BMW “warned” us the 2023 XM would largely carry over the exterior design of last year’s namesake concept and these seemingly official images come to confirm it. Mere hours ahead of the big debut, the electrified SUV is making an early appearance on social media after someone refused to play by the rules, deciding to simply ignore the embargo.
The first dedicated M model since the M1 is undoubtedly bold, even when put next to some other heavy hitters in the SUV segment like the Ferrari Purosangue, Aston Martin DBX, Lamborghini Urus, and the Bentley Bentayga Speed. It is nearly a spitting image of the 2021 Concept XM, but now with door handles and a slightly smaller kidney grille. Those are likely the 23-inch wheels – the largest ever installed as standard from the factory.
After the 7 Series G70 and the X7 LCI, the XM will be the next large BMW to adopt the already controversial split headlights. The slim strip mounted up high serves as the daytime running lights while the low/high beam is mounted below, tucked away behind a heavily tinted panel. The area surrounding the main headlights is finished in black to hide the lights even more.
The designers have made changes to the front bumper to accommodate the large center-mounted radar sensor, which comes to replace the prominent M logo of the concept. At the back, there are slightly bigger taillights and a discreetly modified bumper incorporating the stacked exhaust tips never seen before on a BMW.
These official shots illustrate the 2023 XM with an interesting paint scheme as teal appears to be combined with gold/bronze accents. A charging port is mounted on the left-front fender, right below an XM logo. Spy shots of the next-generation M5 – which will use the same plug-in hybrid setup – revealed the super sedan will have the secondary fuel cap in the same location. The road-going XM appears to have slightly bigger M mirror caps while retaining the same sloped roofline reminiscent of the X6.
The full reveal is slated to take place at 6:01 PM EDT when we’ll see how the interior has changed from concept to production. We’re also interested to find out the technical specifications and how BMW has managed to infuse more performance into the XM compared to the already potent and quick X6 M Competition.
