You’re used to paying for Netflix, Amazon Prime or Disney+ every month.
Now Volkswagen is asking ID.3 owners to pay extra to unlock their car’s full performance.
The Volkswagen ID.3 Pro and Pro S appear on the configurator as producing 201bhp.
But Volkswagen requires a paid subscription to reach the model’s full potential of 228bhp.
The subscription costs £16.50 per month.
That equals £165 per year and is nearly three times the price of a ‘Standard with Ads’ Netflix plan after the free trial.
Owners can opt for a lifetime subscription for £649.
The lifetime option attaches to the car, not the individual, so the upgrade stays with the vehicle when it is sold.
If you are considering an ID.3, you can spec a new one via Auto Express’ configurator.
You can also find pre-owned ID.3 models from about £9,000, which come with no subscription charges.
Performance upgrade package
Volkswagen says the performance upgrade raises net power by 27bhp.
It also increases maximum torque from 265Nm to 310Nm.
The firm adds the upgrade does not affect driving range.
The car is registered at 228bhp from the factory.
That means owners do not need to notify their insurance company, Volkswagen says.
There is, however, a question over owners who might try to hack or ‘jailbreak’ their car to enable the extra power without paying.
That action could invalidate the warranty or prompt legal action from VW, Auto Express says it is awaiting clarification from the company.
“Offering more power to customers is nothing new – historically many petrol and diesel vehicles have been offered with engines of the same size, but with the possibility of choosing one with more potency.
These traditionally are higher up in the product range, with more specification and a higher list price.
If customers wish to have an even sportier driving experience, they now have an option to do so, within the life of the vehicle, rather than committing from the outset with a higher initial purchase price.
The car is presented on the configurator with [201bhp], with the option made very clear to customers.”
Volkswagen is not unique in charging for features after purchase.
BMW faced criticism when it offered subscriptions for functions such as heated seats.
Owners of the Polestar 2 can also buy a comparable performance pack.