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 concept was to plant a flag in probably the most worthwhile corners of the trade: high-performance, high-price SUVs. BMW had been watching this area 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 venture 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 have been respectable. BMW delivered 762 items 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 items, helped alongside by the mannequin lastly arriving within the U.S. late within the prior quarter. For a minute, the story seemed prefer it was headed in the appropriate route.
Then the slide started. Q2 2024 introduced a drop of 29.5 p.c. Q3 fell one other 30.7 p.c. And most just lately, Q2 2025 noticed XM gross sales sink 23.8 p.c to only 409 items. In the meantime, the remainder of the section saved climbing. Lamborghini sells each Urus they’ll construct. In reality, the model mentioned they’re offered out till 2026. The Vary Rover Sport SV stays one among Land Rover’s most in-demand merchandise. So why didn’t the XM join?
A Controversial Design
Design performed a giant function. The XM didn’t battle 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 seemed muscular, from others it seemed inflated and awkwardly tapered. On this value vary, proportions matter greater than something. Individuals will purchase wild designs, however they must be visually resolved. The XM at all times felt like a automotive with some good concepts that by no means absolutely aligned.
The inside confronted a distinct problem. It wasn’t dangerous — not even shut — but it surely didn’t really feel particular sufficient for what the XM was alleged to be. An excessive amount of of the cabin seemed acquainted from the X5 and X6. Sure, the supplies have been higher and the “M Lounge” lighting was attention-grabbing, but it surely didn’t ship the sense of event that consumers anticipate once they’re spending this sort of cash. Stroll right into a Vary Rover SV or a Urus Performante and 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
Experience 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. Consumers on this section need one thing that may deal with corners but additionally float over damaged pavement. Air suspension exists for a motive. 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 burden. 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 perfect rivals on this area, 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 mild.
All of this paints a reasonably clear image: the XM didn’t battle 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 certainly 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 robust argument for sure, however provided that the subsequent 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 route. 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, format, and ambiance. And it completely wants a distinct mechanical setup.
A lighter, mild-hybrid S68 V8 would resolve a lot of the XM’s dynamic issues. Ditching the complete PHEV system would instantly take away no less than 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 have to chase them, but it surely does have to match the immediacy and really feel if it needs to compete critically.
There’s additionally one thing to study from the Urus. Not the styling, not the noise, however the angle. The Urus feels assured, keen, and unashamedly extroverted. Consumers 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 sophisticated as a result of it was each daring and uneven. BMW swung for the fences, and whereas the consequence 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 thought stays sound. The SUV that the XM tried to be continues to be a legitimate product for BMW M to construct. And with the appropriate corrections — higher proportions, a extra distinct inside, a lighter drivetrain, and a experience that doesn’t punish homeowners on imperfect roads — an XM successor might be precisely the halo mannequin the model initially envisioned.
The query now could be easy: does BMW wish to take one other shot? In the event that they do, there’s no motive the second try can’t be the one which lastly hits the mark.
