BMW’s M performance car division turned 50 recently and to celebrate, it decided to come up with a cool new number – a super-SUV called the XM.

The new BMW XM Plug-in Hybrid, officially coded as the G09, gets a twin-turbocharged 4.4-litre V8 engine attached to a hybrid system. Total output is 653 PS and 800 Nm. This, BMW claims, means a 0-100 km/h time of just 4.3 seconds, all the way to a top speed of 270 km/h.

When running purely on electric power, the BMW XM offers a WLTP-rated EV range of between 80 to 88 km at up to 140 km/h. The car’s electric motor is juiced by an underfloor-mounted lithium-ion battery. Charging via AC (Type 2 connection) means getting a ‘full tank’ of power in four hours and 15 minutes.

Naturally, the car now sits at the top of the BMW range and is set to go up against other high-performance SUVs, like the Range Rover Sport SVR, Jaguar F-Pace SVR, Audi RS Q8 and the – deep breath, everyone – Porsche Cayenne Coupe Turbo SE-Hybrid.

Priced in Malaysia at RM1.31 million, the G09’s arrival here is certainly no surprise, what with BMW having announced pre-orders for the car last October, and revealing the official pricing for it just in January. Yet, in the flesh, the 2,710 kg BMW XM remains imposing. And aside from ditching the concept car’s two-tone paint and gaining real door handles and fewer wild taillights, the production BMW XM looks basically the same as the earlier, 2021 concept.

Overall, the XM is a few cm shorter than the BMW X7 on which it shares the same platform, but the XM is wider and lower thanks to its rakish roofline. But the XM is perhaps more brazen and brash and is easily BMW’s most interesting design thus far.

Dominating the front end are the signature giant kidney grilles, the outline of which is illuminated. Combined with the prominent hood bulges, super slim LED running lights and the dark-tinted headlights “hidden” in the bumper below, the new Beemer looks menacing, to say the least! Meanwhile, the rear glass is much more slanted than on the X7, but BMW isn’t calling the XM a coupe.

Standard equipment includes adaptive LED headlights with high-beam assistant, adaptive M suspension with electronically-controlled dampers, active roll stabilisation and rear-wheel steering. Of course, it’s also dressed in the M Aerodynamics kit, while riding on 23-inch Star Spoke Style 923 M Bicolour light-alloy wheels. The wheels are wrapped with 275/35 front and 315/30 rear profile tyres. 

Inside, centre stage is a BMW Curved Display, featuring a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and 14.9-inch central touchscreen as well as BMW Operating System 8. There’s also the M leather steering wheel for the driver, M carbon-fibre interior trim finishers, M seat belts, M front seats and a BMW Individual dashboard also trimmed in the make’s Individual Merino leather. 

A Bowers & Wilkins Diamond surround sound system, smartphone integration (both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto), wireless charging and access to a range of ConnectedDrive services are other notable in-cabin features. 

Finally, BMW’s Driving Assistant Professional package also brings along steering and lane control assistant, automatic speed limit assist, lane change assistant, active cruise control, lane departure warning, front/rear crossing traffic warning, emergency stop assistant and evasion assistant.