With BMW M celebrating its 50th anniversary next year, there are no qualms to the Concept XM’s performance. The German automaker revealed 750 horsepower and 1,000 Nm of torque courtesy of a hybrid V8 engine. The plug-in hybrid will also offer 80 kilometers of pure EV range.

There are a lot to take in terms of styling though. BMW says the Concept XM marks the debut of their new luxury-class models. In this case, the headlamps have been split, where the daytime running lights are joined by a contour lighting that outlines the kidney grille.

Viewed in profile, the Concept XM sports a roofline that tapers towards the rear which also narrows the glasshouse, below which a broad, high-gloss black finish separates the hues of the two-tone paint finish comprising a matte gold-bronze above, and Space Grey metallic below. The Concept XM rides on a set of 23-inch alloy wheels.

At the back, the rear windshield blends almost seamlessly into the bodywork, where the BMW logo is laser-etched into the window, here offering a styling reference to the BMW M1 that has been the only prior standalone M model by BMW. Lower down, the visual M signature of quad exhaust outlets receive a new stylistic twist where they are now vertically stacked and wear hexagonal finishers.

The cabin of the Concept XM combines the traditional with the modern, where vintage-look brown leather in the front is paired with dashboard trim made of carbon fiber with interwoven copper thread. The Curve Display instrument panel features on the dashboard, while the vertical elements above the air-conditioning controls wear the colors of the M logo.

The rear seats are trimmed in a contrasting shade of Petrol (turquoise), where the rear bench seat arrangement is sculpted with deep recesses, while the diamond-shaped head rests and upper sections recall the design of M sports seats in current production M models, and are trimmed in leather. The lower sections feature velvet and diamond quilting, while the footwells get deep-pile carpets.

Initially, it was weird for BMW to consider making an SUV BMW M’s first standalone model after the M1. But then again, considering the world’s insatiable appetite for these things, they may be on to something here.