BMW officially launches its spectacular and very luxurious XM. This name will certainly speak to Citroen’s fans. And except for the name, do these two vehicles have other points in common? The answer to this question -which nobody asks- in this article.

1. A sharp design

It’s impossible to remain indifferent to the design of the BMW XM. Some will love it and some will hate it. The SUV’s grille is particularly big, the body elements are sharp, the global size is massive. It’s obviously a head turner in the streets. The Citroën XM had another way to demonstrate it’s value with a respectable Cx of 0.30. The car was designed by the Bertone studio and had a special rear window reminiscent of past models and a very pointed nose. The whole thing is definitely futuristic! This contrasts with its more classic interior. A dashboard that -in the BMW also- is suprisingly sober.

2. Something less exentric for the exterior

Because gold can be too much for a lot of people, BMW offers optional Shadow Line exterior accents for 400$. This is a way to sell more cars to customers who want BMW luxury without dazzling other drivers on a sunny day. For the big sedan stamped with the chevrons, there is no such choice but an amazing Multimedia special series imagined at the end of 1997. And guess what: this last one replaced its chrome trims with body-colored elements.

3. Screens inside

Once installed in the BMW XM, the driver faces a huge TFT display consisting of a 12.3-inch screen on the left and 14.9 inches on the right. To amaze in 2022, you have to go big. But in 1997 the mere presence of this type of equipment was revolutionary. The Citroën XM Multimédia had a GPS screen in the front and a computer running Windows 98 in front of the back seat. Funny detail: the demonstration vehicles were driven for only 10 months before being recalled to Citroën to remove the computer installation. The brand was afraid to deal with many problems after the end of the warranty.

4. The XM name

The most obvious common point for the end… Even if it of course evokes different things for the two models. At BMW, the “X” refers to all of its SUV while the “M” reminds us that the Motorsport division is behind the car (the first one since the M1). This translates into a very dynamic handling, a muscular look and the adoption of a 653 horsepower package combining a 489 horsepower twin-turbo 4.4l V8 and a 197 horsepower electric motor. An even more powerful version with 748 horsepower will soon complete the range. The Citroën XM plays it more traditionnaly. The label simply refers to its technological positioning. It’s hard to think otherwise with its high-level suspension and the equipment of the Multimedia special series mentioned several times here.