Amazon Prime Now, known for quick delivery of groceries and household goods, is getting into the car business — at least for a day.
The online retailer has partnered with Hyundai Motor America for an on-demand test-drive program in Los Angeles and Orange County in which people can book drives via Amazon’s Prime Now service. The program, “Prime Now. Drive Now.,” will run this weekend and next weekend.
Prospective buyers can schedule a 45- to 60-minute test drive for the 2017 Hyundai Elantra. The cars will be delivered to homes, offices or even a local coffee shop, Hyundai says. After the test drive, participants will be directed to their local Hyundai dealer if they want to make a purchase.
Driving hosts
The program was conceived by Innocean Worldwide and Canvas Worldwide, both Hyundai agencies of record, as well as Amazon Prime Now and Drive Shop, an engagement marketing agency. Drive Shop will provide trained driving hosts to conduct the test drives.
Hyundai will support the program with digital ads, including search ads. Ads will appear on Amazon.com and “other premium U.S. websites,” Hyundai said in a statement.
“With our all-new Elantra and Elantra Eco in dealerships now, we are excited to be the first to team up with Amazon to give customers a tailored test-drive experience,” Dean Evans, chief marketing officer of Hyundai Motor America, said in a statement. “We know people are looking for a new way to experience our vehicles, and with the convenience of Amazon’s Prime Now service, ‘Prime Now. Drive Now.’ is an innovative solution we are testing to modernize today’s automotive shopping experience.”
Voice commands
The program follows news Thursday that Hyundai’s luxury brand Genesis would be the first company to allow drivers to control a variety of car functions remotely using Amazon Alexa voice commands.
This story first appeared on the website of Advertising Age, a sister publication of Automotive News.
