BMW has revealed a new concept plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, the first in its M class to get an electric motor, the company announced. The BMW XM will go into production at the company’s Spartanburg, South Carolina, plant beginning in late 2022, the company said in a news release.
The concept BMW XM has a V8 engine combined with an electric motor to provide 750 horsepower and 737 foot-pounds of torque. BMW spokesman Jay Hanson clarified in an email to The Verge that while the production version of the XM will have a V8 engine paired with a plug-in hybrid system, “horsepower and torque figures should be considered preliminary at this time.”
The company said the unusual front-end design, with two large nostril-shaped openings, shows off a new direction for its future luxury vehicles that includes an illuminated version of its black kidney grille.
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The interior features “vintage-look leather,” with a curved display that combines the instrument panel and infotainment display into a single design, Hanson said. BMW M CEO Franciscus van Meel said in a statement that the concept XM “represents a complete re-imagining of the high-performance vehicle segment.”
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The company didn’t provide details about how much the vehicle will cost.
While the XM isn’t an all-electric vehicle, BMW is moving toward an electrified future: the company said earlier this year that it expects 50 percent of its new vehicles to be fully electric by 2030. It’s developing all-electric versions of its 5 Series and 7 Series sedans and its X1 SUV. But the iX3 will only be available in Europe and China, not the US.