Electric BMW XM Reportedly Axed. Sleek 6 Series Could Come Next
BMW Concept Skytop (2024)
BMW’s big and bold Lamborghini Urus-rivaling plug-in hybrid SUV gamble may not be paying off, so it could reportedly be discontinued.
When BMW announced that it was launching a big and heavy plug-in hybrid SUV as its first dedicated M model since the mid-engined M1, the news got a lukewarm reception from fans of the brand, as did the XM when it was launched. A new report suggests BMW is dropping plans to launch a fully electric version of the XM, scrapping the model altogether and launching something much closer to its brand ethos.
According to a report by Automotive News, which quotes an unnamed supply chain insider, the electric XM codenamed G79 was expected to enter production at BMW’s US plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, in 2028, but it’s apparently been dropped in favor of a new 6 Series coupe. Details are limited, but the new 6 will reportedly be built on BMW’s CLAR platform, so it will support combustion, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fully electric powertrains when it arrives in 2026.
BMW will keep the XM plug-in hybrid in production until November 2028, and until then, it will probably receive a mid-lifecycle refresh to update its controversial design. It pulled the plug on the last 6 Series in 2017, which was available with two-door coupe and convertible bodies (the F12 and F13) as well as a four-door coupe (the F06).
It was a good-looking car that was quite successful, winning several important design awards. This was reflected in its sales, which reached almost 130,000 units in its seven years of production. It was replaced in 2018 by the larger 8 Series, which is still in production today, but it will probably be discontinued when the new 6 Series arrives in two years. The source report suggests that production of the smaller 4 Series with combustion engines will also end when the 6 Series arrives.
BMW Concept Skytop (2024)
BMW Concept Skytop (2024)
BMW Concept Skytop (2024)
BMW will launch a new 4 Series coupe, which will most likely be built on the Neue Klasse platform, so it will only be available with electric power.
Not having several separate coupe models makes sense for BMW since these are fairly low-volume models. Mercedes-Benz did the same when it discontinued the C- and E-Class coupe models and replaced them with a single model, the CLE. However, Mercedes has no plans to make an electric version of the CLE because its platform doesn’t support it.
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If BMW does revive the 6, there is a strong chance the BMW Skytop Concept (pictured) will serve as inspiration. Its design was very well received when it debuted at the Villa d’Este Concours d’Elegance with its classic coupe proportions and traditional BMW design cues—it was seen as a breath of fresh air after many years of BMW design seemingly having lost its way and producing polarizing shapes like the XM.
However, BMW Blog says, quoting its own industry insiders, that BMW doesn’t actually have plans to bring back the 6 Series. It also states in the same article that the XM’s future is uncertain but that the decision to axe the model hasn’t yet been made, so we’ll take the original Automotive News report with a grain of salt until we get some confirmation from BMW.