BMW Offering Significant Discounts On the Polarizing XM SUV
Despite its legitimately impressive performance, the BMW XM hasn’t been a blockbuster hit. Its price and, um, controversial styling are the most likely culprits, but BMW’s new offer (somewhat) takes care of half of those challenges. The SUV is available with a $17,500 lease discount and a $15k purchase incentive.
BMW alerted dealers to the discounts on June 3, and buyers can combine the purchase discount with the automaker’s five-year, 3.99-percent financing deal. The automaker sold just 541 of the high-priced SUVs in the first quarter, making it the company’s second worst-selling model.
The SUV’s front-end design is reminiscent of Darth Vader’s helmet but in the worst ways. Its overdone kidney grille, blocky lines, and slim headlights combine for a look that is controversial at best. The XM Label takes things to another level with red accents that make the vehicle even more eye-catching.
That said, the XM is a relatively special model, as it’s only the second M-developed vehicle after the M1. The more than three-ton family hauler offers up to 738 horsepower in its top configuration, which brings a rapid 3.6-second 0-60 mph time. There’s also 31 miles of electric range from the plug-in hybrid system.
Those steep discounts sound fantastic, but consider that the XM’s price tag isn’t for the faint of heart. Pricing starts at just under $160,000 after destination, and the XM Label starts at almost $186,000. Those prices, combined with the XM’s controversial looks, haven’t helped its fortunes with buyers.
[Images: BMW]
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Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.
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I suspect that margins will still be quite substantial, even with the discount.
Fugly. I don't care how good it drives or how fast it is.