With polarizing styling and an exorbitant asking price, the odds were against the BMW XM. While it’s certainly no M1 successor, the second-ever dedicated M model is perhaps not the sales flop some had assumed it would be. Market researcher Dataforce placed it at the very top of the rankings in the exotic segment for 2023 in Europe.
Preliminary figures show the plug-in hybrid SUV was purchased 3,133 times last year on the Old Continent. It eclipsed other high-end SUVs such as the Lamborghini Urus and Bentley Bentayga, which finished second with 1,908 sales and third with 1,325 sales, respectively. Another expensive sport utility vehicle made it to the top 10, with the Aston Martin DBX finishing sixth with 991 units. This exotic segment defined by Dataforce included several supercars, such as the Lamborghini Huracan, Bentley Continental GT, and no fewer than four Ferrari models: 296 GTB, SF90, Roma, and 812 GTS.
While the XM technically topped the rankings in the exotic class, it’s worth noting that virtually all of the other models listed in the top 10 are far more expensive. Yes, BMW’s flagship SUV does cost an arm and a leg, but those Ferraris are all considerably pricier. Even the SUVs we mentioned command a hefty premium over the XM, so it’s not all too surprising the electrified SUV from Bavaria was more popular.
Europe isn’t even going to be the XM’s biggest market, according to BMW’s projections. The United States is expected to account for 26% of shipments, followed by China with 23% and the Middle East with 8%. Germany and South Korea are up next, both with 7%.
The luxury brand hasn’t said how many XMs were sold in 2023 when the company had a record-breaking year. We should find out later this year when the final sales figures will be released in the BMW Group Report 2023 document.
When all is said and done, one must wonder whether the BMW XM can be defined as an exotic car.
