Listed here are the top ten cars that demand the highest waiting periods in the Indian market this month, i.e., in September 2021
The Indian automobile industry has been posting a strong recovery in terms of sales post lockdown, but ahead of the approaching festive season this year, things seemed to have slowed down a bit. We expect sales to pick up the pace again in the coming months. However, new buyers have been facing a challenge in recent times – high waiting periods on cars.
Due to the global semiconductor shortage, a lot of manufacturers have had to limit their production, even as demand for vehicles continues to rise. Here, we’ve listed ten cars with the highest waiting periods in September 2021.
1. Mahindra Thar – up to a year
The current-gen Thar continues to have the highest waiting period in the passenger car market. For select variants, buyers would have to wait for up to twelve months to take delivery! Despite such high waiting periods, the demand for Mahindra Thar refuses to falter, with more and more buyers lining up to book one every month.
2. Maruti Ertiga – up to 9 months
Maruti Ertiga is the best-selling MPV in India, and the high demand has pushed its waiting period above the clouds. The petrol variants have a waiting period of three to five months, while the same on the CNG variants is as high as nine months at the moment!
3. Hyundai Creta – up to 9 months
The Creta is the most popular mid-size SUV in the Indian market, mainly due to its competitive pricing, multiple engine/transmission options, and a long list of features. Depending on the variant chosen, buyers have to wait up to nine months to take delivery of the SUV! Despite that, the SUV’s popularity continues to be strong in our country.
4. Nissan Magnite – up to 8 months
Nissan launched the Magnite in our market towards the end of last year, and this compact SUV is currently the best-selling model in the Nissan-Datsun joint lineup. To meet the high demand, the manufacturer has already increased the production of the Magnite, but the semiconductor shortage continues to be a major limiting factor. Currently, the waiting period for the Magnite reaches as high as eight months!
5. Tata Nexon – up to 5 months
The Nexon compact SUV is enjoying high demand in the Indian market, and it is currently the best-selling model in Tata’s line-up. It is available with three powertrain options – petrol, diesel, and electric. The petrol and diesel versions demand a waiting period as high as five months. The electric version (Nexon EV) has a shorter waiting period, up to two months.
6. Kia Seltos – up to 5 months
The Seltos was Kia’s first offering in the Indian market, and it has been extremely popular ever since its introduction in 2019. Depending on the variant selected, buyers would have to wait up to five months to take delivery of one. However, in New Delhi, depending on the availability of the chosen variant, buyers can take hand-to-hand delivery.
7. Kia Sonet – up to 5 months
Kia Sonet has a waiting period ranging from one to five months, depending on the location. Similar to its elder sibling, the Seltos, buyers in New Delhi can take delivery of select variants of the Sonet immediately, depending on its availability at a particular dealership.
8. Renault Kiger – up to 4 months
Renault Kiger was introduced earlier this year, and since its launch, it has managed to garner a good sales tally. The Kiger is based on the same platform as the Magnite, and offers the same engine choices. The styling is completely different though, distinguishing the two crossovers apart. For the Kiger, the waiting period goes as high as four months.
9. Tata Safari – up to 3 months
Tata’s flagship, the Safari, has seen a fair amount of success since the launch of its current iteration near the start of this year. The demand is fairly strong for its top variants, including the Adventure Persona models. It currently has a waiting period of up to three months, depending on the dealership location and the chosen variant of the SUV.
10. Tata Altroz – up to 3 months
Tata’s premium hatchback offering, the Altroz, also has a high waiting period in the Indian market currently. New buyers would have to wait anywhere between 1 month to 3 months to have one delivered, depending on the selected variant and the location of the dealership.