The rumoured fate of the XM follows a familiar pattern BMW M has trod before with its M1 supercar.
While BMW was hoping that its XM was to spearhead a new era of electrified performance for the marque, it would unfortunately seem that this performance PHEV SUV would really only do just that. Such is as Automotive News has recently reported that the German automaker is allegedly to cease production of its sporty electrified giant after just one iteration come November 2028, with it having pulled the plug on its supposed all-electric crossover counterpart that was to come in the future as well.
Now it is worth highlighting here that BMW themselves have since refuted these specific claims of the XM being dead before long. But there is of course no smoke without fire, with said inferno being that dealers in North America are currently offering up to 10% off its list price, for a car that is in a segment where years-long waiting lists are the norm.
And while there is plenty to discuss on the topic of why no one really wants the XM (I mean just look at it!), probably the more interesting story to tell here however is that the fate of this only second-ever dedicated car produced entirely by BMW M follows rather closely to the one that befell its first: the M1 supercar.
For those who want a full-on deep dive into the supremely fascinating story regarding the M1, it can’t be highly recommended enough to watch the Revelations episode from Hagerty’s Jason Camissa linked below. Those without 16 minutes to spare however and just want to know where the similarities lies in the current fate of BMW’s performance PHEV SUV and its indirect predecessor (which incidentally has some Lamborghini DNA), it all essentially boils down to both these cars dying for the M5 to thrive.
BMW M only managed to shift a paltry 399 road-going units of the M1 altogether over its four-year lifespan, while the XM is currently the slowest selling models in the German automaker’s lineup (that should be noted to include a flagship grand tourer). The German automaker had to also offer substantial discounts in order to get those aforementioned examples out of the showrooms too, much like what it is currently doing with its indirect PHEV successor.
Though while no one wanted the M1, there were queues that stretched for days when BMW shoehorned the supercar’s straight-six into a 5-series. Likewise history is looking likely to repeat itself, with the latest iteration of M5 (which shares the same PHEV powertrain as the XM) being all but certain to, in spite of its massive weight, fly off the showroom floors at its dealerships as fast as it can rocket down the autobahn.
It just remains to be seen now then whether this electrified behemoth will eventually garner the reverence as its indirect supercar predecessor, when history eventually looks back to it as being the first true step in BMW’s electrified performance journey. Given however the XM lacks the M1’s good looks and critical acclaim, those hoping to speculate on one of these performance PHEV SUVs might be better off reverting to the M1’s roots and go with something slightly more Italian instead.
