The good news: Every Buick and GMC vehicle now comes standard with a high-speed internet connection for navigation, music streaming, and automatic download of any recall issue that the automaker can fix with a software update.
The bad news: The move will likely add to the price of every vehicle, though final numbers aren’t yet clear.
A GM representative explains, “To enhance our customers’ vehicle ownership experience, beginning June 2, 2022, new retail Buick and GMC vehicles will include three years of OnStar and Connected Services Premium Plan.”
The plan adds features, GM says, “such as remote key fob, Wi-Fi data, and OnStar safety services. By including this plan as standard equipment on the vehicle, it provides more customer value and a more seamless onboarding experience.”
While GM has confirmed the change, it hasn’t updated all prices on its website. The service has been available throughout 2022 as an option. It ranges in price from about $900 to about $1,500, depending on model and trim level. We assume it will add a similar figure to each vehicle’s price, but the roll-out has been confusing so far.
When we tried the configurator for the 2022 Buick Encore GX, for instance, we found no mention of the package and no change in price from the usual $25,900 starting point (plus a $1,195 destination fee).
When we ran the build and price tool for a 2022 GMC Acadia SUV, the $34,800 starting price was unchanged, but it was impossible to unselect the $1,500 option for the OnStar and Connected Services package.
We’ll update vehicle prices in our reviews as GM makes the change official in its pricing.
