Heated seats are one hallmark of higher-end vehicles, such as a BMW. Not all BMW models come with heated seats, but customers can usually choose them as an upgrade. Recently, BMW has released a subscription model where heated seats are part of a monthly premium model called “Functions on Demand.” How does this program work, and what’s the purpose behind the subscription model?
What Is “Functions on Demand”?
Black and Orange Car Interior by Garvin St. Villier is licensed with Pexels License
“Functions on Demand” is a software-based pricing model that allows buyers to decide which features they want to use in their BMW. They already equipped your vehicle with the hardware for those premium functions, which include heated seats and a dash-cam feature for an advanced driver-assist system. BMW drivers can activate these features through a subscription or a purchase.
BMW designed the Functions on Demand program to allow drivers to take advantage of hardware already built into their vehicles. Not every buyer wants to have all the available features because they can increase the purchase price. But even if you didn’t select the heated seat options when you bought your BMW, you may use the subscription service later if you decide to enjoy the extra warmth all around you.
What Is the Intent of the Subscription Model?
Critics claim that the automaker is greedy for requesting a monthly fee for the use of heated seats, even though it doesn’t cost the company anything for drivers to enjoy this feature. However, the subscription-based pricing model is merely another way to sell a vehicle with all its features. Buyers can still purchase heated seats with the car, and they’ll never have to pay for a subscription.
But a buyer who’s on the fence about heated seats and wants to reduce their total purchase price may later be interested in staying warm. It’s easy to think you don’t need heated seats when it’s summer in York, Pennsylvania. But even before the first snowfall, you might rethink that decision.
Incidentally, the Functions on Demand feature isn’t just for heated seats. It lets you try out a variety of other premium features, taking advantage of the hardware your car already has. For example, you can use the software subscription to activate a remote engine start function. Adding new features through this subscription model even allows buyers to test new functions that may not have been available when they bought the car.
How Do Heated Seats Work?
In the USA, over 90% of customers order their BMW vehicle with the heated seat option. If you purchase a vehicle with heated seats, nothing will change for you, and you don’t have to worry about the cold weather. If you sell the car to someone else in the future, those heated seats remain part of the vehicle’s functionality, too.
For the small number of customers who didn’t purchase the heated seat option, they can use Functions on Demand to upgrade their car whenever they want to. You can test the heated seats for a trial period, pay for a month, or save money by purchasing a subscription for a year.
If you haven’t owned a car with heated seats before, you may not even know if you’d utilize them. Some people find the warm cushions uncomfortable and don’t take advantage of the feature at all. With the new pricing model, these customers might opt for a trial run but save the money for the add-on after they realize they don’t like the heated seats or just don’t use them.
Benefits of the Subscription Model
The subscription model for premium features, such as heated seats, may seem odd at first. However, there are real benefits to switching to a subscription with heated seats. The most obvious benefit is the reduced price of purchasing the vehicle. Instead of adding upgrades and premium packages, customers can pay an amount much closer to the MSRP of the car.
The subscription model gives customers the option to try out the premium features and decide if they need them or want them. If you don’t use heated seats because your car stays warm inside the garage, you don’t need to spend money on the upgrade or subscription. Similarly, you can trial other features with the Functions on Demand program and only keep the ones you like.
When you sell the car to a second or third owner, they get to make the same decisions. They don’t have to pay extra for features they don’t need, but they can try them out if they want to. And unlike before, they can easily add heated seats even if the original vehicle didn’t include that upgrade.
Finally, buyers can decide to only pay for the features they need when they need them. For example, you may choose to pay for your heated seat subscription from November through March and hope for warmer weather for the rest of the year. Even if you can just have heated seats for the coldest month in York, your January is off to a great start.
Can I Add Heated Seats to My BMW?
The great thing about the subscription-based model is that your BMW might already have all the hardware necessary for heated seats. In this case, all you have to do is activate the subscription to stay warm this winter. It’s a good idea to talk to the staff at our dealership about the option of adding heated seats to your BMW. If your vehicle doesn’t have the hardware, it’s easy to install heated seats afterward, even in older models.
Customize Your BMW
With the Features on Demand addition, you can customize your BMW even after you’ve made the initial purchase decisions. It’s easy to pass on heated seats in the middle of July, but now that the colder months are here, you might rethink that decision. Fortunately, your BMW already has the hardware ready to warm up those seat cushions. You can activate heated seats by adding a subscription for them when you decide it’s what you want.