Standing at the crossroads of fate, what choice will BMW make, and what choice can it make?
Earlier, BMW officially released the official map of the XM concept car, and the new car was independently developed and built by BMW's M department, positioning a high-performance flagship SUV. 2022 marks the 50th anniversary of BMW M GmbH, and the XM Concept is the start of a series of celebrations next year. In the fuel era, BMW has become a world-renowned luxury car brand with its sports genes that penetrate into the bone marrow, among which the importance of BMW's M department is beyond doubt, just like the existence of "spiritual totem". However, with the advent of the new energy era, the industry began to reshuffle, in the face of the major changes in the rules of the game, even BMW, which is a traditional "big guy", needs time to adapt. In fact, not only is it standing at the crossroads of fate, but even the foundation of "sportsmanship", BMW also urgently needs to consider how to make a new interpretation of it in the electric age. This is a problem that must be treated with caution, because if this soul is lost, then BMW is no longer BMW.
Appearance: Still a familiar figure
Objectively speaking, in addition to the iconic "double kidney" air intake grille on the front face, the "BMW flavor" on XM is actually not strong. But even so, the recognition is still too high, it can still be seen at a glance as a BMW product. Officials said that the overall design of the BMW XM mass production version of the model has been basically finalized, and there will not be much difference from the concept car announced at this stage. At least from the design point of view, BMW through the XM concept car to the outside world seriously and hard to show the other side of itself, is a tribute to the classic and also a vision of the future. Of course, beauty is a matter of opinion, at least this courage to jump out of the comfort zone I recognize.
Interior: Too much force, too much
To be honest, in the past, the interior design of BMW models I think is not eye-catching, but at least there is no obvious drag, but since the bmw iX debut, I have vaguely felt that BMW's design seems to have begun to go in a strange direction. It can be seen that BMW is trying to change, but I think if the direction is not right, then how hard it is useless. Unfortunately, the failed attempt on the iX failed to make BMW stop at the cliff, and the XM wave can also be regarded as going farther and farther. This is just a concept car, and what the future mass production version will eventually look like, I really dare not think about it.
Motivation: Uphold the dignity of "M"
As a high-performance flagship SUV independently developed by BMW's M department, bmw XM concept car does not disappoint in terms of power configuration, 4.4T twin-turbo V8 engine with electric motor system, combat effectiveness is outstanding. However, looking at the lap time record of the Nürburgring Nordwestorn mass-produced SUV, BMW's two "old enemies" have achieved success, and the Audi RS Q8 is currently ranked second in the list by defeating the AMG GLC63S (the first position has just been taken away by the Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT). After the future listing, I don't know if BMW will send XM to New North to brush a lap speed, if you can't get a good result, you can't say it on the face.
Market Outlook Analysis:
The unknown and confusion of the long road ahead
summary
Looking back at the past and looking forward to the future, standing at the crossroads of fate, BMW chose to go with the flow, otherwise what else could it do? Maybe something is doomed to be untenable. For fans who like the BMW brand, BMW XM may be a product worth looking forward to, after all, it is also a model to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of BMW M GmbH, and the special meaning behind it can still bring a certain degree of topic. As the first model to be equipped with the electrified powertrain of the M Hybrid, the BMW XM also indicates the future direction of the brand to some extent. Whether it is hybrid or pure electricity, the fuel era is about to become a thing of the past, and for BMW, the challenge may be far more difficult than imagined.