You’ll be able to buy a Hyundai on Amazon
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Amazon is about to add cars and SUVs to the huge roster of things it sells online. Amazon will offer Hyundai vehicles through an agreement with the South Korean automaker.

Hyundai Santa Fes and Sonatas won’t be delivered to your front door in gray vans, however. Just like any other car purchase, you’ll pick up your Hyundai from the local Hyundai dealer after selecting it from the inventory.

The laws in most US states protect auto dealerships from automakers who may want to sell directly to consumers. For Tesla, Rivian and other automakers that prefer direct customer interaction, the ability to buy a car online has been a source of contention.

“It’s not like you buy the car and it’s delivered the next day, like you’re a Prime member or something,” said Jessica Caldwell, an industry analyst with Edmunds.com. “If that is the expectation, then that needs to be managed, since I imagine that would lead to a lot of disappointment on consumers’ ends.”

According to an Amazon spokesman, Amazon wants to create an experience that is as seamless as “buying a car on-line.”

Edmunds.com, which connects car shoppers with dealers, is in one sense a competitor. Hyundai dealers will essentially get Amazon to do that for them.

Through the Amazon website, Amazon customers will be able to browse dealership inventories, see pricing for vehicles, and initiate a purchase. Dealers will only allow customers to choose from vehicles already in their inventories.