There’s the headline and it means you can add a Santa Fe to your cart, go to the checkout and no, it won’t be Prime delivered to your door by a bloke in a Sprinter van. Never mind you will have to go to your local Hyundai dealer. Except that for the purposes of this new initiative you will have to be resident in the United States of America, in their current golden era. However, this Amazon service only exists in certain metropolitan areas.

Here are the details: Amazon Autos is available at select Hyundai dealers in Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Beaumont-Port Arthur, Birmingham, Boston, Champaign/Springfield, Charleston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbia, Columbus, Dallas, Dayton, Denver, Detroit, El Paso, Fond Du Lac, Ft. Myers/Naples, Harrisburg-York, PA, Harrisonburg, Hartford, Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Louisville, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis St., Nashville, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland, Providence, Raleigh-Durham, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Sheboygan, Springfield, MA, St. Louis, Tampa, Traverse City, MI, W. Palm Beach, Washington, D.C.

Mostly though, please see the useful map below.

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Where the scheme is currently available, that’s not the point, this is a start. Quite possibly the beginning of the end of the retail car industry as we know it. Maybe that is no bad thing. Car dealerships can be slightly grim experiences. Exciting as getting a new car is, sometimes there are broken promises and dreams to deal with. It is though a place where real people work. Also where real customers go to get a deal. Well, not for very much longer.

So how does it all work? Well Amazon reckons that it is a convenient, streamlined experience and they are probably right. Customers can search available vehicles from local participating Hyundai dealers by model, trim, colour, features. Once selected they can secure financing, e-sign paperwork, and complete their order in a matter of clicks. This will have a massive appeal to the current generation online shoppers.

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After finalizing their payment information, customers will select a day and time to pick up their new car at the local participating Hyundai dealership.

Here is the thing that Hyundai and most dealers will like is the transparent, haggle-free pricing. Customers may say they hate haggling, but the result is always going to be a more expensive purchasing experience. Obviously Amazon Autos reckon they are providing transparent, all-inclusive pricing set by the dealer, eliminating the need for negotiation. Obviously, the price customers see at check-out is the price they pay, inclusive of all taxes and fees.

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Which brings us to the seamless vehicle trade-ins. Anything to cut We buy any Cars out of the equation and the potential deal breaker. Working with an actual car dealer actually helps matters, but it is still rather hands off behind the screen. Customers can get a firm trade-in value for their current vehicle by answering a set of questions about the vehicle’s condition and uploading images of their car. The value, which is provided by an independent third-party, can then be applied towards purchasing their new car through Amazon Autos. At the dealership, customers complete the process by dropping off their trade-in when picking up their new vehicle.

What they will be getting is a trusted Amazon shopping experience customers know and love, so vehicle shopping and purchases happen directly within the Amazon store with familiar features like customer reviews, seller (dealership) reviews, add to cart, and the simplicity of the Amazon checkout process.

Here’s what an actual dealer thinks, “At Fred Beans Automotive Group, we take pride in making sure each customer vehicle delivery is a special occasion, in fact we refer to them as events,” said Beth Gilbert Beans, vice president of Fred Beans Automotive Group, which owns five Hyundai dealerships in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. “The decision to buy a car is significant, and no matter how many years I’ve been in this business, the thrill of handing over a set of car keys never fades. We’re excited to continue providing that feeling through this new sales channel and connecting with the millions of shoppers on Amazon through this new, convenient experience.”

According to Amazon more Hyundai dealers will continue to be added to Amazon Autos. Functionality like leasing and expanded financing options will continue to roll out early this year.

Hyundai is our official launch partner. In the future, we plan to add additional car brands to give our customers a wide selection of cars to choose from.

The big question is, will this transfer across the Atlantic? Well, according to Hyundai in the UK, “There are no plans for us to replicate the US Amazon programme in the UK or Europe”, said Natasha Waddington Head of PR.

Over at The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders Limited there was a distinct lack of curiosity about what’s happening, “We wouldn’t comment on US commercial operations,” said Scott Clarke, Senior Press Officer, Communications and International

Meanwhile, The Retail Motor Industry Federation had even less to say because they didn’t get back to me.

At the moment then, Amazon flogging cars, even it is via an established dealer network does not seem to be coming here, except that these are the sorts of ideas that certainly do travel. You might be old enough to remember when there were places like book shops.

The existence of Ebay and Facebook Marketplace have not led to the closure of all used car dealers, but it has increased the possible sales outlets. Selling new cars is slightly different, but just as the retail high street has been savaged by shoppers going online, something similar could be happening here. Not that Hyundai see a problem.

At Hyundai, we put the customer at the centre of everything we do, and we are always looking for ways to improve the vehicle purchasing experience,” said José Muñoz, President and CEO, Hyundai Motor Company. “We’re thrilled to be the first brand enabling our dealers to sell vehicles through Amazon Autos. This collaboration allows customers to conveniently discover, learn about, and purchase their preferred Hyundai model from their local dealer through one of the world’s most trusted shopping experiences. It represents the future of automotive retail and our commitment to redefining how cars are marketed and purchased.”

The future means no more discounts for the car buyer and Amazon getting effective control of another important marketplace. It will be interesting to see how this develops. We would be interested to know what you think. Whether it will change anything at all, or simply be an American thing that won’t catch on.