As part of the brave new world of automotive, an increasing number of brands have decided to make monthly recurring revenue a cornerstone of their business plans. Witness companies like GM and Hyundai, companies which flog vehicles which eventually require a monthly stipend if customers wish for features such as remote start or OnStar to continue working.
BMW (its South Korean arm, at least) is apparently taking the concept one step further — by making headlights a subscription service.
Well, assisted high-beams, anyway. Outlets south of the border have spotted a number of subscription services being offered by the Korean BMW ConnectedDrive store. According to that site – with help from Google Translate – a so-called High Beam Assistant will cost 11,000 won (about CDN$11) per month, after a month’s free trial ends. Paying for a year upfront saves about two months’ worth of charges; while fronting for a whole three years at once comes out to roughly CDN$160.
It is also reported that other optional extras which will vanish if the car’s owner doesn’t keep up on monthly payments are adaptive cruise control, an on-board camera, and – horrifyingly – heated seats. The latter was the subject of some consternation in past years when there were rumblings that BMW was seemingly on the cusp of introducing this type of program on vehicles in Europe, and potentially North America. The news reports quieted down after blowback from the public.
Not all items on the BMW South Korea site are monthly subscriptions. Prepping one’s BMW for Apple CarPlay is a one-time charge of 399,000 won (CDN$395) while the privilege of enjoying fake engine noise through the IconicSounds program is about half that price.
It’s no secret BMW has toyed with the idea of making features like Apple CarPlay, and even heated seats subscription-based. Photo by Handout /BMW
While this author will yell into the ether about never paying a monthly charge for heated seats, it must be said there are numerous features on modern cars in North America which require doling out new simoleons every thirty days. Customers who use Hyundai Blue Link as a control to activate their remote start may be on the hook after their free trial ends, while items like GM’s superb Super Cruise will disappear after 36 months unless the vehicle re-ups the connection subscription.
Corporations love monthly recurring fees since they are a reliable and predictable source of steady income to the balance sheet. What’s your take on this approach to vehicle features? Sound off in the comments below.
Keyword: BMW charges monthly fee for adaptive headlights in South Korea