Car buyers have to pay extra to unlock horsepower on Volkswagen vehicles—an 'uphill battle' subscription model that has drawn the ire of customers

A man wearing all white polishes a red car in a bright tunnel. (Credit: JENS SCHLUETER/AFP—Getty Images)

• Consumers are worried about even more automobile features becoming subscription-based. Volkswagen has a new feature giving consumers the option to pay £16.50, or $22.50, per month to unlock 20 horsepower on its ID.3 vehicles. Despite pushback, subscription features on cars will only become more popular as automobiles increasingly shift toward using more software, according to one Edmunds analyst.

Guacamole costs extra at Chipotle, and so does an extra shot at Starbucks. So, too, will be the case if you want to unlock the full horsepower on some Volkswagen vehicles.