2023 BMW X8: Review, Trims, Specs, Price, New Interior Features, Exterior Design, and Specifications | CarBuzz

We don’t expect that BMW will steal the XM’s thunder with outrageous power specs for the X8. The XM, after all, is the brand’s first standalone M car in decades. That doesn’t mean that the BMW X8’s engine won’t be capable of tire-shredding performance. Two of BMW’s most likely engines will be the 3.0-liter six-cylinder and the 4.4-liter V8, both with turbocharging. The V8 is more likely, considering that this will be the brand’s flagship SUV, and it could even be a plug-in hybrid like the XM. But whereas the latter has 750 horsepower, the top X8 with a PHEV powertrain will likely be detuned to under 700 hp. That will give it a swift 0-60 time and the effortlessness that is a prerequisite for any ultra-luxury car.

BMW’s xDrive all-wheel-drive system will probably be standard, as will the familiar eight-speed automatic transmission from ZF that does duty in everything from the 2 Series to the 7 Series.

If Bentley and Maybach are to be the X8’s rivals, this will need to be the smoothest-riding crossover BMW has ever built. Noise, vibration, and harshness will also require special attention to compete with those models.