The United States and China are expected to account for 49% of all XM sales, according to early projections made by BMW. The Middle East is estimated to be the third best-selling region with an 8% share, so where does that leave Europe? Well, Germany is forecasted to generate just 7% of the volume and match South Korea. However, that doesn’t mean the luxury brand is ignoring the smaller markets.
Case in point, BMW organized a photo shoot in Poland for the local launch of the XM. It brought a whole fleet of plug-in hybrid SUVs and decided to spice things up by taking pictures in the late hours. That wouldn’t necessarily be special for most cars out there, but the dedicated M model has an unusual light signature. With an illuminated kidney grille contour and split headlights, the mastodont looks interesting at night.
The versions featuring the gold accents are particularly striking, and with 23-inch wheels as well as stacked exhaust tips on each side, it’s safe to say BMW took some bold decisions during the development stage. As always, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so we’ll let the sales numbers determine whether the risks taken with the design were right or wrong.
The Munich-based marque has gone on record to say customer tastes have changed since the days of the mid-engined M1 supercar, which is why the XM is not a direct successor. In 2023, everyone (well, not everyone) wants an SUV, so the M division is giving people what they want – yet another high-riding massive vehicle, positioned atop the X5 M and X7 M60i.
The “world’s most powerful letter” has already diversified the lineup by adding a new base 50e flavor in some markets with an inline-six engine as well as a flagship Label Red serving as BMW’s most powerful production vehicle ever.
Source: BMW
