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Book by Cadillac subscription service rebooted, returns next year in California

Cadillac is ready to pen a new chapter with its car subscription service.

Sean Szymkowski
It all started with Gran Turismo. From those early PlayStation days, Sean was drawn to anything with four wheels. Prior to joining the Roadshow team, he was a freelance contributor for Motor Authority, The Car Connection and Green Car Reports. As for what's in the garage, Sean owns a 2016 Chevrolet SS, and yes, it has Holden badges.
Sean Szymkowski
2 min read
Book by Cadillac

Guess who's coming back?

Cadillac

Book by Cadillac won't be -- poor joke incoming -- just a footnote after all. The car subscription service is scheduled to return in February 2020, according to General Motors Chief Marketing Officer Deborah Wahl.

Automotive News first reported on Wahl's comments made at the J.D. Power/NADA AutoConference in Los Angeles Tuesday night where she announced a new pilot program for Book by Cadillac will start next year. 

Cadillac told Roadshow it "continues to offer forward-thinking products, technology and services to meet the needs of our luxury customers" and said the "next generation of Book by Cadillac" will begin pilot in San Francisco in the first quarter of 2020. That timeframe tallies with Wahl's February date.

The rebooted Book will provide greater "convenience, flexibility and value for potential subscribers," said the CMO, before adding that dealers will still play a part in the service. Other details as to how this new program will differ from the previous weren't mentioned in her address. Cadillac certainly sees a play here still, however. The CMO said 70% of Book subscribers were new to the brand and had never owned a Cadillac in the past.

Book was the first subscription services in the game, but GM's luxury division pulled the plug on the program last November. Like-minded services from Volvo, Audi, BMW, Porsche and many more followed. It was always more of a "see you later" rather than an outright "goodbye," though. The brand carefully worded the announcement to say Book was taking a hiatus.

The program allowed subscribers to opt in for $1,800 per month in its final iteration before vanishing and included all of Cadillac's lineup. Insurance, maintenance and the ability to swap into any car with no long-term commitments were a few other highlights. It first launched in New York, then expanded to Los Angeles, Dallas and even Munich, Germany.

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Originally published Nov. 20.
Update, Nov. 21: Adds statement from Cadillac.