BMW Malaysia has introduced a range of new subscription services that are available via the BMW ConnectedDrive Store, which allows customers to enable features on their car, provided it comes with the relevant hardware.
We’ve been through this before, as back in December 2019, the company confirmed that there will be a one-time activation fee that users will need to pay for Apple CarPlay, if the vehicle didn’t already come with the feature enabled.
This is after a four-tier subscription model was eliminated, which was announced as part of Apple CarPlay Preparation’s introduction in Malaysia back in July 2019. The defunct model had a pricing structure where users could opt for a three-month renewable trial period before committing to a yearly, three-year or unlimited access plan.
As at the time of writing, the local ConnectedDrive Store has nine services listed, some of which are marked as “trial now” that allows owners to try features before committing to a subscription or one-time fee for them. Services without the “trial now” label include Adaptive M suspension, which is offered with unlimited access for a one-time fee of RM1,880 including sales and service tax (SST).
Apple CarPlay Preparation remains on the list, and is still being offered at RM1,299 for unlimited access, as is IconicSounds Sport (RM640 one-time fee) for BMW electric vehicles (iX, iX3 and i4) that are equipped with the IconicSounds Electric system. The last of four services that aren’t marked as “trial now” is USB Map Update, which will cost RM269 yearly.
Moving on to services that are labelled as “trial now,” there’s the BMW Drive Recorder, which appears to use a vehicle’s onboard cameras to film its surroundings. This follows a four-tier subscription model, with a monthly fee of RM55, a yearly fee of RM235, a three-year plan for RM549 or unlimited access for RM1,239 – a one-month trial is available at no charge.
The same is true of Driving Assistant Plus, with a three-month trial costing nothing, while you’ll have to pay for a monthly (RM170), yearly (RM1,690), three-year (RM2,640) and unlimited (RM3,750) plan.
Other services listed include front seat heating (free one-month trial, RM80 monthly, RM780 yearly, RM1,230 for three years, RM1,750 for unlimited access), high beam assistant (free one-month trial, RM40 monthly, RM370 yearly, RM550 for three years, RM800 for unlimited access) and steering wheel heating (free one-month trial, RM50 monthly, RM410 yearly, RM690 for three years, RM950 for unlimited access).
Some of these subscription services have also been rolled out to other markets, so they are not exclusive to our country. A check with BMW Malaysia revealed that these subscription services are now live and were put in place so owners can pay for them only if they need it, and that some of these applications/features have licensing agreements.
How do you feel about these subscription services? Do you think you should pay to enable features for hardware that’s already fitted to a car? Are you a current BMW owner and have experienced this yet? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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Like EA already. Microtransaction…
Meanwhile with Proton ACO AtlasOS you get all those plus unlimited OTA upgrades for free for life. Take that those fools pushing for AA/CP systems with hidden paid subscription! Haha
There is no place for proton in a BMW article section. A real BMW owner can easily buy your proton with their sold watch on wrist but they refused. See the big picture. A sexy bikini on a petrol tank, even if the bikini worth fortune, no guys will go for that tank.
Luckily BMW havent come out with loot box system.
i bought a house from Ecoworld. It comes with aircond installed. I want to turn on the aircond … Ecoworld says: Please pay a fee
house comes with a fan installed …. i want to use … please pay a fee
i poop in the toilet…i wanna flush it away…please pay a feee
list goes on … bloody blood suckers
What’s next? Monthly subscription fee for right or left steering turn? How about a RM50 monthly for braking function?
absolutely insane behavior and capitalism at its finest
Why.
Companies have noticed the profit of subscription services and are now implementing this everywhere they can.
The car already has the features built-in right? This is like buying a phone and have to pay to unlock my speakers.
This is just opening a market for hardware tinkerers to bypass the locked features, or aftermarket replicas.
I hope this subscription service flops and never comes back.
Wait, so if I bought a BMW that has high beam assistant like an X5, are those going to get disabled now? Or does this only apply for new models?
I really hope this doesn’t become a new norm! Why the hell should a safety feature like high beam assist be a subscription!
Next is bmw going to make airbags a subscription as well!! Rm40 per month or else the airbag won’t deploy if you are involved in a accident!
Sell a kosong spec BMW then everything else is “only if they need it” subscription.
“Luxury” car brand? Haha
Premium marquee decision, badge snobs might still support it lol
BMW, for a premium price car, it should be all inclusive. Now i feels like another AirAsia company is being born.
For me no problem if BMW want to charge for extra features. However, for every car breakdown or part failure, we also can seek compensation from them. This is fair.
BMW digitalized, charge you more even you had the hardware.
Does it get unlimited warranty free repair/replacement along the subscription?
Must be one of the silliest thing since cars became a thing.
Must as well just buy a car with such features already installed or just subscribe the whole car without out right buying it.
subscription will be a trend in future. nobody wants to own now, especially if they still have to pay monhtly fees for it.
later on we all can get a basic BMW for less than 50k, is that correct?
hahaha
Utterly b+llsh|it.
Is the air for tire need for monthly subscription? or is the price only for car exclusive of tires, handle bar, aircond, suspension, passenger seats and floor mat? BMW, you are too calculative, you wont get any benefit instead you will lost a lots of your royalty and potential customer.
air oso need to subscribe.. only can use bmw air
Will never buy BMW again or any car with a subscription feature ever. What a scam.!!
Good. This makes my life much easier. I’ll just cross out BMW from the list of cars to consider the next time I’m shopping for a new car.
they should charge signal stalk subscription fee to the BMW owners instead
Like it or not, this is the future of mobility. Profits are getting tighter so they have to find other means to bridge the gap.
why would they… nobody would pay for it cos none of them use it
my good human, it’s not “profits are getting tighter,” it’s *capitalism*
Who would pay 1750 for heated seats in malaysia???
People who want to walk around with a hawt ass
Someone that concern on ideal temperature of their poop @37°c will prevent constipation.
Can you guys ask BMW Malaysia for more details, especially Driving assistant plus, what cars are compatible with it ? does that mean all cars even like the 320i will come preinstalled with radars to enable the adaptive cruise control ?
jailbreak time
BMW = Banyak Makan Wang
Its true!
Tony fernandez have taken over BMW kah?
Yeah . This reminds me of Air Asia charges !!!!
I mean if it software base that need regular update and maintenance, sure, a subscription is “ok”. If it something already there nope
BOYCOTT this people. Then you will see this removed! Then the buying stops, the capitalism stops.
fkg hardware is in the car. and you alreay paid for it….lol
I don’t get people making a fuss about “capitalism” etc here. The actual point here is freedom of market. No one is forcing you to buy BMW, right? If you don’t want to pay, then don’t buy BMW. Simple. But do consider that this subscription feature has been practiced in Europe, USA and other major markets worldwide for several years now. If you want to buy a standard car with all bells attached, then please buy one from a car company that offers that. Just don’t forget to not fuss about high prices la, tax la, quality la..
Not sure why you people are complaining. Probably means you can’t afford to own a BMW. I don’t see this as an issue and it’s not like the subscriptions are expensive.
This should be illegal
Having a thing that you bought but you can’t use it until you pay a fee for it almost feels like a riba and it’s an abuse to consumer
Goverment should ban this before other companies start doing it, subcription fee for physical products shouldn’t be a thing
Ahh…. you have to pay extra for something you already purchased.
I hope it is a fiasco, after all nobody want to support automobile companies implement bad practices, slowly strips away what we already owned.
Enable ABS: Y/N?
Enable ESC: Y/N?
Enable radio: Y/N?
Enable power window: Y/N?
Enable turn signal indicator: Y/N?
…
The list goes on..
hahaha
When BMW came out with Standard 2-year warranty and need to top-up for 5-year warranty. Everyone bashing. Say wanna boycott. But those ranting actually can only afford Honda Civic. So people who can afford will still buy.
Blame those that continue to buy and make the dreams of those wanting to own a brand new BMW one day even further.
It is just like modern mobile gaming where you have to pay to win. Hope this does not open the floodgate for other car manufacturer to impose charge on something which should come as standard.
To Greedy car manufacturer BMW. Yes, you can earn a couple thousands $$$ extra from certain owner. But you will lose more existing owner and refrain some potential new buyer into considering purchase bmw as their future car..
Mark my words, in the long run you will lose more than gain with such capitalism move.
Wait for black friday sale for cheap offer.
It’s absurb and unfair for BMW owners