When BMW introduced the 2024 X5 LCI and X6 LCI last week, it refrained from showing the full-fat M models by deciding to stick with the M Performance version for the time being. The good news is we won’t have to wait much longer for the spicy M derivatives as sources close to Munich have told us the dynamic duo will premiere this month. Since it’s already the 13th and February is a shorter month, the facelifted X5 M and X6 M are right around the corner.

When the high-performance SUVs will break cover, it’s going to be slightly more difficult to tell them apart from the M Performance models. That’s because the new-for-2024 M60i versions have inherited the M badge on the kidney grille as well as the M-specific side mirror design. Needless to say, BMW has designed a more aggressive front bumper for the X5 M and X6 M, so enthusiasts should still have no problem identifying which is which.

The quad exhaust system is another M trait that has trickled down to lesser sporty BMWs, as seen on the M760e and later this year on the M135i and X1 M35i. Curiously, the X5 M60i and X6 M60i don’t have four tips. As with the front fascia, the rear bumper should have a meaner look with a prominent diffuser reserved for the actual M versions of the X5 and X6. To further differentiate them from the M60i, BMW is likely to have fresh wheel designs and hopefully some new colors.

The X5 M and X6 M will no longer be the pinnacle of the M SUV range as that role has been attributed to the polarizing XM. All three will share the company’s newly developed S68 engine. Still a twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 but with mild-hybrid tech baked in, the brawny gas engine will skip the plug-in hybrid setup of the dedicated M model. Horsepower is likely to soldier on at 600 ponies, although the 48V setup could provide a marginal boost.

The 2024 BMW X5 M and X6 M will feature evolutionary styling without breaking the norm like the striking XM did. Much like the more affordable variants, the iDrive 8 will come as standard, resulting in a simplified dashboard layout with fewer conventional controls. This “less is more” approach will also be implemented in the next 5 Series, and by extension, the M5 as well.

The global market launch for the regular X5 and X6 is scheduled for April, and logic tells us the M models wont’ be far behind.