Last year it It has been reported that GM will charge you for an “option” of $1,500 on every new Buick and GMC for OnStar Premium, whether you like it or not. Based on auto newsGM has now decided to amend that decision, offering standard OnStar Premium registration on the sleeker Buick and GMC models.
This is said to be because GM wants to position OnStar Premium as they say, a high-end product, but certainly not because GM has a hand in the cookie jar. From AutoNews:
Howard Drake, dealership manager for Casa Automotive Group, which sells Buick, GMC and Cadillac cars in California, said GM was “really wise” to reserve OnStar’s premium package for higher-end versions of the Denali and Avenir. instead of making all buyers pay for it.
Drake said rising prices and interest rates, coupled with scarce inventories and limited supply, have affected the ability of some consumers to buy new cars. Bringing OnStar features back as an option on lower models could help alleviate some of the price pressure, he added.
“It was the right decision,” Drake said.
An OnStar Premium subscription will also become standard on the GMC Hummer EV, Cadillac Escalade, and Cadillac Escalade-V. Meanwhile, cars that don’t qualify for OnStar Premium will still receive something called OnStar Remote Access. car news says allows you to “lock, unlock, and start your vehicle from your smartphone, view its location on a map, and share the route remotely with its navigation system,” which looks basic but convenient.
And while this is a win for those of us who fear that subscription-based cars are the future, it is probably only temporary. Register in the car a lot in the future.
