This past Friday, August 19, the U.S. branch of the automaker Hyundai Motor Company issued a press release announcing the pioneering limited service “Prime Now. Drive Now.” in collaboration with the online retail giant Amazon.
“Prime Now. Drive Now.” is a limited-time offer exclusive for Amazon Prime Now subscribers, conceived to skip the hassle of making the trip to the dealership to test-drive new cars. Hyundai Motor America will put trained professionals in charge of bringing an all-new 2017 Elantra to customers’ doorsteps and let them drive it for a period spanning 45 minutes up to an hour.
Hyundai Motor America will put trained professionals in charge of bringing an all-new 2017 Elantra to customers’ doorsteps and let them drive it for a period spanning 45 minutes up to an hour.
The new joint venture from Amazon and Hyundai, however, seems like it is currently a pilot program that could see later wider adoption of the e-commerce platform.
“Prime Now, Drive Now” started delivering Elantra test-drives only in Los Angeles and Orange County during the weekend of August 20 and August 21.
Those interested can still snatch up a quick ride on Hyundai’s latest car this upcoming Saturday, August 27 or Sunday, August 28 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Following the test-drive period, customers have the option to join the Hyundai representatives back to the nearest dealership where the 2017 Elantra is available for purchase. The newest model in the Elantra lineup starts at $17,000.
Amazon and Hyundai want convenience for customers above all
It is not the first time that the South Korean automotive company and the American web sales platform have partnered up to offer premium services to their customers. Amazon and Hyundai announced recently that the Genesis G80 and G90 vehicles would support remote control using Amazon’s own smart personal assistant Alexa.
Genesis drivers can now ask Alexa to turn on the car, lock or unlock, adjust settings, and even beep the horn through Amazon devices like the Echo, home assistant.
Furthermore, while the Prime Now platform has been up for around two years now, the service range of offered products has expanded tenfold from the initial primary deliveries set it was conceived for.
Amazon intends to tap into a relatively hard market, as mobile dealership companies already exist but not quite with the infrastructure and reputation that the American service provides.
To truly move this project forward towards a viable business model, Amazon relies on Hyundai’s public relation agencies: INNOCEAN Worldwide for advertising, Canvas Worldwide for media, and Drive Shop for marketing and human capital as their experts providers.
“Prime Now. Drive Now.” will be available only for one more weekend in selected California areas. To schedule a test-drive on the 2017 Hyundai Elantra, users can go to Amazon’s official site.
Source: Hyundai