Chevrolet will reportedly force customers buying the Corvette to buy a subscription to its in-vehicle connected services feature, OnStar. Buyers will only be required to subscribe to a basic version of the service, though.
CorvetteBlogger first reported on the decision from Bowling Green and suggests that it came into effect on September 1 and only adds $300 to the price of the 2023 Corvette Stingray and Z06. In addition, buyers are only required to sign up for a three-year term. We have reached out to GM for more information and will update the article when we hear back.
The service will offer owners remote starting capabilities, the ability to look at vehicle diagnostics, and more. The limited version of OnStar, though, will not include the ability to make calls, nor will it give owners turn by turn directions.
Read Also: GM Now Forces You To Pay $1,500 For OnStar Service On All New Buick And GMC Models
Although the $300 price tag amounts to only a small premium for the sports car – for the $64,200 base model Corvette, that’s just a 0.4 percent increase and for the $106,395 Corvette Z06, it amounts to 0.2 percent of the price – it may still be galling to owners, who have no choice in the matter.
Indeed, far from being a sign of things to come, in terms of unwanted digital services, it is an unfolding reality. GM announced last month that a $1,500 OnStar subscription will be mandatory for all buyers of new Buick and GMC models.
“By including this plan as standard equipment on the vehicle, it helps to provide a more seamless onboarding experience and more customer value,” Kelly Cusinato, a GM spokesperson, said at the time.
Owners of all of these vehicles can still opt not to activate an OnStar account, but will have to pay for it whether they use it or not. That may be because the automaker is in the midst of updating the system and says it will be rolling out 50 “value-added” services between 2022 and 2025. These include digital features like online shopping and improved diagnostics that can predict when your vehicle will need repairs.
