Video: 2023 BMW XM: Up Close

It's an ultra high performance and ultra high end plug-in hybrid SUV, and it's BMW's M division's first plug-in hybrid and BMW's most powerful production SUV, no, actually, vehicle ever. Let's check it out. Despite debuting last year, the XM to me looks more futuristic than the X5 and X6 that debuted this past week. It's got this big aggressive grill design, but fortunately, for my eyes, these are more horizontal and less vertical like we've seen on some of BMW's electric vehicles and the 3 and 4 series, or say, the 7 series behind us, which I don't like the look of. Over here, we have standard 23 inch wheels with these lovely little center caps with a little bit of a retro design going. BMW says 22 inch wheels are optional, and that those 22s are a little more aerodynamic and lighter, but not how much those wheels will affect range or performance or anything like that, so stay tuned for that information. Coming along the side, you get this nice accent band that stretches all the way down the length of the car, and then up the back in BMW's signature Hofmeister kink design. There's a lot more futuristic styling in back, including these three dimensional taillights, this rear glass that sits flushed with the body, and then these hexagonal stacked quad exhaust tips, which remind me a lot of the Lexus IS F. But as futuristic as this look is, there are some retro touches as well. Matching the wheels center caps, you have these BMW logos etched into the rear glass on both sides, and to me, the sort of mix of retro and future doesn't quite mesh. It's a lot of styling, and I don't know how cohesive I really think it is. Inside the XM, it's high performance meets high class. Up front, you got high performance with a lot of carbon fiber accents, including here under the BMW Curved Display that combines your digital instrument panel with your touchscreen, and the touchscreen is running iDrive 8, BMW's latest infotainment system, which gets you things like wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto, and the wireless device charging to take advantage of those. One unfortunate thing about this particular model is it doesn't have the optional vintage leather that can cover the dashboard and the upper parts of the doors. BMW says each application of that leather is going to be unique and is going to show the individual flaws and natural state of the leather. I think that's really cool, very luxurious, but this is just the standard leather dash. Despite that missing touch, I really am enjoying the cockpit up here, it's a little bit snug, but not overly so. Feels very much like a performance vehicle, like an M vehicle. I'm really digging these carbon fiber shift paddles, and I love the classic red M buttons on the steering wheel, and overall, this is a BMW performance vehicle, it's nice and comfortable, but it feels like it can get the job done. But let's check out the back now. In back of the XM is where the luxury really is. This is a very comfortable backseat to be in, it feels a lot like a two-row X7 here in the XM. The seats are a little snug, but they're this sort of lounge style, sort of deeply recessed into the cabin, and that's probably why BMW calls them M Lounge seats. You get this nice stitching pattern here, it's very comfortable, you have USB ports here, down here, your climate controls, you get this nifty textured headliner, some LED lighting that honestly looks really cool. And overall, it is a very comfortable place to be, it is a little snug on the side with these large armrests sort of protruding into me, but overall, the backseat of the XM is very comfortable, and if the car were always stationary, it's where I'd choose to be. But I don't know why you'd sit back here when you can drive this thing, so let's talk about that. Total output from the XM's turbocharged V8 and electric motor comes to 644 horsepower and 590 pounds feet of torque. That's enough to hustle this 6,000 pound behemoth from 0 to 60 in a BMW estimated 4.1 seconds, and BMW's kinda notorious for underselling that number. If that's not enough for you, BMW's coming out with what they're calling a Label Red version, the first of special label editions, which will have a whopping 735 horsepower and 735 pounds feet of torque. And with numbers like those, BMW isn't just targeting Audi or Mercedes-Benz, they're going after Aston Martin and Lamborghini. Other powertrain details, the XM has an 8-speed automatic transmission, standard all-wheel drive that BMW says is rear biased, and if you want more rear bias for more performance driving, you have the M Sport mode or you can turn off stability control to get that extra bit of rearward bias. I don't wanna bore you with all the technical details when we're not driving this, but I do wanna talk about the plug-in aspect as well, because that's important. BMW says the XM has 30 miles of all electric range, there are those more efficient wheels we talked about, but no details yet on whether that range increases if you have those wheels equipped. We also don't have fuel economy numbers either for any set of wheels. As a plugin, you are gonna wanna charge this, the onboard charger maxes out at 7.4 kilowatts, and on Level 2 AC charging, can go from 0 to 100% in a little over three hours in ideal conditions. Production has already begun on the XM, and BMW expects them to arrive on dealership lots this spring, but it probably won't surprise you that this performance is not going to come cheap. BMW isn't just targeting those ultra lux brands with this performance, but also, the price. The base XM will start just a hair under $160,000 while that Label Red version I mentioned will be over $185,000. Now, this isn't the fast wagon I want from BMW, but this is BMW's current ultimate driving machine, and I gotta be honest, I can't wait to drive it. For more on the BMW XM and everything else here at the Chicago Auto Show, head over to Cars.com.