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Hyundai Canada will now let you book at-home test drives

The brand is tying the new tool to an improved online shopping experience, which is booming during COVID-19

Alex Reid
Dec 11, 2020  •  December 17, 2020  •  1 minute read  •  Join the conversation
2021 Hyundai Sonata N Line
2021 Hyundai Sonata N Line Photo by Derek McNaughton /Driving

Hyundai Canada is launching a new program that will allow prospective customers to test drive its vehicles at home, an important precaution during a pandemic in order to keep contact with other humans to a minimum.

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The Hyundai Canada website will host the tool, aptly called the “At-Home Test Drive Tool,” which will allow customers to book a test drive with a local dealership from the comfort of their home, or at their place of work. Customers can select a date and time for vehicle pick-up and drop-off, or even book an appointment at the dealership itself.

Some 199 out of 221 dealerships in Hyundai’s Canadian network will be participating in the program, which launches just days after a CarGurus COVID-19 Sentiment Study found 50 per cent of respondents said they were open to buying online, almost double the amount from before the pandemic.

“With the increase in customers shopping online, the test drive was the next step in the purchasing process that could be booked online and completed without leaving your home,” Hyundai Canada Director of Marketing Lawrence Hamilton said. “We want to provide multiple, safe options for every customer who is looking to experience Hyundai products and purchase a new vehicle.”

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Other brands such as Nissan have also offered virtual tours of their vehicles, something that 30 per cent of those surveyed were interested in. Another 37 percent of the survey’s respondents also expressed interest in at-home test drives.

Hyundai says the tool builds on its “Safe and Sound” program for dealerships, providing strict guidelines across the nation for pandemic shoppers. Other safety devices include Plexiglas partitions, revised customer and staff flow, new vehicle sanitation measures, and by-appointment-only visits.

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