BMW admits heated seat subscriptions were a mistake, but the paywalls aren't going away

Heated seats crossed a line – other unlocks didn't

by · TechSpot

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Facepalm: BMW has finally admitted that charging buyers of its luxury vehicles a subscription to use heated seats probably wasn't a great idea. However, in a perfect illustration of corporate mentality, the company doubled down on charging a monthly fee to unlock post-purchase features.

BMW faced a wave of criticism in 2022 when heated seats were offered as part of its ConnectedDrive functions-on-demand program in markets like the United Kingdom, Germany, and South Korea. Owners could pay the equivalent of around $18 per month to access the feature – more than the $12 per month it cost to access the heated steering wheel.

The public backlash led to BMW discontinuing the heated-seat subscription in 2023. Paywalling an already in-place hardware feature – one that comes as standard in many cheaper vehicle – behind a monthly subscription was a PR disaster.

BMW eventually opted to sell the seats as a standard factory option (either included at purchase or bought outright) rather than via recurring payments.

Now, BMW head of product communications Alexandra Landers has admitted that the move was probably a mistake. "The criticism we got was from the seat heating, so this was probably not the best way to start with it," she told the media.

Landers tried to justify feature subscriptions by noting that some, especially those related to advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), have ongoing costs for BMW when used by customers.

"If you use it, we have to pay for it. It's not everything important [to every customer], but the technology is important [to have in all vehicles], and we still believe in the option offer structure that you do not have to decide from the start if you want this ADAS [safety] system," Landers added.

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So, while BMW admits the heated seat option was a bad idea and has since been removed, the company is still embracing post-purchase feature unlocks.

"BMW remains fully committed to the ConnectedDrive environment as an essential part of the global BMW Aftersales strategy," a BMW spokesperson told The Drive in an emailed statement.

"With these established digital offerings, we offer our customers even more comfort and flexibility in line with their individual wishes after they purchase a vehicle," the spokesperson said. "This allows customers to opt for additional functions and services retroactively."

Some of the options available as subscriptions or one-off purchases in BMW ConnectedDrive in the UK include adaptive suspension, high beam assist, safety camera information, adaptive cruise control, a welcome light animation, and even "Apple CarPlay Preparation." Like the heated seats, several of the features come as standard in many vehicles.

BMW says that it won't charge customers to unlock extra power in their vehicles, nor will it offer a Tesla-style over-the-air upgrade to increase the range of its electric vehicles.