Cadillac shut down its Book car subscription service last year, but the program won’t be dead too much longer.
Cadillac Chief Marketing Officer Deborah Wahl told Automotive News that a revived and modified Book by Cadillac 2.0 will launch by the beginning of the second quarter of 2019.
The service was controversial from the start in that the automaker owned and operated the vehicles, not its dealers. Cadillac parent General Motors managed the fleet and took care of the cars. The brand plans to leverage its 900-plus dealers this time around and get them much more involved with Book 2.0. However, it’s unclear if dealers will own the vehicles part of the subscription service. Wahl said dealers provide Cadillac “a lot of opportunity as [the brand] goes forward.”
CHECK OUT: Cadillac launches BOOK, a $1,500-per-month car-sharing service
The original Book program came to life under former Cadillac President Johan de Nysschen and totally different leadership team based in New York City. Cadillac has since moved back to Detroit, has a new president, and additional oversight from GM President Mark Reuss.
Wahl added Book 2.0 will help dealers and GM navigate the changing auto industry and car buyers look at different options outside of typical purchase and lease options.
One of the major benefits for subscription programs is the ability for users to swap in and out of cars quickly.
READ THIS: Volvo begins delivering cars through its subscription program
Yet Cadillac doesn’t plan to promote that perk much. Data and research showed those who bought into the original Book subscription program weren’t as concerned with swapping into a different vehicle quickly. It’s possible that Book 2.0 could emulate Care by Volvo, which operates more like a two-year lease with full insurance and maintenance coverage and the option to swap into a new car after a year. Care by Volvo subscribers can swap into a different car in the two-year timeframe, but the move resets the clock. Volvo’s service also bundles insurance, maintenance, 24/7 service, and 15,000 miles per year starting at $600 per month.
Cadillac’s program cost $1,800 when it ceased operations and provided access to a line of Platinum trim and V-series vehicles with white-glove delivery, insurance, and unlimited miles.
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