Meet Emily, a model for Hyundai at the Singapore Motorshow 2017. She’s the sort to get inside your head, though perhaps not for the reasons you think…

SINGAPORE — Cars and girls are the subject of many a boyhood dream, with even a 90’s hit penned by Prefab Sprout of the same name, though ironically that was more a critique of Bruce Springsteen than a song about summer cruising.

And while many a hot blooded petrol-head won’t hesitate to pop the hood to find out what makes a car tick, how many are wont to do the same with the accompanying girl?

CarBuyer attempted to take the other route first when we met up with 24 year old Emily who was seen gracing the Hyundai booth as one of its lovely  brand ambassadors. A fresh graduate majoring in psychology she may be, yet Emily stands tall as a veteran having been an events model since the tender age of 17, and as a fresh face into the working world, it was a natural that she’d fall back into being a model, which she admits to being a whole lot of fun.

CarBuyer: As a psychology major, are you able to read people very well?
Emily: No, I’m not able to. It’s a very common misconception that psychology majors can read minds. The focus is more about understanding human behaviour, why humans do things the way we do, and how do we then go about influencing behaviour.

CarBuyer: Based on the following cars, what does driving each of them tell you about the man? Let’s start with… sedan!
Emily: I actually think I would like a man like that, because it shows he’s very family-oriented.

CarBuyer: Sportscar?
Emily: He’s someone who is high maintenance and doesn’t bat an eyelid about living an ostentatious lifestyle.

CarBuyer:  Crossover?
Emily: He’s a sensible man who likes to strike a balance between having fun and yet has a steady character.

CarBuyer: Hybrid?
Emily: It would be very cool if he drives a hybrid, because it shows that he cares about the environment which I think is especially important in today’s context where there is global warming. It’s getting really hot now. If a man wants to impress me, then drive a cool hybrid like Hyundai’s new Ioniq in our hot climate.

CarBuyer: What’s your first memory of a car?
Emily: Piling into the family car and Mum taking us out to Ikea every Sunday for the meatballs (laughs), and then again into town, to eat more and to shop.

CarBuyer: Which part of a car would you be and why?
Emily: The steering wheel, because I like the freedom of being able to decide which direction I choose to go. It gives me a sense of liberty and I like that.

CarBuyer: Which is your favourite position to pose on a car?
Emily: That would be the hood, because it’s at the front of the car and so would be the most attention grabbing.

Interview by Hubert “A glass of” Tang
Pictures by Terry Chan