2023 BMW XM: Details of flagship SUV emerge

The 2023 BMW XM is set to be unveiled as the marque’s flagship model before the year is out, and leaked information suggests it may come with a 485kW plug-in hybrid engine.

According to a post from BMW insider ynguldyn, the German carmaker will reveal the range-topping SUV with a single plug-in hybrid powertrain to begin with, eventually expanding the range to include two additional petrol engines.

The model has also been referred to in the media as the X8, but a number of signs are hinting at this being a standalone model from the company’s high-performance M division.

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Above: The BMW XM or X8 undergoing testing at the Nürburgring. Source: Automotive Mike.

BMW filed a trademark for the XM badge earlier this year, and BMW M’s outgoing boss Markus Flasch has suggested an M model that doesn’t fit within the standard BMW range has been explored by the department.

While it’s an unusual move, there is precedent – the BMW M1 was the company’s first production vehicle to ever wear an M badge, and was only available as such.

As far back as 2018, a flagship BMW SUV was rumoured to be coming based on the Rolls-Royce Cullinan SUV – complete with V12 engine – but the informant states the large SUV will instead use the BMW’s 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine found in the M3 and M4, coupled with a plug-in hybrid powertrain to offer as much as 485kW.

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Above and top: Renderings by @magnus.concepts

The XM is said to also come with standard M equipment such as; a limited-slip differential, dark blue sports brakes, sports seats, colour-coded seat belts, and carbon-fibre trim – with “next-level driving assist” to be added in mid-2023.

To top it off, buyers will be able to option a set of alloy wheels up to 23 inches in size.

Expect to see the 2023 BMW XM or X8 unveiled before the end of 2021, with the flagship SUV to enter production in late 2022.