BMW subscription in-car features now available in SA
Love it or hate it, connected cars are here to stay. Buying a new vehicle today means downloading a companion app, regularly updating software, and contending with sometimes finicky controls.
Taking advantage of this constant connectivity (again) is BMW, who is no stranger to blowback over random subscription charges. Earlier this week, BMW South Africa quietly rolled out several new subscription services that require additional payments for popular features like heated seats.
Owners can purchase the features through BMW's ConnectedDrive Store, and in case you're wondering how a software update can add physical features to the car, it might anger you to know that the hardware is already there. You just don't have access to it without paying more.
BMW South Africa charges R250 per month for heated seats, but buyers can opt to pay for a year at R2,400 or three years for R3,800. If you want the feature forever, BMW will sell it to you for R6,600. Want a heated steering wheel? If you don't want to pay R3,800 for permanent access, get ready to shell out R160 per month, R1,600 per year, or R2,500 for three years. Wireless Apple CarPlay costs R5,400, and the ConnectedDrive store features several other added-cost upgrades.
To activate, features are pushed through an over-the-air software upgrade on BMW's ConnectedDrive platform.
Remember that this isn't BMW's first rodeo with subscription services. In 2019, the automaker made waves with its decision to stop selling Apple CarPlay – on subscription – in certain markets. While it wasn't offered at outrageous costs, being asked to pay for a service that others get for free feels like a slap in the face, especially at the prices new BMWs sell for. The uproar led BMW to reverse course, and it quickly resumed offering the tech for free, refunding anyone unlucky enough to have paid for the service.
With the disclaimer that you "shouldn't try this at home," we'll tell you that someone will probably come up with a way around paying for these things. BMW South Africa's warranty policies do disclaim that fiddling with a car's electronics voids its warranty coverage.
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