Amazon’s Prime Now service is designed for shoppers who find next-day deliveries just a little bit slow. If you want something and you want it within two hours, you’ve got it, providing you live in the right postcode and have signed up to Amazon Prime.
But forget toothpaste, dishwasher tablets and ice cream, because now, for the first time, you can arrange a test drive of a new car via Prime Now. There are a couple of catches – which we’ll come to in a moment – but after a sign-up process, the vehicle will be delivered to your home or workplace.
It’s the result of a collaboration between Amazon and Volvo Car UK, which follows the introduction of the company’s new Care by Volvo subscription-based ownership package.
For now at least, the service is limited to the Volvo V40 and is only available in London, Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh, but we’d expect it to be widened to include other cars and locations, should this initial roll-out prove successful.
Delivery to your door
Jon Wakefield, managing director of Volvo Car UK, said: “At Volvo Cars, we aim to make people’s lives easier. Our ‘Prime Now test drive’ offer does just that, allowing potential customers to try our V40 on their terms and in familiar surroundings.
“We’re proud to team up with Amazon to deliver this unique initiative, the first of its kind in the UK and the latest in a range of offerings from Volvo designed to take the hassle out of running a car.”
Having signed-up and selected a time-slot, a ‘fully trained operative’ will deliver the car to the door, before accompanying the prospective customer on a 45-minute test drive.
Should the customer be interested in purchasing a V40, they will be directed to their local Volvo retailer, which will be music to the ears of dealers up and down the land, fearful that this venture could cut out the middleman. Test drives will be offered on a first come, first served basis over the following weekends:
- London: 9-10 June
- Birmingham: 16-17 June
- Manchester: 23-24 June
- Edinburgh: 30 June-1 July
Customers living outside the eligible areas are invited to visit their local dealer for a test drive. How very old-school.
Read more:
- Volvo is first to give ‘real’ fuel economy across its range
- The new Volvo V60 could be yours for just £299 a month
- Skoda Connect app now compatible with Amazon Alexa
