2023 BMW XM Review: Never Boring

The BMW XM isn't seeking your approval, nor is it trying to change the world. A six-figure SUV that's both a V8 and plug-in electric, with "what the heck is that?!" style and the rear cabin aesthetic of a Hollywood casting couch, would usually be the kind of one-off frippery that automakers wheel out once at a car show and then disappears without a trace. Only you can head to your nearest BMW dealer and, credit rating depending, put in an order for an XM yourself.

Usually, this is the point where I'd try to put a car into its context: justify its existence, or at least tell you how the manufacturer itself justifies it. The XM, though, belies such mainstreaming. We already know electrified vehicles can be epically fast; we already know that big, luxury SUVs can be oddly sporting, even in tight corners. We already know, quite frankly, that BMW isn't afraid of boundary-pushing design, even if it turns off some potential buyers in the process.

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On paper, then, there's little practical reason for the XM's existence. It is a roughly $160,000 folly; an experiment nobody asked for and, even as BMW proudly presents us with the results of said experiment, still goes misunderstood. Facts that make it all the weirder, then, that the biggest question isn't why this plug-in hybrid sports SUV exists, but why is it so darn likable?

Imposing is certainly one way to describe the 2023 XM. From the front, it has the lantern-jawed look of a Michael Bay-era Transformer, complete with a heavily sculpted hood that appears to be frowning into the grille. That grille is — of course — illuminated and flanked by cruelly squinting headlamps. A goatee of contrast trim underneath leaves the whole thing with serious presence, even if it's hardly going to win an award for the prettiest SUV.

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That prioritizing of impact over elegance continues at the side, where it's as though an X5 has been secretly scoring black-market testosterone before hitting the gym. Tightly pinched glass, underscored with contrast trim, feeds back into wildly outsized rear fenders. Twenty-three-inch wheels are standard, and somehow manage to look normal thanks to the SUV's overall proportions. BMW also offers lightweight 22-inch options and a choice of standard or high-performance rubber.

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The XM's rear is where things get really weird. From the front and the side, the big SUV is clearly a BMW, albeit one with exaggerated proportions. The back view, though, doesn't have the same instant recognizability, not least because the automaker's roundel logo isn't centered on the tailgate like you'd expect it to be. Instead, BMW etches a pair of them into the upper corners of the glass.

If your primary concern with electrification is that the resulting cars will be sober, unmemorable, and even boring, then the XM is here to disabuse you of that foolish notion. From the dual stacked trapezoidal tailpipes — practically erupting from the rear valance — to the slab-sided heft, nobody can miss this BMW.

There are a handful of darker finishes on the standard options list, but frankly, you're missing the point if you don't go for something brighter like the Marina Bay Blue metallic of this particular car. Or, you could dip into the BMW Individual range and go hog wild with wheel color accents, retina-searing paint, and other customizations.

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You can be similarly playful inside, too, where only the most soulless of drivers would pick the all-black option. Sakhir Orange is suitably overt, but it's the Silverstone and Deep Lagoon — cream or blue, respectively — each paired with Vintage Coffee hide on the dashboard and doors which really stand out. There, BMW uses soft Nappa leather that enhances rather than hides things like creases and wear, emphasizing the uniqueness of the natural material.

The rest of the cabin is familiar BMW fare. Twin displays atop the dashboard, complete with iDrive 8.0 and a spray of shortcut and settings buttons in the center console. Carbon fiber paddle shifters are a nice touch, and the standard-fit front sports seats are supportive and comfortable. The XM's high level of standard trim means they offer heating, ventilation, and massage as standard, too, though a 7 Series has nicer switchgear.

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In the rear, the high shoulder line and absence of a panoramic glass roof leave the back seats feeling cocoon-like. Despite the overall dimensions being similar to those of an X7, the XM is resolutely a two-row rather than a three-row SUV. In fact, you could even think of it as a four-seater, given how snug the rear center space is.

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It's a shame that the vast, fold-down Theater Screen available in the i7 electric sedan isn't offered here because the XM would make for some seriously comfortable executive transportation. Instead, the "M Lounge" rear involves lashings of leather stretching into the doors, producing something along the lines of a conversation pit complete with throw pillows. Instead of a glass roof, there's an inset headliner with multicolor ambient lighting.

Under the hood is where the M Hybrid magic (or madness) lies. That starts with a 4.4-liter BMW M TwinPower Turbo V8, paired with an eight-speed M Steptronic transmission to which a 194-horsepower electric motor is bolted. The result is a maximum system output of 644 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque.

M xDrive all-wheel drive, Adaptive M Suspension Professional, and an M Sport Differential are all standard, as is a borderline-unnatural degree of hustle for a vehicle of this size. Zero to 60 mph arrives in 4.1 seconds, BMW says with what feels like intentional modesty, while top speed is either 155 mph or — with the M Driver's Package added — 168 mph.

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At the same time, this is a true plug-in hybrid, and so it has a usable electric range. BMW quotes around 30 miles (top speed is limited in EV-only mode, but only to 87 mph) but that's actually conservative in practice.

The result is difficult to quantify, mainly because it's gloriously ridiculous. The electric motor supplies 207 lb-ft of torque alone, and that lends the XM the sort of vim from a standing start that you'd associate with far smaller, lighter cars. Peak torque, meanwhile, arrives at just 1,600 rpm, at which point things just get epic.

There's the throttle response of an EV, hefty surges of power that land almost immediately, and then the seamless addition of the gas engine's grunt. Think Darth Maul, using a double-bladed lightsaber for twice the slicing and dicing. The XM isn't the first big, ridiculously fast SUV — the Alpina X7 means it's not even the first in BMW's own line-up — but its combination of gas and electric feels like a pitch-perfect example of getting the strengths of both.

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With a roughly 6,000-pound curb weight, you'd be forgiven for expecting disaster when Launch Control blasts you right down the straight and into the nearest corner. BMW taps variable torque vectoring and a 48-volt anti-roll system to make sure the XM doesn't simply barrel into oblivion, and it works with shocking proficiency.

Unexpectedly for an SUV in this price range, BMW has opted for steel coil springs and adaptive dampers, rather than the de rigueur air suspension. The reasoning there is pretty much the same as Lamborghini made for the Urus Performante: the result is more focused when it comes to eager driving, even if it leaves the Comfort mode slightly firmer and occasionally jittery on poor-quality road surfaces.

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Not even standard rear-wheel steering is going to convince you that this is a smaller SUV, no, but neither are you going to be terrified into taking the turns any easier. If you're feeling brave, switching the all-wheel drive to its sport setting will push even more power to the rear wheels. The big, sticky rubber and all the tech means it corners with unexpected grace, while the steering is weighted just right to communicate that without straying too far into hefty M territory.

That weighting, like so much else of the XM's driving experience, can be fettled and tweaked through BMW's umpteen drive mode settings. Long gone are the days when you picked from Normal or Sport, and it's worth doing a little prep work on the driveway to make sure you're getting the best out of the PHEV system here.

You can individually adjust the drivetrain and the chassis between Comfort, Sport, and Sport Plus, and the steering and brakes between Comfort and Sport. Buttons on the shifter adjust the aggression of downshifts and how long the transmission holds lower gears. There are two settings for brake regen — minimum and maximum energy recovery — and then three options for the M xDrive: 4WD, 4WD Sport, and 4WD Sand. Keen multitaskers can fiddle with all that on the move; the rest of us can save our pick of the settings to the red M1 and M2 shortcut toggles mounted on the steering wheel.

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Then there's the M Hybrid system, which also gets a dedicated button for its three modes. The Hybrid setting leaves the XM to balance gas and electric power itself, with the exact proportions also depending on what M Drive mode you're in. Electric mode prioritizes the e-motor, up until the battery is depleted. Finally, eControl mode saves battery power for later use, relying solely on the V8 instead.

For the most part, I set the XM to Hybrid mode and relied on its own smarts to figure out how best to put a smile on my face. The 29.5-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery — of which 25.7 kWh is usable — supports up to 7.4 kW Level 2 charging. It'll take about 3.25 hours to go from zero to fully charged, and BMW includes not only a portable charger, but packages it in a handsome tote bag you'd not be ashamed to carry into the gym. 

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There's no DC fast charging support, though — it's still a rarity on a plug-in hybrid — but the XM is clever enough to top its own battery up when required. That's not a manual option, the SUV instead recognizing when you're pushing hard and using spare gas engine power to keep at least some charge on the electric side of things. That way, there'll always be something for the hybrid half of the engine to contribute. 

Though they may most commonly be associated with frugality, there's a compelling argument to view plug-in hybrids as a sensible next step for performance vehicles. BMW's M division isn't alone in seeking that potential, with Mercedes-AMG and others all exploring how the gas-electric combination can add up to a sports car that feels much more than the sum of its parts.

The 2023 XM, however, reminds me more of another electrified oddball. The Polestar 1 also shouldn't have made sense: a 2+2 grand touring coupe, descended from a Volvo concept (and with a Volvo gas engine under the hood), with three electric motors bolted on and a price tag about what BMW is charging for its hybrid SUV. And yet, from behind the wheel, it was as hard to argue with the Polestar 1's wacky charm as it is to deny that of the XM.

No, it's not the SUV for most people, nor the hybrid experience most drivers require. No, its design isn't going to be universally appreciated. There are plenty of more sensible ways to spend $160k or thereabouts on a performance car. The harsh reality is, though, if you're thinking about being sensible then you're probably too boring for the BMW XM anyway.