We drive the first ever BMW XM at the international launch in Phoenix, Arizona - what does our video guy, Ciro De Siena, think of the newcomer? The last bespoke BMW M car was the almost mythical M1, so the fact that 40 years later, the engineers at BMW M decided to build a large, plug-in hybrid SUV, has raised some eyebrows.

Another eyebrow-raising aspect is of course the design, which feels intentionally polarising. We're not sure how we feel about it, let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

On a whirlwind launch to Arizona, Ciro De Siena sampled the car through the wide urban grids of Phoenix, and headed into the mountain to get a sense for the car's dynamic ability, in a bid to determine if this 2.8 tonne behemoth is worth of the M badge.

0:00 - Intro
1:44 - Engine and transmission
2:00 - Power and torque
3:06 - Electric mode
4:26 - Hybrid mode
5:40 - Does it drive like a M car?
10:58 - Interior
12:16 - Conclusion

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