So the Kia Access app was but a free trial…

Kia Access

The Kia Niro is plugged in for its ~weekly charge, which is an excuse to open the Kia Access app, at which point I come face to face with what is lost since the initial free trial ended.

And I now know what it will cost to get some functionality back.

Looking at the screenshot its immediately obvious that locking and unlocking remotely is lost, as is the ability to control the climate. The latter ‘m not so interested in, but the former I had made use of a couple of times.

The car actually notified me that I’d left the car unlocked. Locking was then a simple tap on the screen. Very handy…

These and other functions are available only by subscription, an annoying trend in the automotive world. At least Kia has yet to lock actual functions when inside the car, like heated seats, etc., that others expect extra money every monthly to use.

In any case, there are three additional levels (see below) beyond my Lite subscription, and to get access to remote locking and unlocking will require the Plus package at $14.99/mo or $149/yr.

I’ll pass. I can’t say I’m a big fan of companies finding ways into your pocket on a monthly basis.

When I first connected to the app, I was very complimentary and I stand by that review. The app works flawlessly, a compliment that cannot be applied to the only other vehicle I have direct experience with, the Polestar.

Their app was free, but several attempts to get it to work properly failed, and I lived without it quite comfortably.

 

 

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