Amazon enters car business, partnering with dealers to sell new Hyundais
If it seems you can buy anything on Amazon, well, that just got one step closer to reality.
Now you can buy a car on Amazon.
Specifically, vehicle shoppers in 48 U.S. cities can now order, finance and schedule pickup of a new Hyundai from a local participating dealer directly from the Amazon platform.
The company has launched Amazon Autos, offering online shopping from Hyundai dealers in metropolitan areas nationwide. The markets include the nation’s largest cities — New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas. Houston, Atlanta, etc.— as well as smaller markets like Birmingham, Ala.; Raleigh-Durham, N.C.; Beaumont-Port Arthur, Texas; and Sheboygan, Wis.
In an announcement on its website, Amazon said it will continue to add more Hyundai dealerships, and will add additional manufacturers, brands, cities and new functionality, such as leasing and expanded financing options, in 2025.
Amazon Autos is designed to give customers “a simple, end-to-end online experience to purchase their next vehicle,” including browsing and searching for available vehicles at the local dealer by make, model, trim, color and features; instant valuations and trade-ins; transparent, haggle-free, up-front pricing; financing or the option to pay in full; an online checkout process; and scheduling a pickup time at the dealership.
“We’re partnering with dealers and brands to redesign car shopping — making it more transparent, convenient and customer-friendly,” said Fan Jin, global head of Amazon Autos. “With Amazon Autos, we’re bringing the simplicity and ease customers expect from Amazon to car shopping, one of their largest purchases, while offering dealers a new channel to connect with a broad audience.
“We’re excited to have Hyundai as our exclusive launch partner and look forward to welcoming more brands and expanding our selection to customers as the program grows. It’s still early for us and we welcome customer and dealer feedback as we continue to add new functionality, expand to additional brands and iterate on the customer experience.”
Amazon said its venture into automotive offers dealers a new sales channel that connects them with millions of Amazon customers, streamlining the browsing and initial purchasing steps online to let dealers to focus on the most exciting part of the journey: the moment when customers pick up their new car at the dealership.
Amazon said that in-person experience “lays the foundation for deep customer loyalty and trusted, long-term relationships.”
In the announcement, Steven Suh, general sales manager of South Bay Hyundai in Torrance, Calif., said listing the dealership’s inventory on Amazon “allows us to showcase our vehicles to millions of daily shoppers while setting our pricing up front. We can now reach a large local audience with the convenient and transparent experience customers expect when shopping with Amazon.
“Customers come in excited to pick up their new car and we can build on those customer relationships from there. This experience really positions dealers for success in the modernizing economy.”
Amazon Autos is currently available in Atlanta; Austin, Texas; Baltimore; Beaumont-Port Arthur, Texas; Birmingham, Ala.; Boston; Champaign/Springfield, Ill.; Charlotte, N.C.; Chicago; Cincinnati; Cleveland; Columbia, S.C.; Columbus, Ohio; Dallas; Denver; El Paso, Texas; Fond Du Lac, Wis.; Ft. Myers/Naples, Fla.; Harrisburg-Lancaster-Lebanon-York, Pa.; Harrisonburg, Va.; Hartford, Conn.; Houston; Indianapolis; Jacksonville, Fla.; Los Angeles; Miami; Milwaukee; Minneapolis-St. Paul; Nashville, Tenn.; New York; Orlando, Fla.; Philadelphia; Phoenix; Pittsburgh; Portland, Ore.; Providence, R.I.; Raleigh-Durham, N.C.; Salt Lake City, Utah; San Antonio, Texas; San Diego; San Francisco; Seattle; Sheboygan, Wis.; Springfield, Mass.; St. Louis, Mo.; Tampa, Fla.; West Palm Beach, Fla,; and Washington D.C.
Customers in those markets can shop for new Hyundai vehicles at amazon.com/autos, or by searching “Amazon Autos” on Amazon.com, or through the mobile app.