The demand for these five cars has no slowing down, and the waiting period for these highly-popular offerings currently stretches for months A range of new cars were launched in the Indian market last year, ranging across different segments. Some of the newly launched products were instant hits, and their demand ended up being so high, that the manufacturers still can’t manage to keep up with it. Hence, buyers have to wait for a certain period to finally get their hands on their new car. We have put together a list of the 5 cars currently available in India that have the highest waiting period as of now, take a look –
1. Mahindra Thar (Up To 9 Months)
Mahindra launched the second-gen version of the Thar in the Indian market in October last year, and the updated off-roader has so far received an immensely overwhelming response across the country, thanks to all the updates that Mahindra has introduced with the SUV to make it not only a better off-roader, but a much better urban vehicle as compared to the first-gen model as well.
As of January 2021, Mahindra claims that the Thar has a waiting period of up to 9 months! The SUV is offered with a 2.2-litre four-cylinder mHawk turbo diesel engine that makes 130 PS of max power as well as 300 Nm of peak torque, as well as a 2.0-litre mStallion four-cylinder turbocharged petrol TGDi engine that puts out 150 PS power and 300 Nm torque (320 Nm with AT). The recent price hike means that the Thar is currently priced between Rs 11.90 – 13.75 lakh (ex-showroom).
2. Nissan Magnite (Up To 8 Months)
Nissan marked its entry into the sub-4m SUV segment with the ‘Magnite’ that was launched late last year. All credits to its stylish looks, extensive feature list, as well as aggressive pricing, the Nissan SUV has received a fairly positive feedback in India. Nissan retails the Magnite at a base price of Rs 5.49 lakh, which goes up to Rs 9.97 lakh (both prices, ex-showroom).
The Magnite is offered with two different 1.0-litre petrol powertrains – a naturally aspirated unit making 72 PS and 96 Nm, and a turbo petrol unit that produces 100 PS of max power and 160 Nm of peak torque (152 Nm with CVT). A 5-speed manual gearbox is offered with both the engines as standard, while the turbo petrol motor can also be had with an optional CVT. Nissan recently confirmed that it is working on bringing down the Magnite’s 32-week waiting period.
3. Kia Sonet (Up To 5 Months)
Upon arrival, the Kia Sonet went on to become the most affordable sub-4m SUV in India, and while the Nissan Magnite took the tag away from the Kia SUV a few months later, Sonet’s popularity in the Indian market was already soaring. The Sonet quickly went on to become one of the best-selling SUVs in India, and some variants of the car currently have a waiting period of up to 19 – 20 weeks.
As of now, the Sonet is priced between Rs 6.79 lakh and Rs 13.19 lakh (ex-showroom), and the car’s equipment list consists of an electric sunroof, a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, Bose premium sound system, UVO connected car-tech, cruise control, digital instrument cluster, ventilated front seats, wireless smartphone charger, LED Sound Mood Light, an air-purifier with display and so on.
4. Hyundai Creta (Up To 7 Months)
Hyundai introduced a new-gen model for the Creta in March 2020, and the SUV currently has a waiting period between 3-4 months to 10 months, depending upon the variant. The mid-size SUV is offered with three different powertrains, including a 1.5-litre petrol engine producing 115 PS and 144 Nm, a 1.5-litre diesel unit that produces 115 PS power and 250 Nm torque as well as a 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine rated at 140 PS/242 Nm.
On the feature front, the car gets a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment with smartphone connectivity, an 8-speaker Bose sound system, Hyundai’s BlueLink connected-car tech, a panoramic sunroof, ventilated front seats, power adjustable driver’s seat, a 7-inch TFT colour display in the instrument cluster, a touch-enabled smart air purifier, paddle shifters and drive mode select as well.
5. Maruti Suzuki Ertiga (6 – 8 Months)
The Maruti Suzuki Ertiga is the only car in this list that wasn’t launched last year, and is also the only non-SUV car here. However, it looks like the Ertiga goes neck and neck against the aforementioned SUVs, since the car currently has a waiting period ranging between 6 – 8 months.
Powering the car is a 1.5-litre petrol engine that performs duties on the Toyota Urban Cruiser. This specific engine produces 105 PS of max power and 138 Nm of peak torque, and will likely be offered with a 5-speed manual transmission, as well as an optional 4-speed torque converter auto.
