2023 BMW XM: This is it! New renders reveal true look

This is it, your best look yet at the upcoming BMW XM performance SUV, the M division's first-ever model to call their own.

Just as archaeologists and scientists can use computer-aided design to recreate the facial structure of historical figures, so to can our mate Theo Throttle put the pieces together for an accurate look at upcoming models.

Working with a combination of recent design patent images and official photos of the camouflaged XM our man Georg Kacher drove in May this year, we now have what is likely to be near-perfect renderings of the final design.

As the patent images revealed, the plug-in hybrid EV XM's final design will be far more tame than last year's concept, although the massive nostrils will still dominate the front end.

Check out our renders below, and scroll down for more on the upcoming XM.

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The story to here

September 1: BMW XM design patent images surface online

A set of design patent images have surfaced online, revealing what we can expect from Domagoj Dukec’s styling department for the upcoming 2023 BMW XM.

Although never flattering and rarely a perfect look at a new model’s final ‘vibe’, design patents are a handy way to get a sneaky first look at what’s to come.

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In the case of the BMW XM, these images almost suggest buyers can expect a low-set wagon on undersized wheels – but as our drive of a camouflaged example in May shows, the XM will sit high, and its overall proportions will look a little more composed than what we see here.

The real value in these images is the finer details, offering a first clear look at the front and rear styling that has evolved out of the concept revealed in late 2021.

The show car’s massive grille has been downsized just a little, retaining most of its width but losing perhaps a quarter of its original height.

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The slender daytime running lights and angular details of the concept appear to carry over mostly unchanged, along with the driving lights that flank the grille.

The rear has been simplified with a significantly toned-down look to the tail lights that previously hooked dramatically into the rear quarters, and the large M1-inspired roof extensions with integrated BMW logos (see further down) have been removed – now symbolised by a tacked-on panel that merely hints at an homage.

The stacked quad exhaust pipes remain in place, however, reminding buyers and onlookers that this is a proper BMW M car – the performance division’s first dedicated model.

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As confirmed earlier, the XM will be driven by a new electrified S68 4.4-litre bi-turbo V8, producing 355kW in its base form and 559kW/1000Nm in the hero XM 60. You can read more about that here.

As for its styling, BMW design boss Domagoj Dukec has previously described the XM as having a “raw, massive, monolithic appearance”.

One of Dukec’s predecessors, original X5 designer Frank Stephenson, has been far less generous in his take. For his view, check out this video on his personal YouTube channel. (One can't help but think that if the two have ever met, they're no longer on speaking terms.)

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The XM concept, revealed in November 2021

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BMW has yet to confirm a big unveiling date for the XM, but with production set to begin later this year, a full debut is likely not far away.