Yahoo Autos 2024 BMW XM Label First Drive: When the standard XM isn’t enough
The 2024 BMW XM Label is not a traditional M offering in any sense. BMW didn’t call it a Competition, CS or even a CSL, and that starts to make sense once you get a handle on what it is. This new name for an M variant hasn’t come without its growing pains, either. For those who paid extra-close attention to the XM lineup since its debut, you’ll recognize that “XM Label” wasn’t even the original name for this variant when it came out. It was to be called the “Label Red” when it debuted, and it featured what could be described as the gaudiest of red appearance packages known to humankind. As reported by others, the change was to simplify the name. Mission accomplished?
At any rate, dropping the “Red” part of the name has come with design changes, too. The red accent package is not obligatory whatsoever, and BMW didn’t have a single example with the “Toronto Red” side trim on it for our first drive. That said, if you do want the red accent bands, they can be tacked on as a $0 option. The red “XM” badging is still present as a bit of a hangover from the “Red Label” naming scheme, but that’s your main telltale of this XM being a Label from the outside. One key bit we’ll note that hasn’t made its way into the production Label is the rather bold, red grille surround you can see from our original post here. We doubt that many will be complaining about its disappearance (nor that of the “lipstick-on-a-pig” quips that came with it).
The XM Label’s looks are a big part of what sets it apart from the standard XM, though, and one of the Label’s big pluses is its complimentary BMW Individual paint options. You’ll be able to select between over 50 different alluring paints free of charge with the Label – our particular tester was a truly jaw-dropping Sepia Metallic. But for as good as the outside colors may be, BMW limited the interior options to just a single “Fiona Red/Black” two-tone Full Merino Leather setup. Non-Label versions of the XM offer numerous interior upholstery options, with far more interesting material and color choices, like Deep Lagoon with Vintage Coffee or Sakhir Orange with Black. You’re also locked into a single trim option consisting of carbon fiber with a red weave. All these red accents are paired with red vents and a red “XM” logo in the center stack. The appearance leans heavily toward the performance side of matters, but we can’t help but prefer the more classy and elegant packages available on the non-Label model.
As for what makes the performance of the XM Label different from the standard XM, it’s largely about power. The Label has a combined 738 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque versus the standard XM’s 644 horses and 590 pound-feet of twist. None of the electrified parts of this plug-in hybrid powertrain change, but BMW heavily increases output from the 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8. In Label guise, the combustion engine produces 94 more horsepower to bring it to a grand total of 577 ponies. That’s not even the highest we’ve seen from M’s version of the high-output V8, so don’t be surprised to see BMW push things even further in the future.
