BMW Doesn’t Plan To Build A Next-Gen XM, Though It Wants You To Believe It Will
While there is reportedly no successor planned, BMW won’t confirm anything right now.
BMW’s design direction as of late isn’t sitting well with many, but nothing else holds a candle to the radical design of the XM. As the flagship of both the SUV and M performance lineups, its sole purpose is to make a statement––and with those inflated kidney grilles and split headlights, it’s a rather controversial one. While the 644 horsepower pushed out by the hybrid-assisted, twin-turbo V8 is sort of a saving grace, a lot of criticism has been drawn from both its styling and its rather clumsy driving manners. With all of that being said, it comes as no surprise to hear from Automotive News that the performance SUV won’t be with us forever.
But before we get ahead of ourselves, the XM is here to stay for now. A potential successor was theoretically supposed to hit dealers around 2028 or 2029, though with automakers usually thinking far ahead on their product portfolios, BMW is already considering what it wants to do with its flagship SUV. And that’s nothing––once its time is up, there will be no successor in line to replace it.
Again, the final model year for the XM is still quite far off. With production allegedly coming to an end at BMW’s Spartanburg, South Carolina factory in November 2028, the flagship crossover won’t be leaving the lineup until somewhere near the 2029 model year. The automaker originally had plans to launch a second-generation model in late 2028 with a fully-electric powertrain, but the project, codenamed G79, was later sent to the chopping block.
While it makes sense that a niche model like the XM won’t be returning for a second generation, especially since the V8 hybrid powertrain it introduced is now available on the new M5 sedan as well, BMW would rather you not think about the model’s future. In statements to curious media outlets, the automaker essentially denied the reports that the XM’s time here is short-lived. This has come alongside the automaker’s firm rebuttal against a future 6-Series.
Here’s what BMW said, according to Road and Track: “While as a matter of policy BMW does not comment on third-party speculation regarding future product development, given the attention recent stories have received, we feel it necessary to clarify that […] BMW has made no official statement on the future of a successor to the BMW XM.”
With a new BMW M5 on the way and a focus on expanding its electrified reach, BMW isn’t stagnating in the 21st Century, instead choosing to grow with it. While the end of XM production will be met with mixed reactions, a streamlined, new set of performance-oriented coupes and sedans — electrified or not — could be true to the BMW we’ve known and loved.
Image Credits: BMW
BMW Pours Cold Water On Claims That A Revived 6-Series Will Replace The 8-Series
According to BMW, rumors that the 6er will relaunch in 2026 are simply not true.
The BMW 8-Series might be on its way out soon, and in its place could sit a good old friend––the 6-Series. According to the initial report by Automotive News, which cites sources familiar with the supply chain, the revived two-door will arrive in the second half of 2026, just in time for the 2027 model year. It will come in the same traditional coupe and convertible flavors, riding on BMW’s new Cluster Architecture (CLAR) with support for gas, hybrid, and fully-electric powertrains. It remains to be seen whether the 6-Series will come available with all three. (Actually, it remains to be seen whether the 6er is coming back at all, but more on that later.)
While no four-door Gran Coupe model was mentioned, previous reports regarding the future of BMW’s larger coupe models stated that the 8-Series nameplate would live on solely as an electric four-door to take on the next-generation Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door and the Porsche Taycan. Meanwhile, the 6-Series will hold down the large two-door market while also catering to those who would not prefer an EV with its gas/hybrid options, especially with the smaller 4-Series two-door rumored to ditch combustion soon as well.
However, it’s hasn’t been officially confirmed whether a revived 6-Series will actually roll out of BMW’s Dingolfing, Germany plant come 2026. In fact, the automaker has flat out denied the rumors. Multiple media outlets reached out to BMW following the release of the Automotive News report, and the answers they received didn’t appear so promising. One spokesperson told Car and Driver that “there are currently no plans to reintroduce the BMW 6-series to the market for model year 2026, despite what is being widely speculated in automotive media circles.”
The last time we saw the 6-Series badge on a two-door was for the 2018 model year, with engine options consisting of a 315-hp 3.0 liter turbocharged inline-six, along with a 4.4 liter twin-turbo V8 making a healthy 445 hp. After that, the coupe and convertible headed off for the sunset, followed by the four-door Gran Coupe and funky Gran Turismo hatchback roughly a year later. All of which were promptly replaced by the 8-Series lineup we have today. Regardless of whether a new 6-Series does in fact arrive, BMW plans to drop the 8-Series in 2026 in pursuit of electrification.
