Photo: BMW
While the normal version of the XM is bad to the bone, and the range-topping Label Red can mix it with super crossovers, the entry-level variant, dubbed the BMW XM 50e, is rather disappointing.
Unveiled last week, at the same time as the Label Red, the first-ever BMW XM 50e was rumored to use the same plug-in hybrid six-banger as the M760e. That would've meant a 3.0-liter inline-six with an electric motor for a combined 563 hp (571 ps/420 kW) and 591 lb-ft (800 Nm) of torque. The punchy sedan takes 4.3 seconds from 0 to 62 mph (0-100 kph) and can keep pushing up to 155 mph (250 kph).
Nonetheless, the obvious weight penalty of the new XM 50e would have made it slower, with the rumor mill speaking of roughly 4.5 seconds required to deal with the sprint. But as it turns out, it is even slower, taking 5.1 seconds. The reason is that it does indeed use an inline-six gasoline burner backed up by an electric motor, but it's not the same setup as on the M760e. The spec sheet buried deep in BMW M's German website reveals that it has 468 hp (475 ps/350 kW) to play with and 516 lb-ft (700 Nm) of torque.
As a result, despite being part of the XM family, a standalone product in the M Division's stable, following in the footsteps of the legendary M1, the 50e is slower than many models. For instance, the diesel-fed X3 M40d, with its 335 hp (340 ps/250 kW), would smoke it in a straight-line acceleration, as it needs 4.9 seconds to deal with it. The same goes for the M40i gasoline-powered variant of the premium compact crossover, which has 355 hp (360 ps/265 kW) on tap. Despite using an electrified 3.0-liter engine, it is less powerful than the entry-level M3, whose 3.0-liter twin-power turbo kicks out 473 hp (480 ps/353 kW).
Discovered by BimmerToday, the specifications, which can be seen here, do not speak of the battery pack and electric range of the BMW XM 50e. Nevertheless, it will be able to travel farther in the all-quiet mode than the Label Red's 30 miles (48 km). Some believe that the zero-emission range of the entry-level XM will exceed the 50-mile (80-km) mark, but the number has yet to be confirmed. According to BMW's preliminary estimates, the model burns 1.4-1.5 l/100 km (168-157 mpg-US) combined on the WLTP cycle, and it emits between 31 and 35 g/km of CO2. The order books for the XM 50e should open soon on the right side of the pond. If the latest rumors turn out to be airtight, then this version of the crossover might not launch in the United States.
Nonetheless, the obvious weight penalty of the new XM 50e would have made it slower, with the rumor mill speaking of roughly 4.5 seconds required to deal with the sprint. But as it turns out, it is even slower, taking 5.1 seconds. The reason is that it does indeed use an inline-six gasoline burner backed up by an electric motor, but it's not the same setup as on the M760e. The spec sheet buried deep in BMW M's German website reveals that it has 468 hp (475 ps/350 kW) to play with and 516 lb-ft (700 Nm) of torque.
As a result, despite being part of the XM family, a standalone product in the M Division's stable, following in the footsteps of the legendary M1, the 50e is slower than many models. For instance, the diesel-fed X3 M40d, with its 335 hp (340 ps/250 kW), would smoke it in a straight-line acceleration, as it needs 4.9 seconds to deal with it. The same goes for the M40i gasoline-powered variant of the premium compact crossover, which has 355 hp (360 ps/265 kW) on tap. Despite using an electrified 3.0-liter engine, it is less powerful than the entry-level M3, whose 3.0-liter twin-power turbo kicks out 473 hp (480 ps/353 kW).
Discovered by BimmerToday, the specifications, which can be seen here, do not speak of the battery pack and electric range of the BMW XM 50e. Nevertheless, it will be able to travel farther in the all-quiet mode than the Label Red's 30 miles (48 km). Some believe that the zero-emission range of the entry-level XM will exceed the 50-mile (80-km) mark, but the number has yet to be confirmed. According to BMW's preliminary estimates, the model burns 1.4-1.5 l/100 km (168-157 mpg-US) combined on the WLTP cycle, and it emits between 31 and 35 g/km of CO2. The order books for the XM 50e should open soon on the right side of the pond. If the latest rumors turn out to be airtight, then this version of the crossover might not launch in the United States.
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