive60 already weighs a chunky 2,640 kilograms (5,820 pounds). Well, he was speaking the truth as the super SUV tips the scales at 2.7 metric tons, according to Auto Bild.
That works out to 5,952 pounds, which is in the same ballpark as a Rolls-Royce Cullinan with its mighty V12 engine. The fact it’s no Miata is not all too surprising considering the 2023 XM is a mastodont that stretches at 2.21 meters (87 inches) wide. The colossal SUV also happens to be a plug-in hybrid, which adds a battery pack with a capacity of around 25 kWh.
Some of you will be surprised to hear the XM is not the biggest BMW SUV if we’re talking strictly about length. In a separate report from Autocar, we’re being told the first dedicated M car since the mid-engined M1 is actually “a centimeter or two” shorter than the X7. For reference, the three-row luxobarge measures a stately 5.15 meters (202.8 inches).
That lithium-ion battery pack is made from three separate elements mounted beneath the rear seats and adds bulk to an already heavy car. Despite weighing about as much as the moon, the consensus among the few who have had the chance to drive the XM is the steering is comparable to that of a much lighter car.
According to Auto Motor und Sport, BMW’s most powerful production car can reach 168 mph (270 km/h) provided it’s equipped with an optional package. As for the 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) run, drivetrain engineer Johannes Franz told Auto Express it’ll take “easily sub-five seconds.”
The same German source mentions that although the XM won’t have a 2WD mode, drivers will be able to turn off the dynamic stability control (DSC) system. Don’t go looking for air suspension because the company’s flagship SUV won’t have it. Why? It “reacts too sluggishly.” Even so, AMS claims the XM is more comfortable than an X6 M.
The world premiere is scheduled to take place in the coming months prior to a confirmed start of production in December at the Spartanburg plant in South Carolina.
Source: Auto Bild, Autocar, Auto Motor und Sport, Auto Express