Henry Ford used to say “any customer can have a car painted any color that he wants so long as it’s black.” That was done for the sake of efficiency, but thankfully, those days are long gone as modern cars are offered in a variety of hues. It’s especially true in the luxury segment where customers are spoiled for choice when it comes to choosing a paint.

BMW might not have Porsche’s excellent Paint to Sample program, but the Bavarian brand does offer the next best thing – a multitude of regular and Individual colors. With the XM sitting at the top of the food chain, it makes sense the plug-in hybrid SUV comes with a wide array of shades, normal and Individual ones. Those who want to keep it simple know you can never go wrong with black. In this case, a metallic Sapphire Black.

Available alongside Carbon Black, it lends the bespoke M model a sinister look, further accentuated by the Shadowline upgrades. BMW has shared a fresh photo gallery with the XM from Scottsdale in Arizona on the occasion of the vehicle’s international media launch. This specification is essentially the darkest XM money can buy as it largely does away with the gold accents. If we were to spend more than $160,000 on our imaginary build, we’d have it exactly like this. That includes the 22-inch wheels instead of the optional 23-inch set.

The black look continues on the inside where the press car retains the standard finish instead of one of three optional themes BMW is offering for its dedicated M model. Those eager to make the cabin just as striking as the exterior can opt for Deep Lagoon with Vintage Coffee, which is exclusive to the XM. The same can be said about the so-called M Lounge in the back where the leather on the seats is continued on the door panels.

Time will tell whether BMW fans will warm up to the XM, which is primarily targeting the United States, the Middle East, and China. In the meantime, we are only a few months away from an expansion of the lineup with a range-topping Label Red. In some markets such as Europe, an entry-level inline-six PHEV is expected.

Source: BMW