BMW Will Let You Activate More Functions To Your New Car After Purchase

Buyers of new BMW models will be able to add more functions to their vehicles post purchase via the company’s updated ConnectedDrive Store.

BMW owners will be able to activate functions such as the High-Beam Assistant, the Active Cruise Control (ACC) driver assistance system with Stop&Go, and the BMW Drive Recorder, with the German brand to add more functions over time.

“We want to offer our customers different dimensions of sheer driving pleasure – including the latest digital services and the possibility of booking functions as needed,” said Peter Henrich, Senior VP, BMW Product Management. “All new BMW vehicles are now technologically enabled for this and we will be systematically expanding this offering.”

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This means that customers will be offered new digital options for features that may not have been available at the time of buying or leasing their vehicle. That includes new models fitted with BMW’s Remote Software Upgrade technology (on the Operating System 7.0) that were first purchased in August 2019.

This follows BMW’s announcement to charge an annual fee for having Apple CarPlay on its cars, which was met with criticism, but the German manufacturer appears confident that this is the way to go. “In the long run, we could also imagine digital services no longer being linked to the car, but to the customer who books them,” added Henrich. Other functions that might follow in the future include Remote Engine Start or Adaptive M Suspension.

Of course for that to happen, BMW will have to fit its models with all the necessary hardware from the get-go, a practice pioneered by Tesla; both the High-Beam Assistant and the Active Cruise Control with Stop&Go are apparently available to every car but to activate the BMW Drive Recorder, your car will have to be fitted with the Parking Assistant Plus which has the necessary camera hardware.

“Our goal is to ensure the customer no longer has to adapt to the specifics of their vehicle, but for the vehicle to be geared instead towards their personal and individual requirements,” explains Jens Thiemer, Senior VP, Customer and Brand BMW.