The BMW XM was by no means meant to be a background participant. When BMW M determined to construct its first standalone mannequin for the reason that M1, the thought was to plant a flag in one of the crucial worthwhile corners of the trade: high-performance, high-price SUVs. BMW had been watching this house for years because the Lamborghini Urus exploded in recognition, the Vary Rover Sport SV discovered its groove, and Porsche realized that the Cayenne Turbo GT was principally a license to print cash. From the skin, an ultra-M SUV appeared like an apparent transfer.
BMW didn’t rush the XM. Throughout a current go to to Designworks in California, it turned clear the undertaking had been brewing for a very long time. It was meant to be an announcement automotive, one thing that pushed BMW M into a brand new class. However even with that preparation, the XM by no means took off the way in which BMW hoped.
A Good Begin in Gross sales
It wasn’t a disastrous launch. When it hit the market on the finish of Q1 2023, the early numbers had been first rate. BMW delivered 762 models in Q2, which isn’t dangerous for a six-figure experiment. Q1 2024 even confirmed some progress, up 32.3 p.c year-over-year to 541 models, helped alongside by the mannequin lastly arriving within the U.S. late within the prior quarter. For a minute, the story regarded prefer it was headed in the proper path.
Then the slide started. Q2 2024 introduced a drop of 29.5 p.c. Q3 fell one other 30.7 p.c. And most lately, Q2 2025 noticed XM gross sales sink 23.8 p.c to only 409 models. In the meantime, the remainder of the section stored climbing. Lamborghini sells each Urus they’ll construct. In truth, the model mentioned they’re bought out till 2026. The Vary Rover Sport SV stays considered one of Land Rover’s most in-demand merchandise. So why didn’t the XM join?
A Controversial Design
Design performed an enormous function. The XM didn’t wrestle as a result of it was daring; it struggled as a result of the general form by no means fairly settled into one thing cohesive. The entrance finish grabbed the early headlines, however the actual sticking level for consumers was the rear. From some angles it regarded muscular, from others it regarded inflated and awkwardly tapered. On this value vary, proportions matter greater than something. Individuals will purchase wild designs, however they have to be visually resolved. The XM all the time felt like a automotive with some good concepts that by no means absolutely aligned.
The inside confronted a special concern. It wasn’t dangerous — not even shut — but it surely didn’t really feel particular sufficient for what the XM was imagined to be. An excessive amount of of the cabin regarded acquainted from the X5 and X6. Sure, the supplies had been higher and the “M Lounge” lighting was fascinating, but it surely didn’t ship the sense of event that consumers anticipate once they’re spending this type of cash. Stroll right into a Vary Rover SV or a Urus Performante and you understand instantly that you just’re in one thing distinctive. The XM didn’t make that very same first impression.
It Wants An Air Suspension. Pronto
Journey consolation didn’t assist both. BMW M went with metal springs as a result of they wished the XM to behave like an M automotive. Philosophically, that is sensible. Virtually, it didn’t. A six-thousand-pound SUV on metal suspension goes to really feel agency, and in day-to-day driving the XM might be noticeably stiff. Patrons on this section need one thing that may deal with corners but in addition float over damaged pavement. Air suspension exists for a cause. Selecting to not use it made the XM really feel out of step with what prospects anticipate from a luxurious SUV.
A Heavy Beast
After which there’s the load. At 6,061 kilos, the XM carried extra mass than even BMW’s engineers may absolutely disguise. The plug-in hybrid system added advantages on paper — torque, effectivity, a brief electrical vary — but it surely additionally made the SUV really feel heavy. The most effective opponents on this house, particularly the Urus and Cayenne Turbo GT, succeed as a result of they really feel alive and keen regardless of their measurement. The XM might be quick, but it surely by no means managed to really feel gentle.
All of this paints a reasonably clear image: the XM didn’t wrestle as a result of the idea was flawed. The thought of a BMW M flagship SUV nonetheless is sensible. The market is there. The urge for food is there. The cash is unquestionably there. The XM stumbled as a result of a number of key selections didn’t land with the individuals BMW wanted to impress.
So ought to BMW strive once more?
There’s a powerful argument for sure, however provided that the following try begins with a clear sheet. A successor wants a extra cohesive design that leans into the readability and sharpness of BMW’s Neue Klasse path. It wants an inside that feels genuinely separate from the remainder of the lineup — not a nicer X5 M, however one thing that sits on the very high of the model in supplies, structure, and environment. And it completely wants a special mechanical setup.
A lighter, mild-hybrid S68 V8 would remedy a lot of the XM’s dynamic issues. Ditching the total PHEV system would instantly take away at the least a thousand kilos. Doing so would give the next-generation mannequin the response and character anticipated on this section. All the high performers depend on combustion energy to supply emotional engagement. BMW doesn’t must chase them, but it surely does must match the immediacy and really feel if it needs to compete critically.
There’s additionally one thing to be taught from the Urus. Not the styling, not the noise, however the angle. The Urus feels assured, keen, and unashamedly extroverted. Patrons reply to that. The XM, for all its ambition, by no means radiated that very same power. A successor has to.
Will BMW Construct an XM Successor?
The XM’s story is difficult as a result of it was each daring and uneven. BMW swung for the fences, and whereas the outcome wasn’t a house run, it wasn’t a complete miss both. It was a automotive that confirmed the place BMW wished to go however didn’t fairly stick the touchdown. The excellent news is that the underlying concept stays sound. The SUV that the XM tried to be remains to be a sound product for BMW M to construct. And with the proper corrections — higher proportions, a extra distinct inside, a lighter drivetrain, and a trip that doesn’t punish house owners on imperfect roads — an XM successor might be precisely the halo mannequin the model initially envisioned.
The query now could be easy: does BMW need to take one other shot? In the event that they do, there’s no cause the second try can’t be the one which lastly hits the mark.
