Check out our list of the top ten cars that currently have the highest waiting periods in the Indian market this month (October 2021)
While the automobile industry of India (and all around the globe, to be honest) is facing a crisis – semiconductor chip shortage – the demand for vehicles continues to grow. Every day, new buyers are lining up to buy automobiles, but the manufacturers are unable to keep up with the demand, which is why a lot of customers these days have to wait for months to take delivery after purchasing a new vehicle.
Here, we have listed the top ten vehicles in the Indian market that have the highest waiting periods this October. If you’re interested in buying a new car, then you should definitely take a look below.
1. Mahindra Thar – up to a year
The second-gen Mahindra Thar was introduced a year ago in our market, and the SUV has garnered over 75,000 bookings (cumulative figure) to date. However, due to production limitations, the manufacturer hasn’t been able to fulfil them with the same speed with which new orders keep pouring in. As such, the waiting period for the SUV goes as high as 12 months on select variants.
2. Maruti Ertiga – up to 9 months
The bestselling MPV in the Indian market – Maruti Ertiga – has a waiting period of up to 9 months! The highest waiting is on the CNG version though, while the petrol variants of the Maruti MPV have a relatively lower wait time, ranging between 4 to 5 months.
3. Hyundai Creta – up to 9 months
Hyundai Creta is one of the most popular midsize SUVs in India. The manufacturer had previously revealed that the demand for the Creta is around three times as high as the production. With the global semiconductor crisis, the manufacturer has been unable to increase production, while the demand continues to be strong. As such, the waiting period on select variants of the Creta has reached up to nine months.
4. Nissan Magnite – up to 8 months
Nissan launched the Magnite in India last year, and the compact SUV has managed to gain a lot of popularity here. It is the most successful model by the manufacturer in our market, and the demand for it is way higher than Nissan had previously anticipated. Although the company has already increased production, the waiting period for the Magnite still remains quite high, reaching up to 8 months on some variants.
5. Mahindra XUV700 – up to 7 months
Mahindra & Mahindra has announced that it has received 50,000 bookings for the XUV700, sold within just a few hours on two separate days. The market response to this new SUV is extremely positive, but due to the semiconductor chip shortage, we don’t expect the production figures to be as high. We reached out to our dealer sources to inquire about the expected waiting period for the XUV700 and received a ballpark figure – around 6 to 7 months.
6. Tata Nexon – up to 5 months
The Nexon is currently the most popular model in Tata’s passenger car line-up, and it has a waiting period of up to 5 months on the IC engine version (petrol and diesel variants). The electric version (Nexon EV) has a lower waiting period in comparison, around 1 to 3 months.
7. Tata Punch – up to 4 months
Tata Punch was officially unveiled just a few days ago in India, and bookings for it are currently open. The anticipation for Tata’s new micro-SUV was quite high, and the price list is scheduled to be announced on October 20. Our dealer sources have told us that the waiting period for the Punch is expected to soar around 3 to 4 months.
8. Kia Seltos – up to 5 months
The Seltos was Kia’s maiden offering in the Indian market, launched back in 2019, and it is quite a popular SUV among buyers even today. Due to the strong demand, the waiting period for select variants of the SUV is as high as 5 months.
9. Kia Sonet – up to 5 months
Kia Sonet was launched a little over a year ago, and it is also an extremely popular SUV in our market. The same as the Seltos, the demand for the Sonet is quite high, and as a result, Kia’s compact SUV has a long waiting period as well, reaching up to 5 months on certain variants.
10. Renault Kiger – up to 4 months
Renault entered the hotly-contested compact SUV segment earlier this year with the Kiger. Just like its cousin, Nissan Magnite, Renault Kiger has managed to attract a lot of buyers in our market. Currently, new buyers could have to wait up to 4 months to get their hands on one.