If you’re thinking of buying a new vehicle that supports Apple’s CarPlay, Fiat Chrysler and Volkswagen are ready to sweeten the deal. In the U.S., select Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, and Ram cars will come with six months of free Apple Music service; in Europe, certain new Volkswagens will offer the same deal, so long as customers register with VW’s Car-Net connectivity service.
Apple offers pretty much anyone a free three-month trial of its unlimited audio streaming service Apple Music, but once that trial ends, you generally can’t get an equivalent or longer second trial. With six months of service, the Fiat Chrysler/Volkswagen deal is the longest free Apple Music service offer out there, and a great perk for CarPlay users looking for a better-than-radio alternative. U.S. and European customers will have access to the full 45 million song Apple Music catalog, plus standard CarPlay features.
There are a few caveats. First, the deal lasts for a year, starting on May 1, 2019 and ending on April 30, 2019. Second, the free service being offered is an individual membership, rather than the more expensive family plan. That means the value of the free trial is around $ 60, not $ 90, and only one person can listen to Apple Music at a time.
Third, existing Apple Music subscribers will get only three free months of service from the deal instead of six free months. The U.S. press release notes that the six-month trial is for “new Apple Music subscribers,” while the European press release explains that the “six-month membership consists of three free-of-charge trial months and three additional months provided to customers free of charge.” In other words, if you’ve previously signed up for Apple Music or received a three-month trial, expect only three extra months of service, not a six-month extension.
