They say that resilience is one of Filipino’s best traits. I think we just have no choice, sadly.
With the coronavirus pandemic ravaging on and our country’s economy on the edge, companies are finding ways to survive the impending recession. And as it turns out, the perfect tool is right there all along: the Internet.
I’m sure you’ve seen the internet in action – food deliveries are becoming abundant, online selling is getting more traction. Car companies, on the other hand, are finding ways to connect with their customers through various digital platforms.
Subaru Philippines, under the distributorship of Motor Image Pilipinas (MIP), is one of those companies. MIP has devised a way to reach its potential customers. At this time when mobility is impaired and public transport is a dangerous option, Subaru wants you to sample its cars at the comfort of your couch. Best part? You can do it in three easy steps as I’ve tried in a recent encounter.
Request for a test drive
It was Tuesday night when I decided to put an order for a Subaru WRX test drive. I visited https://www.subaru.asia/ph/en/home/ through my smartphone’s browser and chose Schedule a Test Drive under How to Buy menu.
After the page reloaded, I was asked to choose between test driving at a dealership or test driving at home. I went for the obvious and chose WRX as the test vehicle. I filled out the form with my contact information, preferred date and time of test drive, and my address, then hit “Submit.” That was it – three easy steps.
The next day, a sales agent from Subaru Manila Bay called me to verify the information I sent and confirmed my test drive request. The agent I talked to was accommodating and ready for any questions. I specifically requested for a Thursday tryout, which would be the following day. She also asked me to send a photo of my driver’s license just for identification.
Vehicle preparation
Subaru Philippines flagged my request and prompted to document the process of preparing the vehicle. For the benefit of transparency, they sent me the photos that show how the test unit was prepared, including sanitization and proper cleaning, according to a checklist.
You can view the process in the photos included in this story.
Here comes the test unit
Before I even entered the vehicle to try out the very blue WRX, the sales agent asked me to fill out a digital form upon her arrival. It was as easy as scanning a QR code and answering some questions as mandated by the authorities. All of these were done without physical contact and while wearing protective equipment.
After those were done, on to the test drive. With me on the driver seat and the agent on my right, she explained each feature of the WRX, including the EyeSight suite of safety features. It was an easy experience, to say the least, and one that I easily appreciated since hey, I didn’t even have to leave my house.
Now, the actual drive-around for non-media personnel will take a minimum of 15 minutes, but Subaru said that they allow for as long as the customers wanted to. That’s a good thing, because the best way to know a car is through experience, and that’s what Subaru is offering for free.
As for me, well, the Subaru WRX with EyeSight is still in my garage as I write this story. I’ll let you know my thoughts about it in my full review. Or better yet, try one out yourself using Subaru’s Test Drive at Home feature.
