Hyundai becomes first automaker to use Groupon

The manufacturer says around 1,300 individuals participated in the event across 10 dealers in the greater Chicago area and that the move was part of an ongoing effort to increase service business. The hope is that some of those customers who participated in the deal might come back for more vehicle work in the near future.

So, the next logical question: Will Hyundai look into actually selling vehicles through the coupon company? That all depends on how well this particular venture goes. If the automaker sees a strong return rate among customers, it just might look into future partnerships. That said, an entire vehicle purchase seems pretty far-fetched...

Groupon is a Chicago-based company that allows users to buy into one large group coupon per day. Once a deal is announced, a certain number of people must sign up for the offer or it expires and no one benefits. The company serves over 500 markets by offering deals on everything from services to smoothies and everything in between.

All told, Hyundai says that each of its participating dealers developed 130 new service leads each.