The BMW XM Is a Millennium Falcon on Four Wheels

When presented with a brand’s most powerful model to test I don’t usually want to ride in the back seat, but the BMW XM had me thinking about it.The XM is the most outlandish product BMW has ever offered. Specifically, BMW’s vaunted M division. M usually creates high-performance versions of BMW’s mainstream models, like the M3 and M5, but the XM was purpose-designed for it.Courtesy BMWIt’s the first all-M vehicle since the mid-engine BMW M1 supercar of the 1970s and about as far from that in concept as the years between them.The XM is a large, two-row SUV with a chiseled body that could give the Tesla Cybertruck a run for its money at getting attention, especially when dressed in one of its daring two-tone color schemes, like its signature black with red trim combo. If Darth Vader is in the market for a new car, it’ll do nicely, as long as he’s feeling flush.Courtesy BMWThe XM starts at $159,995, so it is very much a supercar, but also something of a green machine.The XM is a plug-in hybrid that combines a turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 engine with an electric motor. It has a battery pack big enough to provide 31 miles of fully electric driving, but can crank out a maximum of 644 hp when it’s burning through gas and electrons at the same time. That is to say, the standard XM can. I tried top-of-the-line XM Label trim, which boosts that to 738 hp and the price to $185,995.That makes it not only the most powerful BMW ever sold, but also the most powerful SUV on sale today that has an internal combustion engine on board. Several all-electric models like the Rivian R1S and Hummer EV SUV outdo it.Despite weighing three tons, the XM Label can accelerate to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds and hit an electronically restricted top speed of 175 mph, making it both quicker and faster than the two-seat M1.Courtesy BMWCourtesy BMWIf that seems like too much performance for an SUV, it probably is, but the XM Label can handle it. It wears foot-wide rear tires on 23-inch rims that provide plenty of grip, rides on adaptive shocks that keep the body under control and features four-wheel-steering that can tighten its turning radius and add stability at high speed.There are several drive modes that adjust the power output to suit your mood, including a Comfort setting that also softens the suspension. But you can summon the fury of the vehicle anytime you like. There is a paddle mounted on the steering wheel that engages a full-power Boost mode for a few seconds and I imagine that the effect is similar to the Millennium Falcon entering hyperspace.There’s more about the XM Label that reminds me of a starship. BMW refers to the spacious rear seating area as the M Lounge and it’s not hyperbole. The legroom is expansive and the seat is more like a couch. It’s laid back at a relaxed angle and the high-end leather upholstery wraps onto the doors, which are heated along with the seat.The ceiling features a polygonal design that stands proud in relief and is illuminated by 100 LED lights with adjustable colors that create a dazzling nightclub effect. Oh, and there are two throw pillows to do with as you please. I’ve been in few living rooms that are as nice.Courtesy BMWI would love to hang out back there as it storms down the Autobahn the way Star Wars characters do when they are blasting through space without a care in the world. Things are even easy for the driver, as the XM Label has a lane-centering adaptive cruise control that leaves little for them to do on the highway except keep a hand on the wheel and their eyes on the road in case it is about to end in a field. Asteroid, or otherwise.Go too fast and too long, however, and things quickly come back down to Earth. While the XM Label is zero-emissions in all-electric mode, when you’ve used up the battery pack and are relying primarily on the V8, the fuel economy drops to 14 mpg, according to the EPA.The XM Label may not save the planet, but it drives like it could take off and fly to another one.

The BMW XM Is a Millennium Falcon on Four Wheels

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