Say what you want about the BMW XM, the first hybridized M car in the German automaker’s long and cherished history. It may resemble a snorting hippo with its chinky eyes and in-your-face giant kidney grilles, but it has the numbers to make believers out of skeptics. And now the BMW XM Label Red, where the goalpost has moved significantly to draw the attention of competitors like the Aston Martin DBX and Porsche Cayenne Turbo Hybrid.
2024 BMW XM Label Red: What’s New?
As expected from the most powerful M car to date, the BMW XM Label Red has everything dialed up to eleven, including its controversial styling points. For example, those gargantuan kidney grilles that people love or hate are now wearing lipstick, an extroverted design touch that genuinely takes a while to appreciate. The red accents continue on the 23-inch light alloy wheels and around the windows, but we’d go for the standard black trimmings in a heartbeat.
High-Strung Hybridized Powertrain
Under the hood of BMW’s XM Label Red is a retuned 4.4-liter turbocharged V8 gas engine with 577 horsepower and 553 lb-ft. of torque, about 94 more horses, and 74 more lb-ft. of torque than a regular XM. The hybrid part is a permanently excited synchronous electric motor in the standard eight-speed M Steptronic automatic. This power unit churns out an additional 194 horsepower and 206 lb-ft. of torque.
If you do the math, the BMW XM Label Red is a clown-faced SUV with 738 horsepower and the same number of twisting force. All that goodness feeds all four wheels using the brand’s xDrive all-wheel drivetrain. The electrics draw juice from a 19.2 kWh lithium-ion battery pack, enabling the XM Label Red to deliver up to 30 miles of zero-emissions driving. When the battery runs dry, it has a standard 7.4 kWh onboard charger to recharge in about three hours.
How Fast Is The BMW XM Label Red?
Whereas a regular BMW XM can hit 60 in 4.1 seconds, the Label Red does the same in 3.7 seconds. Moreover, Label Red has the same 155 mph top speed, but selecting the optional M Driver’s Package raises the maximum velocity to a heady 175 mph. What’s more, Label Red can hit 87 mph in all-electric mode, and it has artificial sounds by Hans Zimmer to accompany the rush of speed.
Dynamic Underpinnings
The BMW XM Label Red has an impressive list of luxury-oriented and go-fast hardware. It has an adaptive M suspension with electronic dampers, active roll stabilization, active roll comfort, active steering, and near-actuator wheel slip limitation technology to keep the sunny side up. Meanwhile, the anchors are six-piston calipers in the front and single-floating calipers in the rear that work with the electric motor’s energy recuperation.
Sporty Front, Luxurious Rear
The all-new BMW XM Label Red’s cabin is like yin and yang. The front section is sportier and has M multifunction seats, a heads-up display, an M-specific control panel on the center dash, and a Boost Mode paddle on the left-hand side of the steering wheel. BMW’s curved display is front and center with a 12.3-inch digital instrument display and a 14.9-inch center touchscreen governed by the latest BMW iDrive 8.5 software.
However, the second row is a different story. BMW calls it an “M Lounge” with Merino leather upholstery, heated backrests, red contrast stitching, and a headliner with 3D prism LED lights. The standard equipment list includes four-zone automatic climate control, interior ambient lighting, and a Harman Kardon audio system.
Abundant Safety Nets
BMW’s newest flagship SUV has all the typical space-age safety bells and whistles to bewilder even the most tech-savvy consumer. It has BMW’s Driving Assistant and Driving Assistant Professional lineup, which includes things like frontal collision warning, lane departure warning (with lane return and steering assistance), active cruise control, active navigation, an alertness assistant, and many more.
In addition, BMW’s Highway Assistant hands-free driving package comes standard on the XM Label Red. The feature enables autonomous driving up to 85 mph on certain highways. Finally, it leaves the North Carolina Spartanburg manufacturing plant with a front and rear parking assistant, a 3D surround camera, and cloud-based navigation.
2024 BMW XM Label Red: Pricing & Availability
Production for the BMW XM Label Red begins in August 2023, and interested buyers can start placing their orders near the end of April. The base price remains forthcoming, but it wouldn’t be amiss if the MSRP hovers around $190,000.
Alvin Reyes is an Automoblog feature columnist and an expert in sports and performance cars. He studied civil aviation, aeronautics, and accountancy in his younger years and is still very much smitten to his former Lancer GSR and Galant SS. He also likes fried chicken, music, and herbal medicine.
Photos & Source: BMW of North America, LLC.
