Lease option for online shoppers

Consumers can lease Hyundai vehicles on the Amazon Autos car-shopping platform in the United States after the companies expanded their partnership to boost profitability for participating dealers.

The extra purchase method has been introduced because buyers were previously limited to either financing through Hyundai Capital or paying with cash, secured with an online deposit.

Hyundai Capital remains the primary lender but the change allowing customers to lease helps cast a wider net. 

Having only one finance option had been a sticking point for Hyundai and its dealers, reports Automotive News. 

If a customer was not approved by Hyundai Capital, they would be directed to a physical dealership to explore other purchase options.

Fan Jin, director of Amazon Autos, says: “Dealers have given us very clear, distinct feedback that we need to improve profitability on a per-deal basis.”

She told the JD Power Auto Forum in April this area would be a “core focus for the foreseeable future”, with plans to introduce more lenders and credit unions.

Amazon Autos, which was launched with Hyundai but expects to add more brands in the future, operates in 68 centres across the United States.