BMW will not abandon subscription options (2 photos)

The iX3 will be offered with a monthly fee for adaptive suspension and surround-view cameras.





Just a few years ago, BMW seriously burned its fingers trying to make money off its customers by introducing a subscription service for heated seats in its vehicles. The idea failed to resonate with customers, and the project was shelved, but even then the company noted that it would continue to work on other subscription service options. And they didn't have to wait long for them to arrive...

As it turns out, some markets are offering monthly fees for surround-view cameras and adaptive suspension in the new iX3 crossover, for example. The latter option will cost $29 local dollars per month (approximately 10,000 tenge) in the Australian market. It's worth remembering that, regardless of whether the buyer pays for this functionality, the hardware for both the cameras and the adaptive suspension is already included in the car's price.



A subscription will also be offered to those wishing to activate a more advanced suite of driver assistance systems or receive regular software updates for the electronic assistants, which improve their individual features. As Alexandra Landers, BMW's head of product communications, explained in an interview with the Australian publication Drive, the fee is necessary because supporting these functions, including through cloud services, also costs BMW money.

However, the company noted that they will definitely not be introducing a subscription-based power upgrade. This option, as a reminder, was introduced for the Volkswagen ID. 3 in the UK in the summer of 2025.