Online purchases of Hyundai vehicles in the US through Amazon will be launching in 2024.
While us Malaysians here already have the chance to purchase a surprisingly broad selection of vehicles through Lazada and Shopee for quite a while now, it is only recently that Amazon has plans to do the same over in the United States. And it would seem that the first cars available to be purchased on the online retail giant’s site over there would be Hyundais, with the South Korean automaker announcing at the Los Angeles Auto Show 2023 for this new car buying method through Amazon will go live come 2024.
Now in terms of how it works, Hyundai touts for its customers to be able to ‘search on Amazon for available vehicles in their area based on a range of preferences, including model, trim, color, and features, choose their preferred car, and then check out online with their chosen payment and financing options — all within the Amazon experience they already know and trust’.
To those who wished for this system to circumvent the much-criticised Hyundai dealership network over in the States however, there is some disappointing news. Such is because while this purchasing method still requires buyers to liaise with the automaker’s dealer network to arrange collection (by way of delivery or self pick-up) of their new car, in addition to any future after-sales services.
There are nevertheless still some upsides to this Amazon purchasing option, with the convenience it offers and a fixed price that requires no haggling being its biggest selling points. It might be possible too for the online retail giant to work out a way in incorporating some perks for its Prime members, but there is unfortunately no word on that front yet.
It is worth noting also that while the South Korean automaker is the first to partner with the online retail giant for this scheme, it likely won’t be the only one. There is similarly no indication from Amazon though, as to which other automakers might be next to offer such an option.
Aside from this online retail collaboration between Hyundai and Amazon meanwhile, the South Korean automaker has also announced for it to have selected AWS as its preferred cloud provider to accelerate its digital transformation. As part of a new multiyear agreement, Hyundai will become a more data-driven organisation with a cloud-first technology strategy, migrating its current on-premises applications — which support everything across research, product engineering, and customer engagement — to AWS.
Hyundai quotes that it will utilise its partnership with AWS to help optimise production and minimise costs, security and disaster recovery for resiliency, and connected vehicle development to bring new features to drivers around the globe. Both parties have collaborated in designing and implementing a Master Builder training and certification program to train Hyundai engineers in critical cloud skills.
Perhaps more pertinent to potential Hyundai buyers however is for the South Korean automaker to also soon be offering hands-free Alexa in their cars, starting from 2025. The functionality will include voice controls for playing media, setting reminders, and checking calendars, while those who have Alexa-integrated smart home equipment will be able to control it from their vehicle.
