(WTVO) — Automaker BMW is testing monthly subscriptions to unlock certain vehicle features like heated seats or auto-dimming headlights.
BMW says its cars will have all the necessary components built-in, but they will be blocked by software and unlocked by microtransactions.
Twitter user Jake Groves detailed a recent experience with his BMW 530e, saying once he pressed the high beam assist button “a message from the car essentially said ‘no, you need to buy the feature first on the ConnectedDrive store.”
Groves said the function was available for $12 a month or $237 for unlimited access.
According to IGN, the full list includes: “active cruise control with stop and go function, adaptive M suspension, Apple CarPlay preparation, the BMW drive recorder, the BMW safety camera information, Driving Assistant Plus, front seat heating, high beam assistant, IconicSounds Sport, the map update package, the online entertainment voucher, and steering wheel heating.”
BMW launched the subscription features this week in South Korea, and has been putting features behind a paywall since 2020, in countries like the UK, Germany, New Zealand and South Africa, according to The Verge.