[Pete7_li]

This is quiet a PR disaster IMHO. The fact they had to put out an official statement to essentially do damage control speaks volumes. I would not be surprised - actually fully expect their people to be on these forums and monitoring media sources to gather feedback. With substantial 2023 model price increases and supply chain issues, this is also, at a minimum, poor timing if nothing is currently planned in the US. As much as BMW is well regarded for driving dynamics and often at/near the forefront of technology implementation, speaking for myself, this kind of thing is sufficient for considering/moving to a different brand. If nothing else, it creates an opportunity for competing and emerging brands to say they don't charge for heated seats, heated steering wheel, high beams etc. I can just see other brands' commercials throwing shades at this.