BMW’s BMW ConnectedDrive system allows remote upgrades and feature activation or deactivation for its most recent vehicles. BMW has the ability to upgrade a car’s software via ConnectedDrive. BMW can modify a driver’s access to specific functions dependent on whether they pay for the feature through a subscription thanks to these software updates.
On July 15, BMW of North America sent a press release to make it clear that drivers of cars ordered with heated seats in the United States wouldn’t need to pay a monthly fee to use them. More than 90% of the BMWs sold in the U.S. come standard with heated seats, according to the manufacturer.
According to BMW of North America, “If heated seats are initially selected on a car, that option will remain fully functional throughout the life of the vehicle.” BMW of North America states that it does not anticipate a significant shift in factory option purchase levels in the future.
According to the business, American clients can presently subscribe to two ConnectedDrive features: a dash cam and remote engine start.
BMW is reportedly employing this subscription model more frequently in South Korea, Germany, South Africa, the UK, and a few other nations, according to Kelley Blue Book.
Let’s be clear: BMW is not charging membership fees to American customers for automobile amenities, according to Kelley Blue Book. However, it is worthwhile to report because it is likely to arrive here and it most likely won’t only be BMW that does so.
In Japan, Malaysia, South Africa, and some European nations, BMW does provide a subscription for heated seats. Customers in those nations have the option of subscribing on a monthly, annual, three-year, or one-time basis to have heated seats for the entire life of their vehicle. For heated seats, consumers can pay the equivalent of $18 per month in the UK, $180 per year, or $450 to enjoy heated seats for the whole life of the vehicle.
In a news statement, BMW of North America stated that the company’s future strategy for ConnectedDrive will be to provide both subscriptions and lifetime purchase choices for non-standard features.
According to BMW of North America, customers will be able to test-drive new software-based features for a limited time or buy them outright for the duration of their vehicle’s life.
BMW is not the first automaker to provide services that need a monthly membership. OnStar, GM’s navigation and emergency service, has been available for 25 years. Tesla offers a monthly membership for $99 or $199 depending on the bundle that includes fully autonomous driving features.
According to a study conducted in April 2022 by Cox Automotive, the parent company of Kelley Blue Book, 92% of respondents said heated and cooled seats should be included in the purchase price of a car rather than being available as a subscription service.
In This Article...
Transmit this tale
BMW is already offering heated seat subscriptions in a variety of nations, the most recent instance of the corporation using microtransactions for high-end auto features.
The front seats of your BMW can be heated for about $18 per month with choices to pay for “unlimited” access for $415, a membership for a year ($180), three years ($300), or more.
Although it’s unclear exactly when or in which nations BMW began offering this service as a subscription, a number of media sources this week claimed to have seen its launch in South Korea.
Since 2020, BMW has gradually moved functions behind subscriptions, and heated seat subscriptions are currently offered in the company’s digital stores in the UK, Germany, New Zealand, and South Africa. However, it doesn’t appear to be a choice in the US at this time.
BMW declined to provide the precise details of this roll-out, including the dates on which the subscriptions went live in which nations. But it’s hardly surprising that BMW isn’t making a big deal out of it. Customers have criticized the firm’s strategy as avaricious and exploitative since since the company revealed in 2020 that the operating system of its cars would let microtransactions on services like automatic high beams and adaptive cruise control.
Of course, automakers have always increased prices for premium features, but the situation is very different when software, rather than hardware, is the limiting element.
BMW simply put a software block on their functionality in the case of heated seats, for example, even though owners already have all the essential parts. Buyers must then pay to have the software block removed. It seems more logical to charge a fee for some software features that could result in recurring costs for the automaker (like automated traffic camera notifications, for instance). But with heated seats, that is not a problem.
Other features that BMW is putting behind subscriptions include heated steering wheels, which cost $12 per month, the option to record video from your car’s cameras, which costs $235 for “unlimited” use, and the “IconicSounds Sport package,” which costs $117 up front and lets you play engine sounds in your vehicle.
According to BMW, “the hardware for this feature has already been put in your vehicle during manufacture, at no additional cost,” in the latter scenario. How kind of you.
x2nervisx
When I retrofitted heated seats in my e39, I went through this identical dilemma. I confirmed that they are really for heated seats after spotting the unused electrical harness under the seats. However, that does not imply that the heating elements are already in place. The BMW heated seats are prewired into every seat. You must install the heating elements yourself or purchase new seats if you want to install heated seats.
MUST VIEW
British drivers will have to pay PS10 ($12) per month in order to subscribe to heated seats.
This week, there were a lot of media headlines about BMW starting the program in South Korea, but BMW claims there was a miscommunication. In that instance, the carmaker claims it was simply a database error in BMW’s online store.
Executives at BMW have long discussed plans to charge a monthly fee for several services, including heated seats. Although the car already has the heating coils and other hardware needed to actually heat the seats, owners can, if they so want, pay BMW a monthly charge to enable them to function. The advantage would be a lower initial cost for the vehicle and, possibly, the option to just pay for the function when needed, such as during the winter. Additionally, second or third owners would have the option of paying for features they desire or do not desire.
Naturally, BMW will switch off the heated seats for program participants if they don’t pay their bills.
The carmaker has stated that the features that would be available by subscription will vary by market. In the United States, luxury car buyers don’t anticipate having to pay monthly for them the way they would, for example, a Netflix subscription, therefore heated seats were used as an example of something that wouldn’t be available by subscription. However, BMW stated that in 2020 heated steering wheels might be available via subscription. But it hasn’t happened yet.
In the US, certain more features are already available via membership. Currently, “remote start” functionality, which enables drivers to start the engine from a distance so the car can warm up, is available for separate purchase by North American BMW owners. There is also a paid feature called “BMW Drive Recorder” that uses the exterior cameras of the car (the ones typically used for lane keeping assistance) to record videos that resemble dashboard cameras.
They can be purchased through a website called the BMW ConnectedDrive Store, which also sells some auto features under the heading BMW Functions on Demand.
BMW spokesperson Alexander Schmuck said in an email that consumers will be able to test out new software-based features temporarily by purchasing a trial or acquiring that feature altogether for a set length of time or for the lifetime of the car with BMW Functions on Demand.
When a vehicle is acquired, certain features are paid for; they cannot afterwards be subscribed for. Simply put, this kind of thing is provided so that BMW owners, and possibly second or third owners of BMW automobiles, can test out features that may not have been “turned on” when it was first purchased.
Subscriptions for automotive features are not exclusive to BMW. While Tesla has used software to artificially limit the battery range of its lower end models for years, occasionally unlocking longer range in specific situations, Subaru also charges a monthly fee for a remote start function through an app (though it also sells an unlimited remote start function for a higher upfront cost). A subscription charge for constantly updated technologies like advanced driving assistance systems and navigation has been discussed by other automakers as well.
The Heated Seats of BMW Owners Are Being Stolen
Customers have been complaining about BMW’s membership for heated seats, and now they’re figuring out how to get past the company’s infamous paywall. The German carmaker released Operating System 7, the largest software update it had ever released, in 2020. This software upgrade came with a lot of improvements, but it also put more of an emphasis on microtransactions, which annoyed some of the users. BMW’s ConnectedDrive Store has begun to offer Functions on Demand for features like adaptive M suspension, simulated exhaust sounds, and of course heated seats that were previously restricted. In response to the negative reaction to the news, BMW issued a curt statement stating that heated seats are already standard on 90% of its vehicles sold in the United States.
The German manufacturer defended the subscription model for its software service, claiming it was implemented to provide financial flexibility to individuals who were unwilling to pay upfront for the additional capabilities. The monthly price for a heated seat subscription can range from $18 to $300 for three years. Most contemporary BMW cars come standard with heated seats, therefore owners have started using an alternative method to access amenities that are now hidden behind what is essentially a paywall.
In the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Germany, and South Africa, the ConnectedDrive system is in use. Vehicles sold in the United States do not yet have this feature active. It will be intriguing to observe whether North American users of software-locked features react similarly to BMW owners abroad.
In the US, your heated seats will always function.
Now, BMW is being quite clear: “More than 90% of the BMWs sold in the USA come standard with heated seats. If heated seats are initially ordered for a car, they will be completely functional for the duration of the vehicle “In a statement, BMW stated. Therefore, there are no BMW subscription seats available in the United States. BMW did however clarify that its ConnectedDrive Upgrades are intended to provide premium features via a software upload that utilizes the built-in sensors of the vehicle in various ways. In essence, BMW sees it as a mobile download that enhances usefulness for the car. In your 3-Series, turn up the three-level heat.
CNN and other news sources have also covered the service and the response. However, BMW isn’t the only business that charges more. Toyota’s app has remote start hidden behind a paywall. Rivian offers subscription options as well.
The seats on every BMW X3 are heated?
Synthetic leather upholstery and power-adjustable front seats are included as standard equipment on the five-seat X3. There are options for heated rear seats, heated front seats with ventilation, heated rear seats, and a heated steering wheel.
Are the seats in the BMW 3 Series heated?
An illustration of a Personal Contract Purchase: Cash price PS10,000, deposit PS150, and borrowing PS8,500 for 4 years at a representative 7.4% APR A total of PS4127.50 will be paid after 47 instalments of PS132.04. PS1833.38 is the total cost of credit. Payable in total is PS11,833.38. 8,000 miles per year as a base. If excess miles is used, there are fees. Finance subject to status; only those 18+.
The 3 Series is larger than before, and BMW has concentrated mostly on expanding the space for passengers in the back. It now provides a comparable amount of space as the Audi A4 and the Mercedes C-Class. However, only the two outside positions have Isofix points, despite BMW’s claims that the 3 Series is now wide enough to allow three child seats stacked one on top of the other in the back.
With a wide range of seat adjustments and a steering wheel with height and rake adjustments, both front seat occupants should be able to find a comfortable position. The usual upholstery is fabric, but the Sport and M Sport variants have heated seats and Vernasca leather upholstery.