“When in doubt, black it out” – that must’ve been on the mind of whoever ordered this 2023 BMW XM. Some people will still buy a certain car even if they’re not too fond of how it looks. We’re not sure whether that’s the case here but opting for an all-black look is a good way to make a controversial design less striking. It’s especially true here with the first dedicated M model in decades.
Finished in Black Sapphire Metallic, the XM does away with nearly all gold accents. The flashy finish has only been applied to the contour of the badges on the kidney grille, front fenders, and tailgate. Those massive 23-inch wheels have black accents instead of gold, further contributing to the super SUV’s sinister look. There is a discreet splash of color as the brake calipers are finished in red and proudly wear the famous M logo.
The heavily tinted headlights and taillights along with the dark exhaust tips arranged vertically for the first time on an M product round off the nearly monochromatic theme of the BMW’s Urus fighter. Those roundels in the upper corner of the rear glass are a nod to the M1 from the 1970s, although, on the mid-engined supercar, the badges were located at the lower corners of the tailgate.
Although the XM has the same wheelbase as the X7, BMW sells the high-performance SUV only with two rows of seats. Excluding a handful of features exclusive to the XM, the cabin is largely carried over from the X7, so it doesn’t have the fancy interior we saw on the 2021 Concept XM.
The newly released Label Red brings minimal changes inside as the upgrades are found underneath the hood where the hybrid setup makes a colossal 738 hp and 1,000 Nm (738 lb-ft) of torque. It’s the most powerful production BMW ever, a title that enthusiasts had wanted for a new supercar rather than a bulky SUV. However, the Munich-based marque explained a while ago that customer tastes have changed since the days of the M1 as people want SUVs nowadays.
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