Ever since rumors started to emerge about BMW M’s flagship car adopting the “XM” designation, we began to wonder: Won’t Citroën have a problem with this nameplate? After all, the French automaker used it first back in 1989 for its flagship car it continued to sell until 2000 to make room for the C5. It’s obviously an important nameplate for the company with the double chevron logo for which it still owns the trademark rights.
In a teaser image released earlier this month to announce the concept car’s impending debut, BMW confirmed the reports about its plug-in hybrid SUV being called “XM.” Our colleagues at Carscoops claim to be in the known regarding how it’s possible for a dedicated M model to use the same name that was once a badge on a front-wheel-drive hatchback and wagon built in France.
The magazine is citing a source familiar with Citroën’s agenda saying the two parties had a “constructive dialogue,” which eventually led to a “gentlemen’s agreement,” thus allowing BMW to use a Citroën moniker and vice versa. If you haven’t been keeping an eye on what the Stellantis brand has been doing lately, it once again has a new flagship car after many years, called the “C5 X.”
Combining “X” with a number is what the Bavarians have been doing with their numerous SUVs, but the German marque doesn’t have a problem with that since, in exchange, it can use “XM” as part of the deal with Citroën. In other words, it’s a win-win scenario as each party involved gets what it wants. It’s not like the French brand is going to use “XM” anytime soon considering the existing naming strategy, but it still holds the rights to the combination of these two letters.
It’s worth noting the former member of the defunct PSA Group has taken action against Volvo’s electric spin-off Polestar, accusing the brand of copying its logo. In BMW’s case, the deal must’ve been signed before this year since the C5 X went on sale earlier in 2021.
[Source: Carscoops]
