Mahindra Thar continues to have the highest waiting period in the Indian market, followed by Hyundai Creta and Maruti Suzuki Ertiga
As India prepares for its 75th Independence Day, the automobile industry of our country is busy with post lockdown recovery. Thankfully, things seem to be much better now, and we’ve seen strong sales growth from almost every carmaker, especially last month. However, constraints like the semiconductor shortage still remain, due to which the waiting periods of many cars have gone through the roof!
Below, we’ve listed the top ten vehicles which have some of the highest waiting periods in the Indian market currently.
1. Mahindra Thar – up to 1 year
Select variants of the Mahindra Thar demand a waiting period of around 12 months! Despite that, the SUV continues to rake in plenty of new bookings every month. Apart from the massive demand, the global shortage of microchips is also a reason why customers have to wait so long to buy Thar.
2. Hyundai Creta – up to 9 months
Hyundai Creta is one of the most popular vehicles in the Indian market, mainly due to its competitive pricing, extensive equipment list, and a plethora of engine & transmission options. The base trim of the SUV demands a waiting period of around nine months, while for other trims, the waiting period can range from one month to four months.
3. Maruti Ertiga – up to 8 months
Maruti Suzuki Ertiga also has an extremely high waiting period; for the petrol-powered variants, new buyers would have to wait anywhere between three months to seven months, while the CNG variant has a significantly higher waiting period, reaching up to eight months.
4. Nissan Magnite – up to 7 months
Nissan’s compact SUV, the Magnite, has been its most successful model in the Indian market so far. In fact, it has singlehandedly turned the brand’s fortune around, and the demand for the Magnite seems to continue to rise steadily. New buyers currently have to wait up to seven months to take delivery of one, depending on the variant chosen and the dealership location.
5. Kia Sonet – up to 5 months
The Sonet compact SUV is currently the most popular model in Kia India’s range, and it is also the most affordable one. The little Kia crossover has a lot to offer, like multiple engine and transmission options, plenty of features and equipment, etc., all for an extremely competitive price tag. The waiting period for the Sonet currently reaches as high as five months!
6. Kia Seltos – up to 5 months
Kia Seltos was the brand’s maiden offering in the Indian market, and it continues to be one of the most popular midsize SUVs on sale here. The waiting period for the Seltos is also quite high, up to a maximum of five months, depending on the chosen variant and the location of the dealership.
7. Tata Nexon – up to 5 months
The demand for Tata Nexon is particularly strong in India these days, and last month, the manufacturer sold over 10,000 units of the compact SUV! The high demand has pushed the waiting period for the Nexon fairly high. For the petrol and diesel variants, buyers could have to wait up to five months! The electric version (Nexon EV) has a shorter waiting period, reaching up to two months.
8. Renault Kiger – up to 4 months
Renault Kiger was introduced in our market earlier this year, and the market response towards it has been largely positive. The little Renault SUV manages to rake in decent sales numbers every month, and the demand for it continues to still be strong. The waiting period for the Kiger currently stretches up to four months.
9. MG Hector/Hector Plus – up to 3 months
MG Hector and its three-row sibling Hector Plus are quite popular in the Indian market at the moment. Due to a strong demand, coupled with the ongoing microchip shortage, the waiting period for the SUV pair currently ranges between two to four months, depending on the dealership location and the chosen variant.
10. Tata Safari – up to 3 months
Tata’s flagship model, the Safari, was launched in India earlier this year. The SUV has been enjoying decent popularity in our market, and consequently, its waiting period is fairly high these days. Depending on the variant chosen, buyers could have to wait up to three months to take delivery of a new Safari.