Dacia, for example, mercilessly makes fun of BMW

Criticism was not in the air when BMW announced its subscription model a year and a half ago. Pay for heated seats monthly? What nonsense was that?! And Dacia thinks so too. The likeable Romanian brand makes fun of BMW in a subtle way.

What is actually going on with BMW? The German premium brand introduced a new way of making money some time ago. Customers could pay a monthly subscription fee for certain options like heated seats and steering wheel. Why? Because BMW says drivers don’t always need these options. Buttocks and hands are warm enough in summer.

Paying for something already in the car

The controversy is that the hardware for the heated seats and steering wheel (sticking with this example) is only in the car, but turned off. It is only activated when you order the function via your car’s infotainment system. So you are actually paying for something that is already physically in your car.

Dacia is giving away heated seat savers

Dacia makes fun of it and publishes so-called Heated Seat Saviors in England, hot water bottles. The top versions of the Sandero, Jogger and Duster have heated seats as standard, but for the more affordable models a simple jug of hot water is a nice solution, the brand says.

Can you get the heated seat savers in the Netherlands? No, unfortunately not. They are only issued to customers in England in a limited edition of just 75 pieces. Mark our word: ten years from now, Dacia steins will be appearing at auction house RM Sotheby’s as coveted collectibles.

Dacia never goes to a subscription model

“The heated seat savers are a joke,” said Luke Broad, director of Dacia UK, “but they show the direction the car industry is taking with its subscription models. Dacia will certainly never charge for equipment that is already in the car.”