As the demand for new cars is steadily increasing in the Indian market, the waiting period for a few vehicles has reached the stratosphere
Last year was a difficult time for the automobile industry in India, and vehicle sales had hit rock bottom around mid-2020. Thankfully, the demand for cars has now almost recovered to pre-lockdown times, but with the ongoing shortage of semi-conductors, carmakers are unable to match the rising demands. Thus due to the gap in supply, certain models now have a huge waiting period.
Here, we have compiled a list of the top 10 cars with the highest waiting periods in the Indian market this month.
1. Mahindra Thar (9 months)
The second-generation Mahindra Thar was launched in our market in October last year, and the SUV was an immediate hit among buyers. However, the demand for the SUV is much higher than its production capacity, due to which the waiting period has currently reached 9 months! The company has stated that it is ramping production capacity even further, but the global shortage of semiconductor chips poses a huge challenge to that.
2. Hyundai Creta (up to 9 months)
Hyundai Creta is the best-selling SUV in the Indian market, and thanks to the high demand, it has an incredibly high waiting period. For the lower variants, like the base E trim, the waiting period is as high as 9 months! Other variants aren’t too quick to arrive either, with a waiting period of around 3 months.
3. Maruti Ertiga (up to 8 months)
Maruti Ertiga is the best-selling MPV in the Indian market, thanks to its relatively low running costs, brilliant interior space, and low price tag. As such, the demand for the MPV is quite strong, with the waiting period reaching up to 8 months for select variants in a few cities across India.
4. Nissan Magnite (up to 6.5 months)
Nissan Magnite was launched in the Indian market in December last year. The customer response towards the SUV was quite overwhelming, prompting the manufacturer to start a third shift at its plant, in order to increase the production capacity. The waiting period for the Magnite currently stretches up to 28 weeks for certain variants in select cities across India!
5. Kia Sonet (up to 6 months)
Kia Sonet is perhaps the most versatile sub-4-metre SUV in the Indian market. It offers three different engine options, with plenty of transmission choices as well, along with a lot of features and equipment. As such, the demand for the Sonet is quite high, and its waiting period stretches up to 5-6 months in some cities for a few variants.
6. Toyota Fortuner (up to 4 months)
Toyota Kirloskar Motor launched the Fortuner facelift (and Fortuner Legender) in India in January 2021, and the SUV currently has a waiting period between 2 to 4 months. Due to the global shortage of semiconductors, Toyota’s production has been affected severely, which is why the waiting period for the Fortuner isn’t likely to reduce anytime soon.
7. Renault Kiger (up to 2.5 months)
Renault Kiger was launched in India last month, and it is already enjoying a strong demand in our market, thanks to its brilliant styling, frugal engine options, and extremely affordable price. In select towns, like New Delhi, Gurugram, Jaipur, etc., the waiting period for the new Kiger goes up to 10 weeks!
8. New Tata Safari (Up to 3 months)
The new-gen Tata Safari was also launched in India last month, and the manufacturer has stated that the demand for the SUV is quite strong in our market. The ‘Adventure Persona’ variant is also quite popular among buyers. Currently, the waiting period of the 2021 Safari stretches up to 3 months, and as the booking numbers increase, this number is expected to increase as well.
9. MG Hector (Up to 3 months)
The Hector SUV was first launched in India back in 2019, and it has been enjoying a lot of popularity among buyers. MG has stated that due to high demand, the waiting period for the Hector has increased to up to 2-3 months! In the Indian market, it is available with two engine options – a 2.0L turbo-diesel (170 PS/350 Nm) and a 1.5L turbo-petrol (143 PS/250 Nm) – with the latter offering an optional 48V mild-hybrid system as well.
10. Tata Harrier (Up to 3 months)
Just like the new Safari, the waiting period for the Tata Harrier has also increased. In select cities across India, buyers now have to wait for 2-3 months to take delivery of the SUV! Sales of the Harrier have shown strong growth in recent times, and the increase in demand is perhaps the main reason for the rise in the waiting period, coupled with the global semi-conductor shortage. Powering the Harrier is a 2.0L turbo-diesel motor, the same as the new Safari, with 170 PS and 350 Nm on tap.