BMW considers South Korea to be one of the world’s five largest markets for the XM, alongside Germany, the US, China and the UK. For 2026, the polarizing SUV drops the base version and puts all its eggs in the XM label basket. The days when the company’s most powerful production vehicle bore the Label Red name were short-lived. From now on it will simply be called the XM label.
Since Korea doesn’t sell the six-cylinder 50e version in Europe, the Label is the only XM available locally. BMW claims the 227.7 million won ($155,000/133,500 euros) sticker is “the most competitive price” among the vehicle’s main markets. For reference, Americans need to spend at least $160,775. The Germans pay 183,400 euros before options. In the UK, maths starts at £154,800. In China, the XM label starts at 2,450,000 yen. Of course, this is before dealers may offer discounts to move the unsold metal.
Some will recall that when BMW launched the XM, it assumed South Korea would account for 7% of total demand. The US accounted for an estimated 26%, followed by China at 23% and the Middle East at 8%. Germany was on par with Korea at 7%. Demand wasn’t strong, to say the least, and deliveries fell 4.7% in the first half of the year.
BMW sold just 3,627 units through the end of June, making it the slowest-selling product in the lineup. Even its predecessor, the Z4, performed better, with demand for the Roadster increasing by 1.1% to 5,552 cars. Of course, that’s not a fair comparison given the big price difference, but we can all agree that the XM didn’t live up to the hype.
Still, BMW may not be done experimenting in the large SUV segment just yet. While the XM is unlikely to get a second generation, it is rumored to be indirectly replaced by a “Rugged” model. If our sources are correct, the “G74” won’t be as capable off the beaten path as a Land Rover Defender or a Mercedes G-Class. However, the CLAR-based vehicle with plug-in hybrid and electric drive is likely to have more off-road capability than any previous X model.
In the meantime, the “G09” is expected to be in use until November 2028, at which point production will cease. Given the model’s limited appeal, which makes it difficult to justify a commercial case for investing in an LCI, we wouldn’t hold our breath for a mid-cycle facelift.
Photos: BMW South Korea
