BMW XM 2023 Review

The 2023 BMW XM starts at $302,200 plus on-road costs, though the car you see here is actually the mid-point of the range.

It’ll be joined later in 2023 by the circa-$350,000 BMW XM Label Red on the higher end and the XM 50e on the lower end.

It’s BMW’s most expensive SUV but slots into a relatively lonely section of the market, wedged between the likes of the Audi RS Q8 (from $220,600 plus ORCs) and Land Rover Defender 110 P525 ($226,500) and super-premium offerings such as the Aston Martin DBX707 ($428,400) and Lamborghini Urus S ($409,744).

As befitting its positioning in the range, the 2023 BMW XM comes loaded with everything but the kitchen sink and that’s probably only because a sink wouldn’t fit.

Quad-zone climate control, Harman Kardon premium stereo, head-up display, heated and ventilated front seats with massage, heated rear seats, heated and cooled cup holders, soft-close doors, ‘Merino’ leather upholstery, carbon interior trim, electric tailgate, 22-inch wheels, it’s all included.

There are options, but it’s a matter of choice rather than shelling out extra coin. None of the seven paint colours attract an extra charge, nor the three wheel designs (including 23s) or four interior layouts.

There’s no official safety rating for the 2023 BMW XM but there’s equally no reason to doubt its credentials as the technology is common to plenty of other BMW models that have received top marks.

In addition to lots of airbags, BMW’s Driving Assistant Professional is its highest tier of active safety systems, including adaptive cruise with stop-and-go function for traffic jams, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, lane change assist, autonomous emergency braking (AEB), auto speed limit assist, cross traffic alert and plenty more.

The lane keep assist can be a bit insistent, not helped by the XM’s sheer size, frequently giving the steering a tweak this way and that when everything is all in hand.

Speaking of the XM’s girth, slotting it into parking spaces is made easier by a 360-degree camera and parking assistant.

Early examples of the 2023 BMW XM such as this test car use the BMW Operating System 8, but those built from now (July 2023) will upgrade to OS 8.5 as seen in the new 5 Series.

The systems are similar, with 8.5 introducing a new side menu and moving some of the buttons around.

Regardless, both systems offer a huge array of functionality with voice and gesture control, app connectivity, a personal assistant and live traffic updates in addition to wireless smartphone mirroring, both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The digital instruments are equally sizeable and highly configurable – though figuring out how to do so takes a bit of practice – and the head-up display puts enough information in the driver’s line of sight to reduce distraction.

The headline outputs of 480kW/800Nm for the 2023 BMW XM are a combination of two sources.

Representing the old school is a 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 producing 360kW/650Nm, an engine familiar from the BMW X5, X6 and X7 M60i models.

Helping out is a 25.7kWh battery pack which supplies power to an electric motor producing a further 145kW/280Nm, though the different ways both sources make their peaks means one-plus-one doesn’t quite equal two.

So much grunt makes light work of the XM’s substantial 2710kg mass with a claimed 0-100km/h sprint of 4.3sec and a limited top speed of 270km/h.

Beware the claimed fuel consumption figures of a plug-in hybrid. Officially, the 2023 BMW XM sips just 1.6L/100km but BMW will be the first to tell you that this is a completely unrealistic number.

It’s a quirk of the testing procedure that allows PHEVs to complete most of the test on electricity, with the engine chipping in briefly.

In the real world there’s every chance your XM will use no fuel at all if you charge it every night and your commute is less than 80km or so.

Maximum EV range is 88km and top speed is 140km/h with the engine off.

On the other hand, roar around with the twin-turbo V8 firing like you’re starring in the Fast and the Furious and there’s every chance fuel consumption will soar past 20L/100km.

The first topic of discussion must be ride comfort as no matter what drive mode is selected on the 2023 BMW XM, it casts a shadow over the experience.

To be blunt, it ranges between average and awful depending on the surface.

As is typical with BMW there are three settings to choose from – Comfort, Sport and Sport Plus – but the ride is restless, unsettled and noisy even in Comfort. If you’ve experience with other BMWs and didn’t look, you’d swear it was already in Sport Plus.

Selecting a firmer suspension setting is arguably preferable, as the increase in stiffness feels quite marginal yet it eliminates some body movement that can have the occupants rocking back and forth. This, though, is merely an attempt to work around a fairly fundamental issue.

It’s important as it completely undermines the potentially peaceful day-to-day experience that the 80km or so of pure electric range provides. There is actually a background hum that does a reasonable imitation of a combustion engine if you’re not focused on it, but there’s enough power and range on tap that you can drive the XM extensively in EV mode without even realising.

Selecting e-control prevents the battery from depleting, allowing the car to slowly refill it as you drive along, a handy feature especially if you’re on a long highway trip where the regular engine will be quite efficient, allowing you to replenish and save the battery for the next urban spot.

However, on a number of occasions when accelerating from rest the XM would almost free rev yet move forward slowly, like it had a terribly slipping clutch, then drive would engage after a few seconds with an almighty bang and thump.

Thankfully, there were no bugs when it came to the XM’s default Hybrid drive mode. This balances petrol and electric power as it sees fit and does so quite effectively, though in stop-start driving it isn’t as seamless as the best systems out there.

Now for the really big question: Can the XM cut it as a dedicated M-car?

Not really. It’s certainly swift, the twin-turbo V8 makes a lovely noise and it can handle and behave at the limit in a manner that makes a mockery of its size and weight.

But in a performance sense the X5 M, for instance, is superior in every single respect.

It all really comes down to the XM’s mass. Despite its eye-catching outputs, in terms of power-to-weight it’s little better than the M240i, you sit high and the car’s dimensions mean you have little room to manoeuvre on a typical winding road.

There’s no doubting its capability and the (at times heavily) rear-biased all-wheel drive system makes it entertaining, too, while the unrelenting suspension set-up starts to make sense as it controls all the weight on gnarly, bumpy back roads.

But, again, you’ll have a bigger smile on your face in an X5 M.

In a word: beautiful. The 2023 BMW XM really elevates BMW’s SUV interior game, particularly in the rear.

The quality of the materials in the front are a step above any other BMW SUV offers; for instance, the brown leather-wrapped door cards on our test car brought to mind a baseball glove or vintage couch.

Both comparisons are meant as a compliment, feeling more bespoke and a step towards the likes of Bentley or Rolls-Royce.

It’s in the back where the XM really stands out, however.

The wraparound ‘M Lounge’ is deeply padded, there’s little-to-no drop-off in material quality from front to back, you even score a couple of XM-branded cushions and there’s a staggering amount of room.

Look up and the 3D-effect roof with ambient lighting is like something out of a modern art museum.

This last point should be no surprise given the XM has the dimensions of an X7 without that car’s three-row capacity, but it also results in a sizeable 527-litre boot that’s trimmed in thick carpet.

The XM might be a lot of money but it also feels like a lot of money.

The best cars feel like they had a clear mission statement that talented design and engineering teams then delivered to a very high standard. The 2023 BMW XM is not one of those cars.

It has an impressive array of talents, but they feel to clash rather than complement one another.

For example, the beautiful interior, plentiful space and useful EV range suggest an ideal high-performance luxury SUV, yet the uncompromising suspension set-up knocks that idea on the head.

On the other hand, the compromised ride would be excused if the XM set a new standard for SUV performance and dynamics, but the weight of that plug-in hybrid system means it doesn’t tick that box, either.

That being said, it’s not difficult to see someone purchasing the XM and absolutely loving it, for its bold design, high-quality cabin and the ability to accelerate smoothly in silence or briskly with a V8 roar.

The strangest thing about the XM is that, depending on what you want from it, BMW already has you covered.

If you want a stunning high-performance SUV, then step into an X5 or X6 M. But if you want edgy design, a classy interior, lots of space and EV running, then one of the BMW iX models will suit you very nicely.

In attempting to combine the two, BMW has just created a compromise.

2023 BMW XM at a glance:
Price: $302,200 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Powertrain: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol-electric
Output: 360kW/650Nm (electric motor: 145kW/280Nm)
Combined output: 480kW/800Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Battery: 25.7kWh lithium-ion
Range: 88km (WLTP)
Energy consumption: 30.1kWh/100km (WLTP)
Fuel: 1.6L/100km (WLTP)
CO2: 36g/km (WLTP)
Safety rating: Not tested