We drove one of the most polarizing BMWs ever made in both standard XM and XM Label trims and now might just have to readjust the way we think about the brand
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The BMW XM, particularly in its highest trim, the XM Label, stands out as one of the most divisive cars in today’s market. With price tags soaring well into six figures, power outputs exceeding 600 (447 kW) and 700 (521 kW) horsepower for the standard and Label versions respectively, and an exterior design that some might describe as the result of a fanboy’s overcompensation and an obsession with exaggerated proportions, it certainly sparks strong opinions.
However, as the saying goes, one shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. In an attempt to adhere to that age-old wisdom, we seized the opportunity at BMW Test Fest to test drive both the “regular” XM and the higher-performance XM Label. We ventured into traffic, suburban areas, highways, and even the winding hills around Spartanburg to get a full experience.
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That experience ripped the veil off of what BMW touts as its most powerful production M car ever. Is it just a bombastic SUV with a bunch of flash and horsepower? Or is this truly a new direction for a brand that isn’t willing to stand on its historically more attractive laurels? Read on to find out.
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Turbos And Transistors
Photos Stephen Rivers/Carscoops
Here in the USA, the XM is available in two different guises, both leveraging a hybrid twin-turbocharged V8 under the hood. This powerplant is coupled with an electric motor and an eight-speed automatic transmission, delivering power to all four wheels. In the standard XM, if it can even be called “standard” with a beginning price of $159,000, this powertrain produces 644 hp (480 kW) and 590 lb-ft (799 Nm) of torque.
While those numbers might seem impressive on paper, keep in mind that the XM tips the scales at just over 6,000 pounds (2,721 kg). That combination, along with everything else the XM comes with, is good for a 0-60 mph time of 4.1 seconds. In other words, it’s slower than almost every other M car in the fleet. Nevertheless, the XM isn’t really aimed at beating every other SUV in terms of sheer performance. It’s a deliberate blend of luxury and in-your-face design sprinkled with a touch of sporting DNA.
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For more serious speed with a BMW XM badge, one needs to select the Label trim (formerly known as Red Label). From the outside, it’s almost impossible to tell the difference between the two cars. Both have big 23-inch wheels standard. Both get the same available color flourishes on the body. And both have lots of leather and a couple of throw pillows in the cabin. Neither has the word “Label” anywhere on the body though. We’ll tell you the secret. Look for the red trim on the badging. That’s the identifying exterior mark.
Of course, if one could strap them to a dyno they’d give up their secrets there too. The XM Label makes up to 738 hp (550 kW) and 738 lb-ft (999 Nm) of torque. It’ll do the 0-60 mph shuffle in 3.7 seconds which officially starts to put it on the verge of super SUV territory. It also comes with a bevy of exclusively available options and paint colors for the cool starting price of just $185,000. Both the XM and the XM Label offer up to 30 miles of all-electric driving at up to 87 mph. The EPA says they’ll get up to 46 MPGe but keep in mind that when battery power runs out that drops to just 14 mpg combined.
A Wild Or Mild Cabin
Photos Stephen Rivers/Carscoops
The XM is one of the few cars that truly matches its interior and exterior designs this closely. No, there’s no gangly kidney grille staring at each passenger from the windshield but a quick look around keeps the same bold theme. The dash is awash with different coverings, different surfaces, and other bits to catch your eye. The XM we tested had no less than six different colors across its dash while the XM Label settled for a far more typical black and grey color scheme. The door cards share those same colorways and touch surfaces too.
Those design choices admittedly make the XM and XM Label feel special from the driver’s seat. Notably, the cabin isn’t just interesting to look at, it’s also quite comfortable. The front seats are highly adjustable to the point that BMW put some finer adjustments in the infotainment system. There’s only so much room on the side of the seat for physical buttons after all. Speaking of the infotainment system, it’s BMW’s iDrive 8. That includes a wide curved screen that ultimately houses both the driver information display and the infotainment system.
Photos Stephen Rivers/Carscoops
During our testing, we found the infotainment system to be highly responsive, user-friendly, and very intuitive too. Features were placed where one would expect them to be and giving customers the ability to use all of the different interaction methods available (voice recognition, touch controls, physical buttons and knobs, gestures) is the right way to go about any infotainment system.
The only downside is the same issue we had when we reviewed the new 5-Series. The navigation sometimes provides directions to far-flung places in error. That won’t happen all of the time but if a place you want to go nearby is the same as one a state or two away just be sure to check the final destination before confirming.
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The rear seats are very spacious too though as a person that stands at 6’6, I still struggled to find enough headroom. Despite that, the soft cushioning and the wrap-around design of the rear seats make them some of the most comfortable in the business.
Photos Stephen Rivers/Carscoops
Don’t forget that occupants in the back get a full view of BMW’s angular headliner with its integrated multi-color LEDs along with their own climate control system and heated seats. This really is a luxury SUV with the chops to keep up with the competition on that front.
Cargo space isn’t paltry either. Behind the second-row seats is a 19 cubic-foot storage space. Importantly, some of that is diminished by the very posh XM bag in the area that houses the charging cable. Why not put it under the cargo area? Well, that space isn’t available to owners. The cargo floor doesn’t move so BMW stashes the cable in a fancy bag instead. One other tiny drawback is that the rear seats can only be lowered via the back doors. There is no latch or release button in the cargo area.
Drive Impressions
Photos Stephen Rivers/Carscoops
What’s it like to drive such an aggressively styled car? Well, in a word, surprising. The normal XM deserves quite a lot of praise for the way that BMW managed to integrate both electric and combustion power into the way that it moves. It’s incredibly smooth and power comes on almost as forcefully as in a high-horsepower EV.
That said, it’s not some ground-breakingly-fast SUV. Even if a driver can manage to go a touch faster than its stated 4.1-second 0-60 time, that’s still not very quick compared to other high-performance SUVs like the Lamborghini Urus, Audi RSQ8, and the Tesla Model X Plaid. The XM also lacks the sharpness that those cars have in terms of steering feedback and body control.
The XM Label offers far more power and even more gut-punch acceleration force. In a straight line it’s easy to forget that one is piloting a vehicle that weighs more than three tons. Interestingly, it doesn’t really soak up bumps and bruises in the pavement the way one might expect from something in this price range. Instead, it communicates just enough of the road surface to make the experience feel like it bridges the gap between the performance machines mentioned above and SUVs that lean even harder into the luxury vibe.
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All of that being said, the XM and XM Label are still an incredibly capable pair of SUVs. They each employ active roll stabilization which basically disconnects the sway bar when driving in a straight line and then reconnects it around bends. The XM twins also get another feature BMW calls Active Roll Comfort where the car actively suppresses bumps on the road that happen on only one side of the car.
The electronically controlled rear differential also makes managing throttle input easier since it can actively split torque and reduce understeer. Other clever tricks add a bit of fun factor and drama too. For example, the different drive modes can make the XM and XM Label as quiet as a mouse or as loud and rumbly as something with well north of 700 hp should be.
Silently rolling up to a light and then activating the M mode really does completely change the character of this beast. As a complete package, the XM and XM Label are easy to drive quickly and almost delightfully brutish in the way that they sound and feel from the driver’s seat.
Gunning For Its Own Segment
How then does the XM and XM Label actually stack up against the competition? Well depending on who you ask, the answer is great or terrible. When pitted against SUVs that aim to be performance machines first and luxury SUVs second, the XM doesn’t keep up – literally. Stack it up against SUVs that focus heavily on luxury and it feels closer in terms of content, but still isn’t a leader in that segment.
All of this makes it feel as though BMW wants to look at the XM family as though it’s on its own island or starting its own new segment perhaps. Take for example its attempt at beating the Lamborghini Urus up Pikes Peak. When it didn’t go well the first time BMW went back and tried again. When it failed to beat the Lamborghini it still declared victory but made sure to clarify that it was now the fastest “Hybrid Electric SUV.”
Final thoughts
The BMW XM and XM Label are like brand new branches on the family tree. Sure, they can technically tie their lineage back to the M1 but in reality, they represent a new movement. BMW would likely love nothing more than for this brutalist SUV to help it delve into a new upper echelon of automotive royalty. If there’s one thing that the brand has figured out it’s that high-end cars can be incredibly profitable.
The XM and XM Label appear to be moving in that same direction. It stands out – and for better or for worse, it’s eye-catching, engaging from behind the wheel, and flashy from every seat in the cabin. If you’re into the looks and the attitude of the BMW XM and XM Label, enjoy. Who are we to kink-shame?