Volkswagen USA has managed to revolutionize the way test drives are carried out. The German automaker has teamed up with Amazon to offer test drives of the all-new BMW Atlas SEL Premium through the latter’s Prime Now service.
Amazon Prime Now gives users the ability to schedule a 45 to 60 minute test drive at a date and time of their choosing. Once the meeting point has been confirmed, a VW Atlas driven by an ‘expert’ will show up at their doorstep.
This door-to-door service is only available in the ‘designated’ area codes and if you happen to be outside these places, then things get a bit more cumbersome. In such a case, one would have to visit vw.com and schedule a test drive at the dealership of their choosing.
Speaking of the new collaboration, Senior Director, Transformation, Strategy and Communications, Volkswagen of America, said, “We are very excited to work with Amazon to introduce more consumers to our newly-launched, seven-seater SUV through this unique test drive experience.”
He later added, “We know people have limited time and are always looking for convenient ways to test out a new product, and with the Amazon Prime Now service we are able to bring the all-new Atlas to customers’ doorstep.”
The 2018 Volkswagen Atlas is a full size SUV that seats seven occupants and has been tasked with taking on more established models from Ford, GM and Dodge on their home turf. The vehicle will be offered in a number of variants, which will be powered by either a four-cylinder turbocharged 2.0L TSI or more powerful 3.6L VR6.
Customers will have the option of ordering their Atlas with a front-wheel-drive or the more sophisticated 4Motion® all-wheel-drive system. Apart from this the vehicle also gets 20-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, power-folding door mirrors and door mirrors with puddle lights.
Then there’s also leather seating, ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, heated steering wheel, automatic High Beam Control (Light Assist) and ambient lighting. The top of the line variant, the Atlas SEL Premium is equipped with Parking Steering Assistant (Park Assist), Area View camera and the Fender® Premium Audio System.
Expect more from VW as they begin to penetrate the US full-size SUV market with one of the largest SUVs they have ever made to date.
