Ahead of the public debut at the Auto Shanghai, BMW has broken the cover of the BMW XM Label Red and will be launching in Australia at the end of 2023.
The XM Label Red sits atop the XM range as the flagship and features more power and design accents that BMW says, “symbolise its flagship position”.
Compared to the standard XM model, power has been increased from 480kW to 550kW. Power comes from the M TwinPower Turbo V8 engine producing 430kW and an electric motor adding another 145kW. Torque has also seen a bump from 800Nm to an impressive 1000Nm.
This bump in power means the XM Label Red can sprint from 0-100km/h in just 3.8 seconds. However, BMW haven’t just tuned the hybrid system for power and acceleration, they also mention that the electric motor also helps increase the efficiency of the V8 by having a supporting role under steady loads.
If you’re worried that the electric motor hampers the sound experience, don’t fret. The sports exhaust system has two electronically controlled and continuously adjustable flaps, so you can be as loud or quiet as you need to be.
Pricing
Pricing has been confirmed for Australia, the RRP including GST and LCT but excluding on-roads are $344,200 for the Label Red, and $349,900 for the confusingly named, but limited Label Red Edition.
Features of the BMW XM Label Red:
- BMW M TwinPower Turbo V8 with M HYBRID developing 550kW/1000Nm
- Adaptive M Suspension Professional
- Eight-speed M Steptronic transmission
- M Sport Differential
- 22-inch M Light alloy wheels (23-inch wheels a no cost option)
- Tyre Pressure Monitor
- Travel & Comfort System
- Heated and cooled front cup holders
- M Multifunction front seats
- M Seat Belts
- M High-Gloss Shadow Line
- Comfort Pack (Ventilated Seats, Massage Function, Heat Comfort Pack, Heated Front
and Rear Seats) - Sun Protection Glazing
- Driving Assistant Professional
- Parking Assistant Plus
- Live Cockpit Professional with HUD
- BMW Connected Package Professional
- Bowers & Wilkins Surround Sound System
- Wireless Smartphone Charging
- Digital Radio
- Comfort Access
- Soft Close Doors
- Alarm
- BMW Gesture Control
- Personal eSim
- BMW IconicSounds Electric
- BMW Individual Interior with Leather ‘Merino’ upholstery in Black/Fiona Red combination
- BMW Individual Metallic Paintwork
- M signature interior trim in Carbon Fibre, featuring M accents in red and blue
- 4-Zone Climate Control
- BMW Iconic Glow illuminated grille surround
- 5 Year BMW Service Inclusive (BSI) package
- Flexible Fast charge cable (Mode 2)
- Public Charging cable (Mode 3)
BMW has also included details on the alloy wheels, brake colours, and exterior accents. Put it simply, there are 2 22-inch options, 2 23-inch options, black or red M brakes, and Shadowline or Toronto Red accents.
The BMW XM Label Red Edition is a limited version and will only have 500 cars produced globally, with 30 allocated to the Australian market. The limited model adds a wider range of choices over and above the ‘normal’ Label Red.
Features of the BMW XM Label Red Edition:
- BMW Individual Frozen Carbon Black exterior finish
- Kidney frame, rear diffuser inserts and waistline in Toronto Red
- 22-inch M light allow wheels Double Spoke 922 in Jet Black with Red Accent
- BMW Individual leather ‘Merino’ with exclusive contents in Fiona Red/Black
- “1 of 500” plaque located in cabin
Our take:
Our hearts were set on seeing a M version of the BMW i8 but it never came, in our opinion it had a lot of promise to usher in the new era of hybrid/electric BMW M vehicles. We’ve taken a while to warm up to the idea of the first dedicated M vehicle since the M1 being a hybrid SUV, our old school minds are entrenched in what a M should be. On its own, the now even more powerful Label Red has performance numbers which are hard to turn our noses up at, and with consumers flocking to SUV’s it makes business sense.
The Label Red Edition, despite the confusing name makes a pretty bad ass looking vehicle with the numbers to back it up. We’ll be looking forward to seeing it on the road.
Read more about the BMW XM Label Red on the BMW Australia website.
