BMW XM First Drive experince: 643 HP, 61.9 KM/L? This SUV Defies Logic

As a car enthusiast, every limited edition car is exciting for me. But I am a lucky guy who experiences cars and gadgets for a living and most recently, I got to experience another very cool limited edition car from one of the most coveted German carmakers. The BMW XM is a ₹3 crore limited SUV from BMW. Now, this car is so special that you can only buy it if BMW thinks you’re worthy. Yes, the BMW XM is an invite-only car, so naturally, you need to be a special person to be able to buy this car. More special than having about ₹3 crore to spend on a car.

What makes it so special is that after the M1 supercar of the 80s, this is the first M car to be built around the M platform and not around an existing BMW car, just like other M cars. While I didn’t get a chance to drive the BMW, I got a proper walk-around and experience of everything that comes with this super special limited-run BMW SUV. So, I will start from the beginning. The BMW XM is based on the same platform as BMW’s flagship SUV, the BMW X7. However, there are many differences.

The first and most attractive thing about the BMW XM is this car’s fuel efficiency. It is a 3 crore German SUV from BMW, so you must be guessing a “good” fuel efficiency of more than 15 kilometres per litre. But no, apart from being one of the most expensive SUVs, the BMW XM is also the most fuel-efficient car in India. Yes, you heard that right. This car is capable of offering up to 61.9 kilometres per litre of fuel efficiency. And that is not even the best part, this fuel efficiency doesn’t come with a downsized, underpowered engine. NO. The BMW XM also produces 653 bhp of power and 800 Nm of torque!

So hang tight because I have a lot to tell you about this fascinating car from one of the best carmakers in the world.

BMW XM First Impressions: Exterior and Styling

First, I will tell you how the BMW XM looks and what I think about this design. Now the first thing I noticed about the design of the XM is the kidney-shaped grille of the BMW XM. This does not have the humongous grille that we have seen in BMW’s latest cars. Neither does it have the giant grille like the BMW 7-series, nor does it have these tall bunny tooth-like grilles (credit to team Autocar for coining this term) that we have seen on the iX or the new BMW M4? The grilles on the BMW XM look proportionate and aggressive at the same time. And the best part, it glows. Not the grille itself but the LED bezels that BMW has put on the car.

The car is 2 meters wide, and given the wide canvas, BMW designers really did put in their best work. The bonnet of the car is gigantic and muscular and merges beautifully with the front part of the car. The front, where we have the split headlamps, which lead to the front bumper, also has a very intricate design going for it. There is a black panel in the middle, and the edges of the front bumper blend the two colours very nicely.

From the side also this car looks very muscular. There aren’t too many lines and angles going through the sides, but it still manages to look bulky. The black claddings on the sides also add to the character a little bit, and so do the 22-inch wheels. The BMW XM sits on 22-inch rims with 23-inch rims as an option. The side profile also gives you an idea about the length of the BMW XM.

The car is super long at 5.1 meters length and has a 3.1-meter wheelbase, but you only see the vastness of the design once you pay attention to the car from the side profile. Now, while it is very similar to the BMW X7 in terms of the dimensions, these cars are very different in terms of how they look. The XM has a scooping roofline, which is not as boxy as the X7 and the accents around the windows and the doors give the BMW XM its own distinct look.

The design of this car is as sporty as it gets in a luxury SUV. The BMW XM has all the new age BMW design elements with a different edge. This looks both like a futuristic car as well as a mean sporty SUV.

The most interesting thing about the design, however, is that the BMW XM does not have a BMW badge on the tailgate. Yes, we only get the XM badging, and the BMW emblem is nowhere to be seen until you look at the rear windshield. We have two laser-engraved BMW badges on the rear windshield of the BMW XM, which, to me, doesn’t look very premium.

The rear bumper is again something that has so much going on for it that I’m going to have a hard time explaining it. The diffuser is gloss black, and we have vertical dual exhausts on both ends, which look quite big.

The rear of this car is as mean as the rest of the design. And while this is not the most elegant design, given that so much is going for it, it does have a great presence. This car will surely turn heads everywhere it goes with the sheer show value that this kind of design can bring. 

BMW XM First Impressions: Interior and Comfort

Now if you thought the exterior of the BMW XM is fancy, you need to see the interiors. The materials used and the finish on each and every element are reeking of opulence. With materials like Alcantara, quilted leather, metal and carbon fibre, the BMW XM’s interior also feels as special as this car is. The front seats are massive and offer great comfort and support. The car has multi-way adjustable electric seats that are also heated, ventilated, and massaging. 

The steering wheel is also the trademark 3-spoke BMW wheel with an M badging on the middle stock. The steering size also seemed to be absolutely ideal. I have previously driven BMW cars like the BMW X4 and the 3 series, and the rim of the steering wheel of the BMW XM is slimmer than that of these cars, which actually offers better grip. 

The layout of the interiors is typical of BMW. Still, the centre stage of the dashboard is taken by the massive curved display that runs from the driver’s instrument cluster to the middle of the dashboard for the infotainment system. The instrument cluster on the driver’s side displays any kind of information that the driver may need. Trip details, cruise control settings, TPMS, fuel efficiency and levels, and other car settings, to name a few. One drawback here is that it only comes in one standard theme, which users can’t change.

The touchscreen on the passenger’s side is super slick. It is bright, it is extremely responsive, and it comes with every setting possible. However, cluttering so much into one display does create confusion. How? Well, to even change the blower speed the user needs to go into the climate control settings on the touchscreen in order to change the blower speed or temperature. And that’s not all. The information on display could very easily be intimidating for non-tech-savvy users. I imagine many people will roam around in this car with their drivers. But will every driver be able to navigate their way on this screen? I doubt it.

We also get a crystal-clear heads-up display (HUD), which provides decent information about speed, traffic alerts, door opening/ closing indicators, and more.

Now, while this may be a driver’s car, the rear seats of the BMW XM are extremely luxurious. There is ample space for all sizes. The legroom is massive, and even the headroom is pretty decent. The best part about the rear seats is that they wrap around the shoulders for added comfort. The leather upholstery is also very neatly done and looks super luxurious. And yes, the thigh support and cushioning on these seats are as good as you’ll find on any SUV.

While the seats are absolutely plush and wrap around the occupants, there is no option to adjust the front and back seats or recline them. Even the headrests are not adjustable on the BMW XM. Yes, for an almost ₹3 crore car, you would expect some sort of luxury features like massaging and ventilation or even the adjustable sunshade that we get on many such cars. 

Another thing missing in the interiors of the BMW XM is the sunroof. Let alone a panoramic one, there is no sunroof at all on the BMW XM. However, we get something that, in my books at least, is much more premium than a sunroof. We get this headliner on the roof which consists of uneven patterns and a 3D-like look that looks very luxurious and feels very different from the simple and plain rooflines or panoramic sunroofs that we have become used to now. The roof lining is also surrounded by 100 LEDs on each side for ambient lighting, further highlighting this spaceship-like roof lining.

Now, this is a 5-seater car, regardless of how big and bulky it is. We do get a massive boot with an electronic and gesture-controlled tailgate, but much to my surprise, there is no spare wheel with the BMW XM. Not only that, but the BMW XM’s boot floor doesn’t lift at all. It is probably the first SUV that I have seen with this.

BMW XM First Impressions: Engine and Powertrain

We have taken a look at the exterior and the interiors of the BMW XM. However, where the real magic trick lies is under the hood. The BMW XM is powered by a 4.4-litre twin-turbo petrol V8 engine that generates 489 bhp of power and 650 Nm of torque. But that’s not all. The V8 works with an electric motor, which produces an additional 197 bhp of power integrated into the same 8-speed transmission. The combined output for both the V8 engine and electric motor? 653 bhp of power and 800 Nm of torque!

Now, this powertrain can be used in three drive modes – Electric, Hybrid, and eControl mode. Out of these, hybrid and electric are self-explanatory. The e-Control mode, however, keeps the power delivery in a way that maintains the highest level of charge in the electric motor. This is also the mode where you can unleash the full potential of the 4.4 litre V8 on the BMW XM.

But these three modes are not all. The BMW XM, like a true M-series BMW, gives you full customisation options for driving dynamics. You can adjust the drivetrain settings, such as suspension settings, steering wheel, regeneration, chassis settings, brakes, and even the xDrive settings—pretty much anything that you would like to fiddle with and adjust according to your or the terrain’s preference.

And since it is a BMW, obviously, you get more in order to really make this feel like a “driver’s car.” While the car weighs just above 2,700 kgs, it has an equal 50-50 weight distribution on the front and the back; it has anti-roll bars and rear-wheel steering, and to top it all off, it has also got an active rear differential. So while I did not get a chance to drive this exclusive beast, I can tell that the BMW XM would not feel so big and bulky around the corners despite the over 2.7 tonnes weight.

But the main party trick is not even in the exclusivity, the opulence, or even the driving dynamics. The BMW XM, despite being an almost ₹3 crore luxury SUV with a 4.4 litre V8 engine, puts out a mind-blowing fuel efficiency of 61.9 kilometres per litre as per the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP) standard. On pure electric, the BMW XM has a total range of 85 kms thanks to the 25.7 kWh battery. And while I am skeptical about that 61.9 kmpl number in real-world scenarios, it surely indicates that this will be way more efficient as compared to the other super SUVs available in the market currently.

BMW XM First Impressions: Conclusion

So, the BMW XM is not your standard super SUV. The car’s styling is absolutely aggressive, and it fits the “super SUV” bill perfectly by how it looks. Even the power figures and drivetrain are nothing short of a supercar with a petrol V8 and an electric motor supporting it. However, every review that I have seen has said that the drive is not as good as one would expect, given the plethora of options specifically for enhancing the car’s driving capabilities.

But then again, I haven’t driven it, so it would be unfair to comment on the car’s driving dynamics. What I saw, however, speaks for itself. Premiums and opulence ooze out of every nook and corner of the interiors. The inside of the BMW XM is a very relaxing place to be in. Even on the outside, the car is aggressive. Yes, it is not a traditional boxy SUV design. It is more radical which may not have many takers in the first look, but it will surely turn heads. 

Even after writing this first impressions article, the highlight for me remains the power and efficiency figures. A 653 bhp car putting out 61.9 kmpl mileage is just unheard of, and despite my skepticism that it will give a similar average, I can tell that this car could very well be the most fuel-efficient car in the whole market, let alone in the super SUV segment.