Bimmerpost has revealed unconfirmed data according to which BMW M will be offering the XM SUV in three hybrid variants centered on the same petrol engine.
The engine in question is an innovative lower-displacement V8 mill capable of 650 PS (641 hp / 478 kW) all on its own. With the electric add-on, it may exceed the 750 PS (740 hp / 552 kW) that the original concept car had.
Right now, the BMW engineering team is working on this engine, which is known under the designation ‘S68’. The displacement is reported to amount to 4 liters, a step down from the usual BMW M volume of 4.4 liters. The likely reason for this is an extra tax rate applied to all engines with above four liters of displacement in China, the most crucial market for BMW right now.
The XM Concept, which debuted in last November, had 750 PS under the hood (peek inside our gallery and watch the video for an overview). Bimmerpost claims that the production car will reach the factory in December 2022 and will initially ship with the same amount of power as the concept. Later on, the company will introduce a more affordable version and an even more powerful variant.
The affordable XM will reportedly prioritize comfort over speed, which implies a power reduction to around 600 PS (592 hp / 441 kW). The top spec has not been fully conceptualized yet.
As for BMW itself, it refrains from any comment at the time, saying only that the XM will be hybrid in all variants.