When the BMW Concept XM came out, it stunned onlookers with its massive grille, its highly angular design, and its teenie-tiny headlights. Now, new photos from an airport suggest that the production vehicle will continue to stun onlookers. Posted to Instagram by user wilcoblock, a close-to-production prototype can be seen with less camouflage than ever. That highlights the fact that, yes, the grille will be enormous and the rest of the design will be nearly as in-your-face.
Admittedly toned down slightly from the
Concept XM, this version features many of the same design cues promised by its
forebear. Take, for example, the vertically stacked tailpipes, the wide angular
haunches, the twin BMW roundels at the top of the rear window, and the snarling
hood that follows from the massive grilles. It may not be quite as extreme as
the concept, but it will certainly be a statement piece for the company, which
has divided opinions with its recent design.
Inside, meanwhile, more is hidden away,
but this does appear to have a two-tone color scheme, with blue leather near
the armrest and a more brickish color on the A-pillar. The steering wheel,
meanwhile, features two M buttons, as is common for the brand’s vehicles. At
launch, those buttons will control a newly-developed V8 with electric
assistance that makes 644 hp of power and 800 Nm of torque, the brand recently revealed. That will be followed by an even more
powerful version that makes 738 hp and 1,000 Nm of torque, as promised in the Concept XM. The plug-in hybrid powertrain won’t
just be for power either, because it will get up to 80 km of range
on the WLTP cycle and 48 km on the EPA cycle.
Production of the XM will begin in December
2022 and it is expected to be fully unveiled this year as part of the
celebrations surrounding the 50th anniversary of BMW M GmbH.
