Prospective Hyundai buyers in 48 areas in America are now able to look for, order, finance and schedule the pickup of cars at participating local dealerships via Amazon.
Customers can use Amazon Autos to browse the stock at a local dealership by model, make, color, trim and other features. They’re also able to get an online valuation of their current car and trade it in toward the price of a new car, Amazon said in a release Tuesday.
The valuation of customers’ current cars is done by an unspecified independent third party. Prices of new cars are stated upfront on Amazon, as opposed to negotiated prices at dealerships.
Amazon is also offering a $2,300 gift card to anyone who buys a car via the retail giant before Jan. 10. The card can go toward the purchase, according to technology website The Verge.
“We’re partnering with dealers and brands to redesign car shopping — making it more transparent, convenient and customer-friendly. … We’re excited to have Hyundai as our exclusive launch partner and look forward to welcoming more brands,” Fan Jin, global head of Amazon Autos, said.
Hyundai dealers in 48 metropolitan areas are participating in the Amazon Autos launch, involving only new cars for now.
Those areas are Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Beaumont-Port Arthur, Birmingham, Boston, Champaign/Springfield, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbia, Columbus, Dallas, Denver, El Paso, Fond Du Lac, Fort Myers/Naples, Harrisburg-Lancaster-Lebanon-York, Harrisonburg, Hartford, Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Los Angeles, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Nashville, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland, Providence, Raleigh-Durham, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Sheboygan, Springfield, St. Louis, Tampa, West Palm Beach and Washington, D.C.
The partnership between the global online shopping giant and the Korean automaker was first announced last year. Neither company has said whether other Hyundai Motor brands like Kia and Genesis will also be available via Amazon Autos.
More brands, as well as features like leases and financing options, are expected to come online in 2025.
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.
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