BMW XM, the first exclusive M model after the M1. Photo source: BMW

BMW has not announced the end of the XM; sales remain the weakest

Automotive News wrote on 19 August 2026 that BMW is reviewing its range and that the XM, together with the 8 Series and i4, faces an uncertain future. The publication’s main argument is low volume, especially in China. BMW has not announced the model’s withdrawal, a halt to orders, or the cancellation of a successor.

In Romania, the spring 2026 update prepares XM Label for the Euro 7 emissions standard, with new propulsion technology from April 2026.

What Automotive News reported

The 19 August article is titled BMW reviews model lineup: XM, 8 Series, i4 face uncertain future. The full text is behind a paywall; the opening points to a range review, not a release from Munich.

The lack of spy photos of a facelift, cited in press coverage, is not a decision by the brand. The absence of prototypes is not the same as a cancellation.

At the launch of the iX3, BMW said Neue Klasse technologies would go into 40 new models and updates by 2027. The press infers that the XM is unlikely to receive that kit. BMW has not published a list from which the XM is excluded.

How many units were sold

The BMW brand delivered 2,169,739 cars in 2025, 1.4% fewer than in 2024, according to the BMW Group annual conference. The group, including MINI and Rolls-Royce, reached 2,463,681 vehicles (+0.5%).

BMW does not publish the XM separately in these group tables. BMWBlog, on 12 March 2026, compiled deliveries by series:

Model 2025 versus 2024
XM 7,608 −2.6% (from 7,813)
Z4 9,744 −7% (last full year)

In this compilation, the XM was the BMW model still in production with the fewest deliveries. The Z4, later taken out of production, still outsold the XM.

In the USA, BMW of North America reported a record 388,897 cars (+4.7%). The XM does not appear in the BEV excerpt of the release, but in the model tables published by best-selling-cars.com and BMWBlog: 1,878 units in 2025, versus 1,974 in 2024 (−4.9%). The X3 had 76,546, the X5 76,246.

In the first half of 2026, BMW Group delivered 1,156,742 cars (−4.2%). BMW brand: 1,004,681 (−6.2%). BMW M GmbH: 99,595 (−6.0%). China region: 261,773 (−20.4%). Europe: 496,651 (+5.4%). USA: 200,661 (+3.9% at BMW and MINI group level).

By series, BMWBlog wrote on 30 July 2026 that the iX fell 22.8% and the XM 22.4% in January–June, and that the XM remained last. The official half-year release does not break out the XM. The absolute figure of 2,816 units, circulated in the press for H1 2026, does not appear in BMW Group tables.

At launch, BMW named the USA, China and the Middle East as the most important markets. Country mix percentages, now repeated by the press, do not appear in the Romanian 2022 release.

What remains confirmed about the car

The XM is the first exclusive M model after the M1, announced in BMW M GmbH’s anniversary year. Production began in December 2022 at the plant in Spartanburg (USA). Dealers received it in spring 2023.

The M HYBRID system at launch: a 4.4-litre V8 plus an electric motor in the eight-speed M Steptronic gearbox. System output 480 kW / 653 hp, torque 800 Nm, 0–100 km/h in 4.3 s. Battery 25.7 kWh net; electric range 82–88 km WLTP, marked as provisional in the debut release. AC charging up to 7.4 kW.

XM Label (initially Label Red) rose to 550 kW / 748 hp and 1,000 Nm. 0–100 km/h: 3.8 s. In the June 2025 release, BMW narrowed the range from three variants to two: Label remains the only XM with an electrified V8; the XM 50e, with an inline six, is unchanged. On the BMW M page, the 50e has 350 kW / 475 hp, 700 Nm and 0–100 km/h in 5.1 s.

From April 2026, the V8 on XM Label moves to the Miller cycle, with revised exhaust-gas treatment, for Euro 7. System output remains 550 kW / 748 hp; BMW still calls it the most powerful series BMW M model. The update applies in the EU and in countries that follow the same emissions rules. The M5 received the same wave of changes from March 2026; there the V8 output falls from 430 kW / 585 hp to 400 kW / 544 hp, while the system stays at 535 kW / 727 hp.

In Germany, the June 2025 list started at €183,400 for Label and €133,800 for the 50e.

What it means for Romania

The XM can be ordered. The Euro 7 update for Label is also published on PressClub Romania, so the model remains in the 2026 product plan. BMW Romania has not announced a halt to orders.

At the Label Red launch, the starting price communicated for Romania was €195,041 including VAT (€163,900 excluding), on 28 April 2023. Today’s list has to be asked at a dealer; it is not the same figure as the German 2025 price.

The cars are built in the USA. The Rabla 2026 programme funds vehicles produced in the EU, EEA, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Turkey or Morocco; American origin excludes eligibility by country of manufacture, regardless of the hybrid system.

On the used market, BMW XM listings need to be separated from the X5, X7 and iX. The XM has no counterpart in the classic BMW range; an X5 M is not an XM. Neue Klasse electric SUVs (iX3, then iX4 and, later, larger models) are another family, on another platform.

Frequently asked questions

Has BMW announced that it is stopping the XM?

No. Automotive News describes a range review and an uncertain future. BMW’s 2026 releases update Label for Euro 7.

Is there a confirmed successor?

No. BMW has not published a second generation and has not announced its cancellation either.

How many XMs were sold in 2025?

7,608 globally, according to BMWBlog’s compilation of series tables. In the USA: 1,878.

Is XM Label still the most powerful series BMW M?

Yes, according to the spring 2026 release: 550 kW / 748 hp, unchanged after the move to the Miller cycle.

Does the XM qualify for Rabla 2026?

Not by country of manufacture: it is produced in Spartanburg, in the USA, outside the list of eligible origins.

Sources