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BMW XM: Exactly to the taste of the most important customers
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Fabian Kirchbauer / BMW
When BMW presented the XM study in November, the Munich strategists were prepared for a shitstorm on the German Internet.
The design would seem too provocative to many, the appearance of the power SUV too macho.
Some asked the question: Does it have to be 750 hp in view of the climate crisis?
And so it came, the wave of anger: "In Munich, the coke must be bad," wrote author and mobility expert Don Dahlmann on Twitter.
»An SUV hybrid battleship with a ridiculous 80 km range and 750 (!) HP.
If BMW continues like this, they will be the next Nokia.” Anger also erupted in the online forums.
»Out of date«, »Looks like something out of a horror movie« – these were the comments.
“Do they still have them all?” Auto-Bild asked BMW in a headline.
"We were well aware that the XM would polarize," says Sven Ritter, project manager of the XM.
But there is calculation behind it.
After all, the aim was to generate maximum attention.
With the XM, BMW's performance subsidiary M GmbH appeals to an extroverted clientele who loosen a lot of money for such bulky cars.
The idea of trying a hyper sports car that could have been a homage to the M1 was therefore quickly rejected.
The two-seater flounder was the first independent model from M GmbH in 1978.
But this segment is far too small for the BMW people today.
The situation is different with high-end luxury SUVs.
»Car manufacturers are currently achieving enormous success here.
There are now long waiting times and some coveted models, such as the Mercedes G-Class, can no longer be ordered,” says Lutz Fügener, Professor and Head of Design and Mobility at the University of Hof.
He even claims that the XM »therefore fits perfectly into our time«.
More and more people have more and more money and are willing to spend it on luxury goods of any kind.
They don't seem to care much about how climate-friendly these are - as long as the legislator allows this kind of waste of resources.
In addition to the performance-enhanced G-model from AMG, the Lamborghini Urus is also involved in the class of sophisticated SUVs.
The bolide now accounts for more than half of the total sales volume of the Italian sports car manufacturer.
It is precisely in this environment that Ritter wants to place the XM.
Too big pangs of conscience did not even arise at BMW.
The creators quickly turned to how best to play in the league of profanity.
Pimping an existing BMW model would not have been enough.
It would have failed with the announced clientele.
"A project like this is only possible with a unique vehicle and a provocative design," says the project manager, "so you really have to hit the ground running."
The XM is intended primarily for China and the USA.
"They like to show fur there," says Peter Fintl, Head of Technology & Innovation at the consulting firm Capgemini Engineering.
»It is not only understandable, but for economic reasons it is even urgently necessary to tailor the products to the wishes of the individual regions, as BMW does.
What the customer likes is built.« What people in Central Europe think about the car seems to be of secondary importance, the region is a niche market for the XM.
This is reflected in the design.
"The German buyer no longer plays a decisive role in influencing the general directions for developments," says Lutz Fügener.
This phenomenon can also be clearly seen in the recently presented new generation of the BMW 7 Series.
The sedan is also bulky, extremely large and heavy and equipped with a now typical, oversized kidney grille.
So the dam broke a long time ago.
And so M GmbH seems to be completely unrepentant in bringing its strongest and largest high-performance model onto the market.
The top version will have a torque of 1000 Newton meters.
In terms of performance, the XM clearly outperforms its competitors, the Urus (650 hp) and AMG-G model (585 hp).
Against these, the XM plays another trump card.
It is the first electrified model from the BMW subsidiary - and at the same time the first luxury SUV in which a plug-in hybrid is combined with an eight-cylinder.
Thanks to the battery, the car appears a little less harmful to the climate on paper.
At the same time, the electric motor pushes hard, which further increases the joy of those who are speeding.
However, for the M strategists, it was still too early for a fully electric XM.
"Our customers come from high-performance combustion engines," says project manager Ritter, "so we can't go all the way to full-powered vehicles right away."
After all: A little emission-free driving is possible in the 2.7-ton car.
At least from the driver's point of view, this mass is not a problem.
There is no sign of her on the test drive in the camouflaged pre-series model - the developers have tuned the chassis and steering so that the car is easy to manoeuvre.
For the first time in an M model, the rear wheels also steer, and 48-volt roll stabilization is also on board.
The XM is therefore precise and handy around the corner.
And if necessary, he rushes forward with power, the electric motor and eight-cylinder push the occupants into their seats.
It shouldn't take more than four seconds for the sprint from zero to 100 km/h, BMW is not yet revealing exact figures.
In the fall, the Bavarians want to present the XM in series outfit.
And name prices.
It can be heard that it should start at "under 200,000 euros".
But there is only the basic model with 653 hp.
The price of the 750 hp version is more likely to be based on the Urus, which costs 225,000 euros.
Production will start at the Spartanburg plant in the USA at the end of the year.
Michael Specht is a freelance author and was supported in his research by BMW. Reporting is independent of this.