Cadillac's Super Cruise System Is Actually Subscription Based

author: Vineeth Joel Patel   

General Motors shocked the industry when it introduced its hands-free Super Cruise system on the 2018 Cadillac CT6. The system allows drivers to remove their hands from the wheel when driving on the highway and is a true rival to Tesla's Autopilot. While consumers that purchased a CT6 thought they got an amazing deal and were early adopters of a high-tech system, Super Cruise, apparently, has always been behind a paywall as part of a subscription plan once the complimentary years are over.


First CT6 Owners Have To Pay For Super Cruise


This is a little confusing, as Cadillac didn't say anything about a subscription plan when it introduced Super Cruise on the 2018 CT6. But now, MotorTrend states that Super Cruise is actually part of a subscription plan. Owners of the CT6 received three years of free Super Cruise at the time of purchase. So, early owners are now receiving notifications that they will have to pay a subscription fee to continue using Super Cruise once the three years are up.


A company spokesperson told the outlet that they don't have information to share on how much the subscription plan will cost or what type of subscription plans will be offered. Speaking with Motor Authority, Cadillac spokesman Stefan Cross told the outlet that there would be different pricing options for consumers to choose from. "It won't be a one-size fits all," said Cross.


While this all sounds like it's coming out of the blue, Cross told Motor Authority that Super Cruise has always been marketed as a subscription service and was in the fine print. "Looking at the original disclosure and current disclosure, both say owners will need an active Super Cruise subscription and OnStar plan," said Cross. It was also, reportedly, displayed on the CT6's window sticker under the Cadillac Owner Benefits section.


Will The Subscription Plan Work?


If you don't choose a subscription plan and let the complimentary three-year period for Super Cruise lapse, your CT6 will still have adaptive cruise control and lane-centering assist. So, that's good. With Super Cruise set to be expanded to the 2021 CT4, CT5, and Escalade, we're sure those vehicles will also have a similar structure for the semi-autonomous system. So, if you purchase one of those cars with Super Cruise, you'll have to pay a hefty price to get it as part of an optional package and then in 2024, pay for the subscription plan. For the 2018 CT6, Super Cruise was part of a $5,000 optional package at the time of purchase.


In what Cadillac is calling a "gesture of appreciation," it will be extending 2018 CT6 owners with an additional year of free Super Cruise compatibility, reports Motor1. While Cadillac calls the decision a kind gesture, it sounds more like it knows it surprised a few owners with the whole subscription plan and is now trying to make amends for owners that didn't read the fine print.


Only BMW has experimented with subscription plans for features and that didn't go so well. We're interested to see how many Super Cruise owners actually choose to continue paying for the service under a subscription plan, but it probably won't be many. Charging consumers a hefty price for an optional package at the time of purchase and then a subscription plan will limit the reach of GM's best feature.

Vineeth Joel Patel

Joel Patel has been covering all aspects of the automotive industry for four years as an editor and freelance writer for various websites. When it comes to cars, he enjoys covering the merger between technology and cars. In his spare time, Joel likes to watch baseball, work on his car, and try new foods