Car shoppers in 48 U.S. cities can browse, order, and schedule pickup of a new Hyundai vehicle from their local participating dealer directly through Amazon.
Amazon and Hyundai announced their partnership and the Autos platform in November 2023. At the time, the brands said that while shoppers would purchase the vehicle on Amazon.com, the local dealer would technically still be the authorized seller to get around issues like state laws requiring new car sales to be franchised. At its core, Amazon is more of a shopping portal that connects buyers and sellers, as it does for other third-party vendors.
For now, Hyundai is the only automaker participating in the program, and notably, only new vehicles are available. The service is only available in 48 cities across the United States. Amazon says it is working to expand its reach and brand offerings soon. But today, customers can benefit from online car sales from local dealerships, like Indy Auto Man in Indianapolis, Indiana, for other brands and pre-owned vehicles.
For now, the vast majority of cars are sold below MSRP; This may be a short-term strategy during the launch of this new system. Amazon Autos provides transparent pricing from local dealers. The price customers see at checkout is the price they pay, including all taxes and fees. However, experts still recommend comparing prices with Indianapolis car lots to ensure the most beneficial deal.
Buyers will complete the purchase online and then arrange to pick up the car (or perhaps have the dealer deliver it). Prime’s one-day door-to-door delivery is not available — at least not yet.
Fan Jin, the global head of Amazon Autos, said they are partnering with dealers and brands to redesign the car-buying experience to be more transparent, convenient, and customer-friendly. He noted that they aim to bring the simplicity and ease customers expect from Amazon to one of their largest purchases while also providing dealers a new channel to connect with a wider audience. Jin expressed excitement about having Hyundai as their exclusive launch partner and mentioned their anticipation of welcoming more brands and expanding customer selection as the program evolves. He acknowledged that it is still in the early days for them and welcomed feedback from customers and dealers as they continue to add new features, expand to additional brands, and refine the customer experience.
Using Amazon Autos will be familiar to almost anyone who has used Amazon.com. You can filter products by price, model year, color, number of seats, or dozens and dozens of other criteria. Or select a specific model, and Amazon Autos will show all options available at a partner dealer in your area.
There is no “one-click” option, so no one has to put themselves in danger of absentmindedly buying a brand-new Palisade. Instead, a customer can click a “Start Buying” button, after which pay in full or finance the purchase.
Whether you opt for Amazon or the nearest dealer that offers this option, online car sales differ from a traditional car buying experience. There is no negotiating, bullying, or asking how much of a monthly payment you want to make. Everything can be arranged with a few clicks, from scheduling a time to pick up your new car at the dealership. You can even trade in your existing car in the process. Some dealerships, like Indy Auto Man, offer free delivery in a determined radius and other bonuses for online customers.
