Massive BMW XM To Feature 50e Trim And Black Label Badge

Jul. 20, 2022 9:39 AM ET by Michael Butler Electric Vehicles / 5 Comments

Will there be a Blue Label edition too?

Despite BMW fans giving the new BMW XM a solid roasting on the internet, this brutalist German SUV was strangely voted the best-looking SUV back in April, and as it draws nearer to its official release date, people are starting to ask more and more questions about this bizarre machine, and BMW is starting to slip some answers.

The XM is the first standalone M car since the M1, and this 750-horsepower V8 plug-in hybrid promises to usher in a new age in BMW M Performance vehicles along with a string of new naming conventions. There have been whispers of BMW using the Red and Black label naming conventions, and those rumors have now been confirmed by BMW Blog. This news is followed by more internet rumors that the XM will feature an XM 50e trim, borrowing its powertrain from the 750e.

The Black Label name will be worn by the most powerful XM of the lot. The XM Black Label promises to feature a 750 hp V8 gas and plug-in hybrid powertrain. An inside informant also confirmed BMW Blog's reports that a six-cylinder plug-in hybrid XM will be offered in certain markets. The XM 50e is expected to deliver a 490 hp and 516 lb-ft punch via the same powertrain used in the BMW 750e limousine.

Power, in all cases, will be transferred to the wheels via BMW's trusted eight-speed ZF automatic transmission. The BMW XM Black Label will most likely not be sold in European markets, where stringent emissions regulations have killed off many V8 powertrains, but we expect that BMW North America will bring the Black Label stateside.

We expect BMW to bring the entry-level XM V8 to the US late in 2022. In this configuration, expect to see 644 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque, and the Black Label should soon follow with the full 750 hp and 737 lb-ft of torque specs. In this configuration, a sub-four-second 0-60 mph sprint time should be easily attainable. The XM will go up against rivals such as the Lamborghini Urus and Porsche Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid. Prices are expected to start at $150,000 and top out at around $200,000 for the Black Label model. And just like the whiskey, if there is a Blue Label XM coming, those lottery numbers better hit.