Stellantis thinks this is ok!
You turn the key only to be greeted by an unexpected sales promotion a popup flashing discounts on your next vehicle purchase. For many owners of Stellantis vehicles, this Orwellian scenario is becoming reality. What was once the domain of intrusive billboards and internet pop-ups has now hijacked a place once sacred to solitude and control: your car dashboard.
Zerin Dube, a regular voice in the car community, shared a telling image from his Jeep Grand Cherokee of a splashy in-car ad offering a $1,500 Loyalty Retail Bonus Cash toward buying a new Jeep. His comment? “Late stage capitalism popping up on our Grand Cherokee.” It perfectly captures the mood of car buyers increasingly bombarded by advertisements unsolicited and impossible to ignore.
This development flows naturally from the subscription economy trend, where automakers latch onto every chance to monetize the vehicle long after the initial sale. In-car infotainment systems, once designed for navigation and media, have turned into fertile ground for marketing armies to invade.
The monetizing of the auto experience is a bitter pill for drivers who expect their vehicles to be a personal space, not a targeted ad platform. The push towards in-car ads raises serious questions about privacy, consent, and the future of the driving experience.
If the car cabin is now commercial real estate, what comes next? Drivers and advocates are left wondering, when do manfacturers cross the line into constant commodification? The latest chapter in the saga of relentless monetization is underway, with customers staring at their dashboards and asking, “Who owns my car?”
