Volkswagen of America and Amazon are collaborating on a new way to try out a car – one that could potentially remove the need for a salesperson during the actual test drive. Called “Test Drive with Alexa”, the new offering sounds like it is; customers who choose this option will be able to experience a real-world test drive with Amazon Alexa as their companion.
The Test Drive with Alexa option is available for the Volkswagen ID.4 this fall. After a brief tour of the vehicle with a VW product specialist, the Alexa-guided test drive will begin, made possible by the Echo Auto device on the crossover EV’s dashboard.
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“In our efforts to bring electric vehicles and electromobility to everyone, we must find exciting new ways to speak to our customers,” said Andrew Savvas, director of sales and marketing, Volkswagen Group of America. “This collaboration with Amazon does just that. Future Volkswagen owners can experience everything our ID.4 has to offer using a voice service they already know.”
To facilitate the test drive, Alexa is equipped with all the information for any questions a customer might have. He can also answer questions about ID.4’s features, such as its battery, charging, blind spot monitor, infotainment connection, cost, regular maintenance and many more.
For example, a question about the ID.4’s massage seats will prompt Alexa to respond: “The seat massage function is available on the front seats of the ID4 Pro S and Pro S with Gradient. If you want to try it , just ask “Alexa, how can I activate the massage function.”
Test Drive with Alexa is available in select regions at this time. Volkswagen and Amazon Ads have created a landing page where customers can sign up for the new service and set up their ID.4. Test drives should last about 30 minutes.
