BMW updated the XM just a few months after its arrival shook up the SUV scene with its striking design. Production began in December 2022, but fresh Individual colors were already available by spring 2023. Fast-forward, the wildest vehicle to ever wear the M badge receives a similarly minor update for the new model year.
We spent time with the 2026 XM at Le Mans this past weekend, where BMW brought the Label version. Going forward, it will be the only V8-powered variant of the dedicated M model. That said, Europe and other regions will still receive the cheaper six-cylinder 50e. Matching the press images, the M behemoth displayed during the endurance race wore Frozen Tanzanite Blue paint. It’s a matte finish new to the XM but already available on other models.
For 2026, BMW is introducing a new set of 23-inch wheels as the “1096 M” set with a black finish. They’re optional in Europe, where the XM now comes standard with 22-inch alloys instead of the previous 21-inch set. In the United States, the largest wheels are included at no extra cost. These are the only exterior changes, with the XM remaining as polarizing as the namesake concept that debuted in late 2021.
Inside, the XM Label, as shown at Circuit de la Sarthe, featured new-for-2026 leather upholstery. Night Blue Merino is an Individual upgrade, paired here with Vintage Coffee Brown accents. Alternatively, BMW now offers Individual Silverstone Merino leather combined with black surfaces. In the rear, BMW color-matches the cushions to the seat surfaces in vehicles ordered with Individual Merino leather, as seen on this one.
Speaking at the unveiling of the 2026 XM, BMW M boss Frank van Meel said the car targets “individualists, customers with a taste for extroverted lifestyle.” It certainly looks more eccentric than an X5 M, and one could argue even the X7 M60i appears tame by comparison. We’re labeling the XM as an experiment, and whether it proves successful or not, it at least gave us the plug-in hybrid V8 found in the new M5 models.
Whether a full-blown facelift will occur is unclear, let alone the development of a second-generation model. With BMW preparing V8 and electric versions of the next X5 M, another XM might not be necessary.
