The latest phenomenon to sweep the nation and its singletons is Drive Dating, according to reports, where men and women test their flirting skills in speedy car-based dates.

The Kia-devised idea sees guys and girls get three minutes in the front seat of a Kia Picanto Date, with mood music and ice-breaker questions designed to get their motors revving.

"Arguing in the car is a common experience that many couples go through," said Paul Williams, managing director of Kia Motors (UK).

"We wanted to help couples at the earliest stages of their relationship find out how well suited they are on the road, as well as off. Regular dating events can often feel enforced and awkward so we set out to create an event that mirrored a real life situation and allowed single people to 'road test' their relationship… literally."

London Zoo was the setting for the first event, involving 20 boys and 20 babes, with a further Drive Dating experience planned for the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester.

Following the speed dating experience, the company drove all the love seekers off to a bar to allow them to carry on where they left off, to see if they had made a false start or if they were headed for the chequered flag.