Amazon.com/Hyundai. No, we’re not kidding.
You can now order a Hyundai on Amazon. If you have Prime, it will show up at your doorstep within 24 hours in a huuuuuge brown cardboard box with the smiley arrow on it.
Ok, that last sentence is a joke.
Add a Tucson to Your Basket
Hyundai and Amazon have teamed up to create an Amazon page where you can shop for Hyundais. The page lets you configure the vehicle you want, search dealer inventory for a match, and start the buying process. It then connects you to a local dealership to complete the rest of the purchase.
The Hyundai page at that Amazon web address dates to 2018. The previous iteration only would allow shoppers to learn about Hyundai vehicles. The new one under the Hyundai Evolve Showroom at Amazon banner makes the start of the car shopping process look much like the start of the Instant Pot shopping process, or the movie rental process, or the novelty bread-shaped pillow process we are all so familiar with on Amazon.
Today’s Car Shoppers Prefer Shopping Online
“The events of the last 18 months have made it clear that many consumers want a car buying process that aligns with how they purchase nearly everything else in their life. Amazon is a leading retailer, and we’re excited to continue collaborating with them on digital retail experiences,” said Hyundai Motors North America CEO José Muñoz.
He’s right. Our own research shows that, since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, car shoppers have proven happier with their experience when most of it took place online.
Automakers have responded with online buying experiences. Systems like Toyota’s SmartPath and Mini Anywhere are, if anything, even more robust than what the Hyundai/Amazon partnership has created. Some walk you through the entire car buying process without ever requiring you to interact with a dealer. GM’s unique Cadillac Live program lets you get a personalized tour of any car through your phone, guided by an agent who will answer your questions without trying to sell it to you.
Our own Dealer Home Services allows you to follow every step of the purchase process for most car brands without leaving your couch. Unless, that is, you want a touchless test drive of the car you’re considering. Then you’ll have to leave the couch to drive the car that gets dropped off at your location for a few hours.
Hyundai’s new Amazon page still puts shoppers in touch with a local dealership for some of those steps.
