Kia Embraces At-Home Test Drives

Matt Posky
by Matt Posky

With various government and corporate entities pushing rolling restrictions to our everyday lives, the automotive sector has gotten extremely creative in how it does businesses over the last nineteen months. Everything is being digitized so business can be conducted remotely, including sales. But this creates an issue for shoppers who — and this is going to sound crazy — actually want to see and familiarize themselves with one of the largest purchasing decisions they’re likely to make this year before committing.

Luxury brands were already testing at-home test drives and subscription-based vehicle exchange programs by the start of 2020. But we’re now seeing more pedestrian brands trying similar strategies to reach customers from beyond the confines of the dealership. Kia even recently announced a pilot program to sync digital sales with at-home test drives. Called “Kia@Home,” the service allows shoppers to schedule a vehicle to be sent to their home for an hour-long assessment.

But the service caters exclusively to urbanites and is limited to just the Kia Carnival minivan and Niro EV. Customers living in Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City Metro, Philadelphia, Seattle, or Washington, D.C. will be the only ones capable of taking full advantage. Those living in Cleveland, Columbus, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Indianapolis, Orlando, Phoenix, and Tampa can certainly utilize the service but Kia will only be delivering the Carnival for testing.

These are two models the brand would undoubtedly like to see moving in more significant numbers in North America, so it makes sense they’d be part of the pilot program. But we think it’s kneecapping Kia@Home unnecessarily by keeping the brunt of its lineup out of the experience. Obviously, the manufacturer feels differently.

“Personalized, convenient and on-demand, Kia@Home brings an interactive and unique Kia experience to shoppers when and where they want,” Russell Wager, vice president of marketing for Kia America, stated. “The all-new Carnival MPV and all-electric Niro EV are two of Kia’s most high-tech offerings, and now consumers can get behind-the-wheel for up-close-and-personal test drives in their own individual, real-world settings.”

It’s not a bad idea. But we’re wondering about the associated costs and logistics. Similar pilot programs that prioritize customer convivence have been scrapped by automakers after they realized the program wasn’t going to be profitable. Book by Cadillac is just one of several examples that had to be cut and then relaunched under a heavily revised strategy.

Granted, Kia@Home is a different beast and requires less of a commitment from all parties. But it doesn’t come with the subscription model that guarantees payment for the program’s overhead. There’s effectively no need to commit to buying anything and that could explain the hesitancy to things scale up.

Those interested need only live in one of the metropolitan areas listed above and select one of the two available models on the brand’s website and select the “Test Drive At Home” button. From there the manufacturer will work with a local-area dealership to schedule your appointment at a time/place of your choosing and, hopefully, get you inside the vehicle for more than the allotted hour. Reservations can be made now through October 3rd when Kia will likely take time to assess whether or not the program is sustainable.

[Image: Kia]

Matt Posky
Matt Posky

A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.

More by Matt Posky

Comments
Join the conversation
3 of 15 comments
  • CleanOnTheInside CleanOnTheInside on Aug 10, 2021

    Would really love to see this scaled up. Two years ago I was deciding between a 2019 Accord Touring and a 2019 Stinger GT2. Went with the Accord because the Stinger "felt" lower and was worried that the sporty stance would prevent it from fitting in my garage. Fast-forward several months when I sat down to actually compare the ground clearance specs, the length and the turning radius of the two - it turns out the Stinger would have been a better selection. The Accord stood so low, and turned so (so so) wide that I had to get concrete work done as well as clandestinely cut my neighbor's overgrown weed "forest" facing my garage in order to get in. Even with all that, it's still a challenge that others driving my car won't do in fear of causing damage. Regret not getting that Kia every time I see one passing.

    • Sgeffe Sgeffe on Aug 10, 2021

      The turning circle on the 10th-Gen Accords is astonishingly large, especially with struts up-front. (My understanding is that the double-wishbones which used to be Honda’s stock-in-trade will result in a larger turning radius! But none of my DWB Accords took as much space for a 90-degree turn as my 2019!) I have a 90-degree turn to enter my garage, and it’s always a two-movement maneuver to park inside!

  • Jeff S Jeff S on Aug 11, 2021

    In today's limited supply and selling at MSRP or above dealers for the most part don't have to let you test drive because they can sell a vehicle to someone who does not request a test drive. Hopefully in the next few years there will be less shortages of new vehicles.

  • MaintenanceCosts It's not a Benz or a Jag / it's a 5-0 with a rag /And I don't wanna brag / but I could never be stag
  • 3-On-The-Tree Son has a 2016 Mustang GT 5.0 and I have a 2009 C6 Corvette LS3 6spd. And on paper they are pretty close.
  • 3-On-The-Tree Same as the Land Cruiser, emissions. I have a 1985 FJ60 Land Cruiser and it’s a beast off-roading.
  • CanadaCraig I would like for this anniversary special to be a bare-bones Plain-Jane model offered in Dynasty Green and Vintage Burgundy.
  • ToolGuy Ford is good at drifting all right... 😉
Next