Popping My Scarborough Cherry on a Road Trip with Hyundai

Shopping for the perfect car is similar to wooing that special someone in the wonderful world of online dating. Cars have a personality all of their own and the bells and whistles you pine for in a wheeled companion need to resonate with the personality, hobbies and driving habits you’ll share with loved ones.

Are you a nerd always keen to test out a new buzz-worthy technology? A road trip fan who needs ample space in the trunk to pack for a long weekend away? Or are you a tree hugger and penny pincher keen to reduce your carbon footprint while saving money on gas so you can spend your hard earned cash on a romantic night at the Drive-In?

For those in the market to buy their first car, dealership hopping can be totally daunting. And just like we’re all hoping to find a compatible mate, sometimes the best way to determine if a person – or new car – is the best fit for you is by taking it for a spin on a wild and whimsical date.

After spending seven years living in Toronto, Scarborough was a (rather large) slice of the GTA that I had not yet had the opportunity to visit. The best way to tackle Scarborough from Toronto’s downtown is by hopping in a car, as you’ll want to zig zag past shopping malls, hiking trails and restaurants to find your new fave hidden gem. Make a day of it and you’ll enjoy a perfect date while strolling along Lake Ontario at The Bluffs, chirping at your favourite critters at the Toronto Zoo and restaurant hopping to some of Toronto’s most celebrated eateries which offer a finger-licking-good taste of the city’s colourful ethnic communities.

I navigated Scarborough’s streets behind the wheel of Hyundai’s new Ioniq Hybrid. I’m a big fan of sustainable solutions and, as a tech nerd, love to test out new gadgets. The Hyundai Ioniq is a stylish, quality-made, premium vehicle featuring innovative technology that makes it fun to drive. I was most wowed by the Ioniq’s quiet hum. As someone who wears hearing aids it’s rather blissful to simply press a button and hit the road without the loud hum of a revving motor. It’s amazing to think how much sound and carbon emission pollution reduction the world will realize once hybrid and electric cars become the norm from Toronto to Tokyo.

Hyundai’s Ioniq is available in three energy efficient-models, offering newbie car owners the cutting edge in options when date hopping with car dealers.

Ioniq Hybrid

The Ioniq hybrid is powered by a specially developed power train that moves you down the road on the gasoline engine, the electric motor, or both, to give you a range of over 1,000 kilometers.

Ioniq Electric

An electric car that’s fun to drive featuring a high-power lithium-ion polymer battery and modern electric motor, the Ioniq electric gives you up to 200 kilometers of emissions free driving.

Ioniq Electric Plus (available Fall 2017)

The Ioniq Electric Plus can be charged at home, or while you’re out and about, and delivers about 40km of emissions-free range. If you run-out of battery power, the gasoline engine fires-up and the car becomes an efficient and fun-to-drive hybrid.

From September 11 to March 18, Tinder and Hyundai are hosting a contest for Canadians to win a date of their own in the Ioniq. One winner will be selected every month for six months and will enjoy an evening chauffeured in the vehicle and a night out on the town. So next time you’re searching for Mr. or Mrs. Right, be sure to swipe right when you see the Hyundai profile card pop up on your Tinder app…or hop online and try to score your very own Hyundai Ultimate Date.