BMW's boldest SUV will arrive in 2022 with a V8 and a Citroen name


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BMW and Citroën will soon have one thing in common: a flagship model called XM. The SUV we thought would arrive as the X8 will adopt the XM nameplate, according to a recent report, and it will break cover in 2022.

X and M are letters commonly associated with the BMW range in 2021, so combining them makes sense. As its name implies, the XM will be an SUV developed in-house by the German carmaker's M division. Similarly, the recently-introduced iX is a crossover engineered by BMW's i sub-brand. Earlier spy shots show the outline of a jumbo-sized people-mover that's about as big as the X7 but that's defined by a more swept-back silhouette.

Enthusiast forum Bimmer Post learned the XM will make its debut in 2022 and enter production in December of that year, meaning we'll likely see it in American showrooms during the 2023 model year. Surprisingly, sources told forum user Ynguldyn that BMW has already laid out plans to phase out the XM in November 2027. When it lands, the SUV will pack a twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 that will work with some form of hybrid assistance to deliver a 700-horsepower punch. Massive brakes, 21-inch wheels, plus carbon fiber trim inside and out will be standard.

Launched in 1989, the Citroën-branded XM was a big, Bertone-designed sedan that inaugurated a computerized evolution of the firm's hydropneumatic suspension system and was available with a 13th window to prevent wind from entering the cabin when the hatch was open. It won the coveted European Car of the Year award in 1990 with 390 points, beating the Mercedes-Benz R129 SL (215 points) and the third-generation Ford Fiesta (214 points).

BMW hasn't commented on the report, and it hasn't revealed the nameplate its flagship SUV will wear. If the rumor is accurate, we don't think Citroën will mind; it has been letting Lexus use the GS nameplate it put on a mid-range sedan from 1970 to 1979 (and until 1986 if you count the GSA) since 1991 without threatening to file a lawsuit. However, the Paris-based firm sued Volvo's Polestar division in late 2020 due to a logo dispute and won.

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