BMW XM's September 27 Unveiling Brings a New Pre-Order Process

The rumors were true. BMW will have a new range-topper – the XM. It’s happening. And it will all be made public on the 27th of September, just two weeks from now. The carmaker says the SUV is a result of a collision between what their X series offers and what the high-performance M division can do. “From spectacle to vessel, the prima energies of X and M combine,” says BMW USA.

There are a lot of hyperboles on BMW’s dedicated page for the launch of the XM, which indicates the company is trying to turn this new SUV into a jewel of the crown of sorts. For example, the automaker’s U.S. incorporated entity suggests this will be a powerful, yet cocooning vehicle for the driver and passengers by turning the whole thing into a surreal experience. “Pearls of wisdom shatter and turn to dust, as you enter a new space – surrounded by complete tranquility,” writes BMW USA on their dedicated webpage.

But going beyond marketing gimmicks, what we know by now is that BMW’s XM will have the G09 denomination and use an electrified V8 powertrain that’ll develop around 650 HP (659 PS) – that's 23 HP (23 PS) more than the M5 CS. Next year, in 2023, will come the XM Black Label with 740 HP (751 PS). But take all this with a grain of salt until the official launch. Insiders are very rarely wrong, but we should wait to see what the automaker planned.

The launch of the XM also brings a new pre-order process. Customers will be able to reserve an SUV by submitting a refundable deposit of $5,000 through their preferred dealer. This sum will secure a place in line for those that want to be early. After the pre-order period ends, buyers will be able to design their SUVs. The personalization process could happen sooner, but only if the dealership isn’t swamped. Client advisors are currently undergoing training to make the Pre-Order 2.0 program a success, as confirmed by a dealership employee on a dedicated forum.

BMW is betting a lot on the XM. Their current X5, X6, and X7 can all be ordered with a V8 and, apart from the three-row X7, the other SUVs all have M variants. All these three luxury vehicles are luxurious, liked by many customers, and have proved themselves to be good earners for the company. The decision to add the XM as a standalone two-row SUV could be considered weird and it may confuse many of us, but BMW did other questionable things in the recent past. However, they proved risking and coming up with a bold new face is a smart choice – the M3 and M4 are selling like hotcakes.

For now, we could guess that BMW’s XM will be a direct rival for the Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT, Aston Martin DBX 707, Audi RS Q8, or Lamborghini Urus. But let’s wait and see what the all-new X family member can do and why’s it joining the Bavarian lineup before the transition to all-electric models is accelerated.