Cadillac shuttered its Book car subscription service on Dec. 1 last year, but it’s in for a reboot soon.
Speaking to GM Authority at the 2019 North American International Auto Show, Cadillac President Steve Carlisle said, “We’re getting ready for a reboot now.”
Book by Cadillac launched under former president Johan de Nysschen and an entirely different leadership team. At its demise, it cost subscribers $1,800 per month and bundled insurance, unlimited miles, white-glove delivery, service, and detailing. Users could swap out of their vehicle of choice at any time.
However, Carlisle said there won’t be as much of a focus on swapping vehicle for Book by Cadillac 2.0. He noted those who bought into the original program weren’t swapping often to begin with.
“It’s been interesting to watch what people sign up for, and what they actually do in terms of switching vehicles, which is not a lot,” he noted. When asked what subscribers requested most, it wasn’t the lineup of V-series performance cars, either.
“They wanted an XT5,” Carlisle told GMA.
The original service made the brand’s at-the-time current portfolio of Platinum series vehicles and the V-series performance cars available to subscribers.
The fact subscribers weren’t swapping into different vehicles often has led Cadillac to rethink how it approaches such a service.
“Are [subscribers] going to stay in that service if that’s what they realize they want?” the Cadillac President questioned aloud. “It is inherent in that model that we maintain more than one car per customer. And you got to think through the economic implications of that. Particularly if utilization is a lot lower than we thought because people are switching less than we thought.”
In a separate interview, Automotive News (subscription required) spoke with Cadillac’s chief marketing officer Deborah Wahl, who said Book 2.0 should be ready to launch by the second quarter of this year.
The service will also place much more emphasis on the brand’s 900-plus strong dealership network, which Cadillac said it can utilize to its benefit with the rebooted Book service. It’s unclear if dealers will own the cars part of the subscription service, however. If they do, it will be a major change from the original Book program, where the brand managed and took care of the cars.
Comments
Everyone was pretty upset when they got rid of book but really good to see them making sure their programs focus on exactly what customers want. Would’ve been nice if it was a seamless transition but good to see them working to get better
Something isn’t adding up…While book does offer flexibility, the service costs $1800/mo while a base XT5 can be leased right now for $2,439 down and $389/mo…Now this is a base model, before TTL (which includes the first year of registration) and insurance…Bottom line, you could most likely lease a top trim XT5 for zero down, pay insurance and registration for less than half the price of $1800…What about mileage? GM does allow you buy up to 20K miles a year, to go from 10K/year to 12K/year, its only $12/mo and to go from 10K/year to 15K/year it’s about $25/mo…Further more, GM does allow lease swapping so if you need to get out of your lease, you can do so if you find someone willing to take over the obligation…
What’s next? Return to New York?
This is a great idea that chevy Buick gmc needs
When will GM bring back book by Cadillac . Because of the program i am presently leasing a 2019 CT6 TT . Fully loaded . I love the vehicle. Cadillac needs to make these kinds of cars to get people back in the showrooms. Sedens are not dead as per some of GM quotes. Dodge cannot make the hellcat series fast enough . SUV are awesome but you guys hit the nail on the head with the CTS V , CT6 and the CT6 V .
I’m a big fan of Cadillac and book by Cadillac is a great idea but why so much? I would love to pay a decent amount to drive whatever caddy I want and then decide later which one I want to buy. Bring it back and lower the monthly im ready to see which Cadillac I’m about to buy next.
Any idea when they will come back ? 3rd QT now.