Tata Harrier to Maruti WagonR: Popular cars with the longest waiting periods & their alternatives

If booking a car is a joyous experience, waiting for it to be delivered is an equally frustrating one. Many of us as kids dreamt about going to a showroom with enough money and driving out in style with the car of our choice. However, that is not the case in the real world. Waiting periods on cars depend on various factors like the model, trim, colour, geographic location, manufacturing plant functioning, logistics, et cetera. Some cars can be had within a week of their bookings while for some, it may take more than three months to be delivered. Here is a list of some popular cars with high wait periods on their heads and their faster deliverable rivals.

Tata Harrier

Starting this list is the all new Tata Harrier, which has taken the market by storm ever since its launch. No doubt then that it is present here with one of the longest wait periods. The Harrier commands a waiting period of up to 3 months in most regions across the country. The SUV had received a tremendous response from the public ever since its launch and is currently among the best options in its price segment, though the lack of an auto gearbox could turn some prospective buyers away. As an alternative, one can consider the Mahindra XUV500, which while being a big selling SUV has much shorter waiting periods than the Harrier.

Maruti Suzuki WagonR

Maruti unveiled the all-new WagonR just last month and as expected, it has received a lot of attention from buyers. The new WagonR is wider and longer than the model it replaces while also being more powerful. The average waiting period for this tall boy hatchback is around 2 to 3 months. Considering the popularity of the car, that is not surprising at all. As an alternative though, you can consider the Tata Tiago or the Maruti Suzuki Ignis, both of which have a much lesser waiting period on their heads.

Hyundai Santro

The Hyundai Santro clocked over 15,000 bookings even before its launch and the company had to shut down the bookings just a few weeks after the launch. The popular hatchback earlier had waiting periods of upto 3-4 months but the company has boosted production to meet the increased demand, resulting in lower wait times. Still, the average waiting period on the hatchback is around 3 weeks in some areas to 2 months in other areas. As an alternative, you can look towards the Tata Tiago or the new Datsun Go, both of which have lower waiting periods.

Maruti Suzuki Dzire

The Maruti Suzuki Dzire was the best selling vehicle across all segments in 2018, which gives a good idea of how popular this subcompact sedan is. The reason for its huge sales is that the Dzire pulls customers from other segments like premium hatchbacks and entry-level sedans towards itself. The average waiting period on the car is around 1 month to two months, depending on the trim and transmission choice. As an alternative, you can consider the Tata Tiago or the Hyundai Xcent in the segment, both of which are readily available with their dealers.

Hyundai Creta

The Hyundai Creta is a huge volume driver for the company and the most expensive vehicle to feature in the monthly top 10 selling cars regularly. The compact SUV has a waiting period that averages 1.5 to 2 months in the majority of the regions, though some regions have a lower waiting period too. As an alternative, one can look at the newly launched Nissan Kicks, which is slightly cheaper and is larger than the Creta.

Maruti Suzuki Ertiga

The Maruti Suzuki Ertiga has always been a good seller for the company but the latest avatar of the MPV is literally selling like hot cakes. Talking of waiting periods, most regions have an average waiting period of 3-4 months while the top end variant of the car commands a wait time of up to 6 months in some areas. As for an alternative, there is no direct competition for the Ertiga but you can consider the Renault Lodgy which can be had yours in under a week. The upcoming Renault Kwid based MPV will give it some competition but until then, the Ertiga is in a segment of its own.

Mahindra Marazzo

The Mahindra Marazzo is the second vehicle on this list which shows that the MPV segment has started gaining popularity in India not that there are some good options available across different segments. The MPV is having a waiting period of about 4-5 weeks on an average. It is selling quite well and has become another success story for Mahindra. Dealers maintain that waiting periods for the lower variants of the MPV extend to up to 6 weeks while the top-spec trim is available with 4 weeks of wait time. As for alternatives, you could either stretch your budget a bit and get the Toyota Innova Crysta, or else get the Renault Lodgy at a more affordable rate.

Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza

The Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza is the best selling vehicle in its segment and hence commands the longest wait periods. In many regions like the Delhi NCR and Bengaluru, the waiting period for this subcompact SUV is as high as 8 weeks while the average waiting period across the country is about 5-6 weeks. As an alternative, you can get the Tata Nexon or the Ford EcoSport, both of which are very good vehicles in the same segment. The Brezza is only available with a 1.3 litre diesel engine and comes with both manual and automatic transmission options.