It's not about just "un-necessary" or "doesn't matter" kind of feature, but the ones that you actually find worse than their downgraded version and often found speaking to yourself "why do companies even spend money to provide this??!!"

BHPian Bit recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Consider this thread as a collection of thoughts that exists as fragments in various car review threads here, in the hopes that someday manufacturers might visit this thread to gain awareness about collective consciousness of Indian petrol heads.

So, what are some features in recent cars that are so uncool (and can not be disabled), while also costing the car company a healthy amount of money but you would take a variant WITHOUT that any day?

To make it a li'l more dramatic: If there are two exact variants of a model with the difference of just that one feature - where the variant without it costs some extra (even if a namesake amount, say 1000 rs): You will pick the higher priced variant by paying additional moolah.

It's not about just "un-necessary" or "doesn't matter" kind of feature, but the ones that you actually find worse than their downgraded version and often found speaking to yourself "why do companies even spend money to provide this??!!"

Here's what BHPian ashkamath had to say on the matter:

Personally, the unnecessary and overdone chrome garnishing on the car. I am not a chrome person and never liked those shiny titbits here, there, everywhere on the car. It appears for auto manufacturers, elegance and opulence means slap some chrome here & there on the car.

I would buy a lower trim car just to avoid those chromes and if it's inevitable, then would get them replaced with body colour paint or wraps.

Here's what BHPian DivyanshuDiv had to say on the matter:

It’s not a feature but piano black glossy material which is getting extensively used these days in car interiors.

Simply hate this trend, and I’m ready to pay to get rid of it.

Here's what BHPian AMG_Power had to say on the matter:

1. Digital Dashboard

2. Beige / White interiors

3. Start Stop that keeps resetting itself

4. Sunroof

5. Huge screens on the dashboard

6. Ugly Alloys

7. Lack of safety standards

8. RFT’s

9. Space Saver tyres

10. Motion Sensor controls

11. Voice recognition

12. Lack of buttons

13. DSG’s that continue to break down (so often its become a common feature)

14. Engine and power downsizing with newer models quite contrary to earlier practice (again done so often, it’s almost become a feature)

Here's what BHPian sajands had to say on the matter:

Unnecessary, forced me to buy without option was,

Sunroof (What is its purpose? Stand and act like baboons?)

Addition to this is the unwanted gimmick, something all manufacture call WOW factor started by MG

Voice recognition: to open sunroof, windows..... A simple flick of button or switch is too much of hard work I guess.

Here's what BHPian Silverfire had to say on the matter:

1. Huge screens. Massive distraction, waste of space. All you need from the infotainment system is usually 1) the ability to select music 2) maps. Do we need 15 or 21 inch screens for this?

2. Touch controls: Which idiot decided that the user interface of a phone, which is a device you are staring at while using, should be ported to car controls, which should work without anyone looking at them. Worse is these cars with large touchscreens, where you have to go through a few taps before you can even change commonly used controls like AC fan speed.

3. White Interiors: Have the designers been to their own showroom and seen how gunky the test drive cars start looking in a few weeks. Another example of form over function. Designing the interior to look good in a brochure not in real life. Give me tan or black interiors any day.

4. Speed Alerts: I know this is regulatory driven but one of the big reasons which stops me from upgrading to a new car, is getting one with loud annoying chimes at 80 and then 120 kmph.

5. Backseat Seatbelt reminders: Another regulation driven, poorly executed feature where the seatbelt warning comes on even if no one is sitting in the backseat.

6. Large low profile tyres on top variants: Looks good, feels bad, punctures easier. For the condition of our roads why force top variant buyers to go for 18-19 inch tyres, when the better choices are higher profile 16 inchers?

Here's what BHPian akhil007 had to say on the matter:

1. Sunroof and the wafer thin cloth that covers the Sunroof

2. Piano Black Finish

3. Useless Start-Stop System

4. Voice Recognition- half of the time, I need to change my accent for it to work

5. Lower Bhp and Lower Torque

6. Paid/Subscription based Connected Car Tech- I pay you once for everything. Don't charge me every year for the stupid subscriptions

7. Same front face for all the cars from same manufacturer.

Here's what BHPian TorquePull had to say on the matter:

Automatic Climate Control: I don’t like it because it defaults to fresh air mode, which I don’t like to use due to bad odour from outside. And I haven’t seen a single person who use it right, they just make adjustments like they do in manual ACs by changing blower speeds which essentially makes it a manual AC.

Powered seats without Memory: For a big family, it is painfully slow and annoying to change seat settings using button, I would rather have manual seats.

Touch controls: I prefer physical buttons for everything and hate touch sensitive controls, as it’s less distracting and can be operated without taking eyes off the road.

Beige/light interior: They are not practical in our country. Requires regular maintenance and even then you can see stains. This is also the reason I’m not considering EVs, as all of them come with beige or white interiors.

Auto Start/Stop: I don’t like them and I find it annoying to turn it off every single time. XUV500 had a memory function and was very convenient but even modern Mahindras default to ON.

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Models like the Brezza, Baleno, Grand Vitara and Ertiga account for over 53% of the overall subscriptions.

Maruti Suzuki Subscribe has achieved a new milestone of 10,000 new car subscription sales since its inception in July 2020.

Maruti Suzuki Subscribe is a subscription service that offers customers the convenience of driving a brand-new car without the burden of ownership, including insurance, maintenance, and other associated costs. The service added 5,000 new customers in the current financial year and registered a growth of 44% in FY2023-24 over the previous fiscal.

According to the company, more than 65% of the subscriptions were from users opting for a tenure period of 3-4 years. A majority of Maruti Suzuki Subscribe customers are from Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai and Bangalore. Models like the Brezza, Baleno, Grand Vitara and Ertiga account for over 53% of the overall subscriptions.

Customers can choose tenures from 1 to 5 years at a fixed monthly rental, decided as per the vehicle running options ranging from 10,000 km to 25,000 km of annual usage. The monthly rentals include vehicle price, registration & RTO expenses, insurance (new & renewal), service & maintenance, and roadside assistance.

GM's projections claim that by 2030, subscription fees alone would bring in as much as $25 billion a year.

According to media reports, the auto industry is shifting into overdrive with subscription fees for in-car features. The automakers are reportedly counting on subscription fees to become a new revenue stream to pay for the expensive transition to EVs.

Carmakers are placing multiple in-car features behind a paywall, forcing customers to pay extra for their usage. Reports took the case of a Volvo XC90 owner as an example, stating how he had to pay $200 a year to be able to start & stop his car via an app on his smartphone after the free trial period was over. The report also mentioned how Toyota charges $8 per month for the remote start option, while BMW owners have to pay $20 per month to be able to use the car's enhanced cruise control features.

Alix Partners - a global consulting firm, recently found that 60% of customers are willing to subscribe for enhanced safety and convenience features, as long as they don't feel like they are being charged for something they've already paid for. Mark Wakefield, CEO of Alix Partners, stated, "The car has to be cheaper, plus this option of subscribing."

Reports state that GM's projections claim that by 2030, subscription fees alone would bring in as much as $25 billion a year.

Source: CBSNews

A one-time fee costs $1,950 for EQE and $2,950 for EQS customers.

Owners of the Mercedes-Benz EQE350 and EQS450 (sedan and SUV body styles) can now purchase an 'Acceleration Increase' subscription via Mercedes Me Connect Services. According to reports, the subscription offers dual-motor versions of both EQE & EQS, with added power and improved 0-60 mph (0-98 km/h) acceleration times.

The Mercedes EQE350 with the subscription, gets a power boost of 60 BHP from 288 BHP to 348 BHP, while the EQS450 gets an 80 BHP power bump from 355 BHP to 435 BHP. Also, the EQE350 sedan and SUV offer a 0-60 mph time of 5.1 and 5.2 seconds, respectively - which is 0.9 and 1.0 seconds quicker than standard. Similarly, the EQS450 sedan and SUV acceleration timings reduce by 0.8 and 0.9 seconds, respectively. The EQS sedan accelerates to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds, while the SUV takes 4.9 seconds.

Here's where it gets interesting, Mercedes-Benz EQE350 customers need to pay $60 per month or $600 per year to access quicker acceleration times. EQS450 customers need to shell out either $90 per month or $900 per year for the same. Customers can also choose a one-time fee, which costs $1,950 for EQE and $2,950 for EQS customers.

Source: CarAndDriver

Connected tech has given carmakers a direct line of communication between the brand and the customer.

With connected car technology becoming more and more common over the last couple of years, it isn't surprising to see a number of vehicles with the tech now make their way onto the second-hand market. However, with connected tech now entering the used market, it has brought subscription fees with it as well.

According to reports, this has called into question whether automakers should control features in a car, once it's legally taken over by another party. However, car companies see this as a huge cash cow for the future and now want to branch out into used cars too.

As per a study last year, 75% of new car buyers were unwilling to pay additional subscription fees and felt that features and services should be part of the vehicle's initial cost. However, this hasn't stopped the industry from charging extra for various features and services. This includes unlocking extra power, access to navigation, self-driving tech, heated seats and many more.

Connected tech has given carmakers a direct line of communication between the brand and the customer. This has allowed interaction between customer and brand to shift from the occasional dealership visits to continuous contact, throughout the vehicles' ownership period.

In 2021, General Motors stated that the brand is expected to generate $25 billion annually by 2030 based only on subscription fees. Stellantis also announced that it has planned $23 billion in yearly subscription revenue by the decade-end.

Source: CarScoops

The results for in-vehicle entertainment, however, were a contrast.

According to a recent survey, paying subscription fees for features in cars doesn't seem to be a popular choice. 69% of the respondents in the survey said they would not pay a recurring fee for car features and instead prefer the old-fashioned method of paying once and keeping it forever.

Having said that, the survey did mention that the acceptance of subscription fees for features also depends on the age of the buyer. Results show that subscription tolerance decreases with increasing age. Younger buyers are unlikely to be bothered by the monthly subscription, while Gen Z buyers are comparatively more tolerant than Millennials, Gen X and Baby Boomers. This, as per reports, is because the younger car buyers have grown up being accustomed to subscribing to anything, be it music, gaming or any entertainment. Hence, paying a monthly fee for a feature on a car sounds less alien to them than it is to an older buyer.

The results of the survey also showed that car buyers are more accepting of a subscription fee if it is for an entertainment feature or software update and less so when it's anything to do with a car's physical capabilities. The majority of the buyers want to pay up-front for hardware features like heated seats, adaptive headlights or even performance features than having to pay a monthly or yearly fee to access them.

The results for in-vehicle entertainment, however, were a contrast - with only 44% of the car buyers wanting to pay an upfront cost for features like Wifi and audio streaming.

Source: Autolist

0-60 mph acceleration times with the $1200 subscription will improve by 0.8 - 1.0 second & will change the characteristics of the electric motors

According to media reports, customers of Mercedes-Benz EQ models will soon have to pay an additional $1200 (plus tax) per year to unlock the full performance potential of their vehicles. The German luxury car brand is said to soon be introducing an "Acceleration Increase" subscription service for all its EQ models.

As per reports, the yearly subscription fee will increase the horsepower and torque figures of the EQ models, while also increasing their overall performance. Mercedes is said to have stated that 0-60 mph acceleration times with the $1200 subscription will improve by 0.8 - 1.0 second & will change the characteristics of the electric motors as well. The extra performance is said to be unlocked by selecting the Dynamic drive mode.

Reports state that the power output of the EQE 350 4MATIC & EQE SUV 350 4MATIC will increase from 288 BHP to 349 BHP, while the 0-60 mph time drops by 0.9 seconds on the sedan & by 1.0 second on the SUV. Similarly, the EQS 450 4MATIC & EQS SUV 4MATIC will also get a boost in power from 355 BHP to 443 BHP. 0-60 mph of the sedan drops from 5.3 to 4.5 seconds, while the SUV's acceleration time comes down from 5.8 to 4.9 seconds.

Source: TheDrive

Monthly rental plans start from Rs. 11,500 with zero down payment.

Maruti Suzuki has rolled out its Subscribe program in five new cities. With this, the carmaker now offers leasing options across 25 cities.

Customers in Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Lucknow, Nagpur and Vishakhapatnam will now be able to lease cars through Maruti Suzuki Subscribe. The carmaker has partnered with ALD Automotive and Quicklyz to offer these services in the 5 new cities.

Under the Subscribe program, customers can lease vehicles for a tenure of 12 to 48 months. The monthly subscription charges include the cost of the vehicle, registration charges, vehicle maintenance and service, insurance and roadside assistance.

Monthly rental plans start from Rs. 11,500 with zero down payment. Once the tenure is over, the customer has an option to upgrade to a new car or buy back the subscribed car.

Customers will be charged the additional amount irrespective of whether they activate the OnStar connectivity service or not.

According to a media report, General Motors is adding US$1500 to the base price of multiple new models to cover for its 'OnStar Connectivity package'. The package, although listed under "options", cannot be removed even if the customer isn't interested in it.

The connected services subscription has been made mandatory for three years on all GMC & Buick models, as well as the Cadillac Escalade. Reports state that customers will be charged the additional amount irrespective of whether they activate the OnStar connectivity service or not. The connectivity pack provides customers features like a remote key fob, vehicle diagnostics, unlimited data and WiFi hotspots, while also offering access to the OnStar Guardian app for RSA or emergencies.

The move to mandatorily add the connectivity pack is aimed to help increase GM's revenue by boosting its subscription offers. GM also states that post the three-years, customers can either subscribe to the same or different plan, although prices for those haven't been revealed.

Source: Detroit Free Press

The American electric car maker though is yet to announce the subscription pricing for the standard connectivity package.

Customers buying Tesla vehicles on or after July 20 will get the free standard connectivity package for the first eight years only.

The Standard Connectivity package which comes with just the integrated navigation feature was until recently offered free of cost for the entire lifetime of the vehicle. However, Tesla has now decided to offer the feature at no cost for the first eight years only. Customers who want to continue using the navigation feature after 8 years will have to start paying Tesla a monthly subscription fee. The American electric car maker though is yet to announce the subscription pricing for the standard connectivity package.

Tesla also offers its customers a Premium Connectivity package, which includes features such as live traffic visualisation, internet browsing, sentry mode and video & music streaming among others. While the standard package was always free, the premium package costed an additional US$ 9.99 per month or US$ 99 per year. Reports also suggest that Tesla could migrate some of the premium features to the standard package to help attract customers.

Source: Teslarati