Cars With Highest Waiting Period In 2021

Recently there has been a sudden slowdown in the automobile industry, manufacturing has been hugely affected and this has caused a waiting period of months even a year causing a huge delay in deliveries. A surge in demand has further elongated these delays. Currently, there are multiple cars in the market with waiting periods as high as over one year. Here’s a list of the 5 cars with the highest waiting periods in 2021.

1. Tata Nexon

Tata Nexon is a sub-four-metre compact SUV and is the most selling in its segment. Nexon is available over a wide price range and is even available in different gears options. Currently, Tata is offering Nexon in Petrol Manual, Petrol AMT ( Automatic Transmission), Diesel Manual and Diesel AMT.  Nexon holds the medal of being the Safest Car in the Global NCAP 2020 Crash Test. The 2020 update to the car brings up a great new design and a BS6 (Bharat Stage – 6) Spec Engines.

The Review

The Nexon is well proportioned, high in style and looks very fashionable. It’s smartly done on the inside too and the good thing is that it’s a lot more spacious and practical than the looks would have you expect. Overall comfort is impressive but where the cabin is a bit lacking is in overall finesse. Of the engines, the 110hp, 1.2-litre turbo-petrol unit is refined but performance isn’t lively. It’s a bit jerky at low speeds too, especially in Eco mode. The 110hp, 1.5-litre diesel has a wider breadth of abilities. It’s refined and pulls well from low speeds; but again, doesn’t excite me. The Nexon’s manual gearboxes come allied to well-weighted clutches. Both petrol- and diesel-AMTs are fine for average town use but fumble in on-off throttle applications. That said, the diesel Nexon’s AMT unit is more in sync with the engine’s characteristics. The Nexon changes direction with confidence and the suspension also absorbs bumps and potholes with ease. It rides quite flat at speed too and makes for a good long-distance vehicle.

Variants

There is quite a huge difference between the petrol and diesel variants. However, I would recommend you to opt for Diesel Engine, if you want peace of driving then go for Diesel AMT although it is not the best in the segment it will surely fulfil the purpose. Else one can surely go for Manual GearBox which will give you mileage up to 21.5kmpl. 

In my opinion, one should go for the XZ+ trim i.e., the top model, although it is expensive but it also gets a lot more features such as keyless entry, pushes the start button, auto-folding ORVM’s, automatic climate control, a 7-inch infotainment system etc.,

Pricing and Variants

2. Kia Seltos

The 5 Seater SUV from Kia Motors is the first model for India and has the task of establishing the Korean carmaker in our market. It does have the right features to do the job. The Seltos is quite attractive and very economically priced according to the Indian Market. Currently, Seltos is being offered in 1.5-litre petrol, 1.4-litre turbo petrol and 1.5-litre diesel engines, each of them being offered in both manuals as well as an automatic gearbox. On top of that, all the variants of Seltos comply with BS6 emission norms since launch.

The Review

The Kia Seltos is a mid-sized SUV with city-friendly dimensions. It’s got an upright stance, something Indian SUV buyers like, and also sports sleek styling. Kia’s signature ‘Tiger Nose’ grille is the focal point at the front and the Seltos also features a split headlamp arrangement, in line with the latest style trends. Attention to detail and overall quality is excellent. Interestingly, Kia sells the Seltos with two style packages – Tech Line is reserved for the 1.5 petrol and diesel while the GT sportier GT Line is exclusive to the 1.4 turbo-petrol. The latter gets a few more frills such as red detailing on the outside and is also the only one to feature an all-black interior theme. Getting into and out of the Seltos is easy and what is sure to impress is the sheer level of quality in the interior; material quality and fit-finish are up there with pricier European cars. The dashboard is neatly laid out and usefully places the infotainment system high up and in the driver’s line of sight. Top-spec Seltos’ get slick 10.2-inch touchscreens, the instrument cluster is easy to read and there’s even a head-up display. A powered driver’s seat, ventilated front seats, ambient lighting, a 360-degree parking camera and even an onboard air purifier are other features offered on the Seltos. Front seat comfort is good but the rear seat does lose some points for the somewhat lack of thigh support. While not the roomiest of SUVs for the price, the Seltos offers plenty of space and features like a retractable backrest and retractable sun visors also enhance the rear seat experience.  While we are yet to try out all engine-gearbox options on offer, we did come away very impressed with the 1.5 diesel-manual and the 1.4 turbo-petrol autos. The 115hp diesel is very refined and the performance is pleasant. A slick gearbox and well-weighted clutch also make it easy to live with. Those looking for a sporty drive will find a good match in the 140hp, 1.4 turbo-petrol. The engine is smooth, strong and very likeable. Also good is the 7-speed dual-clutch auto that is responsive and quick to shift. What’s missing are paddle-shifters.  The Kia Seltos is easy to drive. The steering requires reasonable effort and weights up well enough at higher speeds. Ride comfort is good too with nice low-speed bump absorption and confident high-speed manners.

Pricing & Variants

Variant	Ex-Showroom Price	Specification
HTE	Rs.9.95 Lakh	Petrol 16.5kmpl Manual
HTK	Rs. 10.74 Lakh	Petrol 16.5kmpl Manual
HTK Plus	Rs. 11.79 Lakh	Petrol 16.5kmpl Manual
HTK Plus imt	Rs. 12.19 Lakh	Petrol 16.5kmpl Manual
HTX	Rs. 13.65 Lakh	Petrol 16.5kmpl Manual
Anniversary Edition	Rs. 14.06 Lakh	Petrol 16.5kmpl Manual
HTX AT	Rs. 14.65 Lakh	Petrol 16.8kmpl Automatic
Anniversary Edition AT	Rs. 15.06Lakh	Petrol 16.8kmpl Automatic
GTX (O)	Rs. 15.35Lakh	Petrol 16.5kmpl Manual
GTX Plus	Rs. 16.65 Lakh	Petrol 16.5kmpl Manual
GTX Plus Dual Tone	Rs. 16.85 Lakh	Petrol 16.5kmpl Manual
GTX Plus AT	Rs. 17.44 Lakh	Petrol 16.8kmpl Automatic
GTX Plus AT Dual Tone	Rs.17.64Lakh	Petrol 16.8kmpl Automatic
X-Line DCT	Rs. 17.79 Lakh	Petrol 16.8kmpl Automatic
HTE	Rs. 10.45Lakh	Diesel 21kmpl Manual
HTK	Rs. 11.79 Lakh	Diesel 21kmpl Manual
HTK Plus	Rs. 12.99 Lakh	Diesel 21kmpl Manual
HTK Plus AT	Rs. 13.95 Lakh	Diesel 18kmpl Automatic
HTX	Rs. 14.75 Lakh	Diesel 21kmpl Manual
Anniversary Edition	Rs. 15.16 Lakh	Diesel 21kmpl Manual
HTX Plus	Rs. 15.79 Lakh	Diesel 21kmpl Manual
HTX Plus Dual Tone	Rs.15.99 Lakh	Diesel 21kmpl Manual
HTX Plus AT	Rs. 16.79Lakh	Diesel 18kmpl Automatic
HTX Plus Dual Tone AT	Rs.16.99 Lakh	Diesel 18kmpl Automatic
GTX Plus AT	Rs. 17.65Lakh	Diesel 18kmpl Automatic
GTX Plus Dual Tone AT	Rs. 17.85 Lakh	Diesel 18kmpl Automatic
X-Line	Rs.18.1 Lakh	Diesel 18kmpl Automatic

3. Hyundai Creta

Creta being the elder sibling of Seltos is not behind. It has an average waiting period of 5-9 months. The base variant of Creta i.e., E model is so much in demand that one needs to have patience for almost a year to get a hand on it.

The Review

Ever since the launch of the Hyundai Creta was announced in the year 2015, it has been one of the favourite Crossovers of all time. Soon the first-generation Hyundai Creta saw rival models in the market. Kia Seltos and MG Hector were introduced who gave tough competition to Hyundai Creta. Of course, the rival companies launched their models with better features to outcast Creta from the market. However, Hyundai would not back down and recently at the Auto Expo held on February 6 in the year 2020, it launched the second generation Creta with a lot more exciting features and a tech-friendly support system. The all-new Hyundai Creta is a B-segment Crossover that is revamped to bear the Sensual Sportiness of the Hyundai SUVs. The new design has got a big cascading grille with low-set headlamps adhering to the ongoing trend in car designs of the era. Above the headlamps, lies the daytime LED lights whereas below it, lies the fog lamps. All these cater to bring out a bold outlook at the forefront of the car. The silhouette is more enhanced giving an SUV like appeal and the rear stance also get a modification to bear a new look from behind. While checking out its variants, you will find the new-generation Hyundai Creta is available in 17 variants. Ten of the variants have petrol engines whereas, seven of them are known to run on diesel engines. The seating capacity of all the variants is that five people could easily fit in and comfortably go on a long ride. Moreover, it has a boot space of 400 L, therefore, you can well carry all your stuff on board while you set off on a long journey. While Creta usually has set all its seats in the place with a single-piece rear seatback but if you go for the Creta AT variant then you may get 60:40 split-folding rear seats which could, in turn, be folded for having a greater space for your baggage items. In terms of mileage, Hyundai Creta has decent mileage. You get two variants in the engine types – one is the 1.4-litre diesel engine and the other is the 1.6-litre petrol engine. The fuel economy of the turbo engine in the diesel variants is around 21.4 Kmpl whereas for the petrol variants the mileage is about 16.8 km. Both petrol and diesel variants have models with a manual and automatic transmission that gives a decent performance in terms of mileage and capacity. Hyundai has added many features to the Creta such as Electro Chromic Mirror, Voice-Enabled Smart Panoramic Sunroof, Smartphone Wireless Charger, Puddle Lamps with a Welcome Function, Burglar Alarm, ESS (Emergency Stop Signal), VSM (Vehicle Stability Management Control) and an option to select the Drive mode such as Eco, Comfort or Sport. Thus, you can not only ride in style but by your preference too.

Variant	Ex showroom Price	Specification
1.5 E	Rs. 9.82 Lakh	Petrol Manual 16.9 kmpl
1.5 EX	Rs. 10.61 Lakh	Petrol Manual 16.9 kmpl
1.5 S	Rs. 11.84 Lakh	Petrol Manual 16.9 kmpl
1.5 SX	Rs. 13.58 Lakh	Petrol Manual 16.9 kmpl
1.5 SX AT	Rs. 15.06 Lakh	Petrol Automatic 16.8 kmpl
1.5 SX(O) AT	Rs. 16.27 Lakh	Petrol Automatic 16.8 kmpl
1.4 SX AT Turbo Dual Tone	Rs. 16.28 Lakh	Petrol Automatic 16.8 kmpl
1.4 SX AT Turbo	Rs. 16.28 Lakh	Petrol Automatic 16.8 kmpl
1.4 SX (O) AT Turbo	Rs. 17.32 Lakh	Petrol Automatic 16.8 kmpl
1.4 SX (O) AT Turbo Dual Tone	Rs. 17.32 Lakh	Petrol Automatic 16.8 kmpl
1.5 E	Rs. 10 Lakh	Diesel Manual 21.4kmpl
1.5 EX	Rs. 11.61 Lakh	Diesel Manual 21.4kmpl
1.5 S	Rs. 12.89 Lakh	Diesel Manual 21.4kmpl
1.5 SX	Rs. 14.63 Lakh	Diesel Manual 21.4kmpl
1.5 SX(O)	Rs. 15.91 Lakh	Diesel Manual 21.4kmpl
1.5 SX AT	Rs. 16.11Lakh	Diesel Automatic 21.4kmpl
1.5 SX (O) AT	Rs. 17.32 Lakh	Diesel Automatic 21.4kmpl

4. Renault Kiger

Renault is currently facing a slowdown in the manufacturing of cars as they are in shortage of some essential materials as well as labour thus contributing to delay in deliveries. Looking at the current situation Renault Kiger stands at an average waiting period of 5-6 months depending on the model selected by the customer.

The Review

The Renault Kiger is available with two petrol engines: 72PS/96Nm 1.0-litre naturally aspirated and 100PS/160Nm 1.0-litre turbo-petrol units. It comes with a standard 5-speed manual gearbox. Automatic options include an AMT for the naturally aspirated engine and a CVT for the turbo-petrol motor. The Renault Kiger features an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Arkamys sound system, a 7-inch digital instrument cluster, three drive modes: eco, normal, and sport, automatic climate control LED headlamps and keyless entry with push-button start. A wireless phone charger and a Philips PM 2.5 AC filter are offered as optional extras. Despite a healthy feature list, the Kiger misses out on essentials such as cruise control and a sunroof. Safety is covered by four airbags, ABS with EBD, electronic stability control, traction control, ISOFIX seat mount points, hill start assist, and a rear camera with rear parking sensors.

Pricing & Variants

Variant	Ex Showroom Price	Specification
RXE	Rs. 5.45 Lakh	Petrol Manual 20kmpl
RXE Dual Tone	Rs. 5.62 Lakh	Petrol Manual 20kmpl
RXL	Rs. 6.14Lakh	Petrol Manual 20kmpl
RXL Dual Tone	Rs.6.31 Lakh	Petrol Manual 20kmpl
RXL AMT	Rs.6.59 Lakh	Petrol Automatic 20kmpl
RXT	Rs. 6.6 Lakh	Petrol Manual 20kmpl
RXT Dual Tone AMT	Rs.6.76 Lakh	Petrol Automatic 20kmpl
RXT AMT	Rs.7.05 Lakh	Petrol Automatic 20kmpl
RXL Turbo	Rs. 7.14Lakh	Petrol Manual 20kmpl
RXT AMT Dual Tone	Rs. 7.22Lakh	Petrol Automatic 20kmpl
RXL Turbo Dual Tone	Rs. 7.31Lakh	Petrol Manual 20kmpl
RXZ	Rs. 7.55Lakh	Petrol Manual 20kmpl
RXT Turbo	Rs. 7.6 Lakh	Petrol Manual 20kmpl
RXZ Dual Tone	Rs.7.72 Lakh	Petrol Manual 20kmpl
RXT Turbo Dual Tone	Rs. 7.77 Lakh	Petrol Manual 20kmpl
RXZ AMT	Rs. 8 Lakh	Petrol Automatic 20kmpl
RXZ AMT Dual Tone	Rs. 8.17 Lakh	Petrol Automatic 20kmpl
RXZ Turbo	Rs. 8.55 Lakh	Petrol Manual 20kmpl
RXT CVT	Rs. 8.6 Lakh	Petrol Automatic 20kmpl
RXZ Turbo Dual Tone	Rs. 8.72Lakh	Petrol Manual 20kmpl
RXT CVT Dual Tone	Rs. 8.77 Lakh	Petrol Automatic 20kmpl
RXZ CVT	Rs. 9.55 Lakh	Petrol Automatic 20kmpl
RXZ CVT Dual Tone	Rs. 9.72 Lakh	Petrol Automatic 20kmpl
RXT MT Dual Tone	Rs.6.77 Lakh	Petrol Manual 20kmpl

5. Mahindra Thar

It won’t do justice to the Mahindra Thar if its name is not there on the list. Launched last year in August 2020 Thar has created a huge fanbase right from the launch. The waiting period of Mahindra Thar is rising day by day with an average waiting period of 11-14 months.

The Review

Mahindra has announced that the second-gen Thar has crossed over 55,000 bookings with 47 per cent being for the automatic variants. The off-roader is available in two powertrains: 150PS 2.0-litre turbo-petrol and 130PS 2.2-litre diesel unit. They can be specced with either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed torque converter automatic transmission. The Thar will come with two engine options: a 130PS/300Nm 2.2-litre diesel engine and a 150PS/320Nm 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine. Both engines will be offered with a choice of 6-speed manual and 6-speed automatic transmission and will be offered with a 4×4 drivetrain with a low range transfer case as standard. The off-road-oriented AX variant gets a mechanical locking differential while the LX variant also gets a brake locking differential for better off-road capability. The new Thar boasts a water wading ability of 650mm, an approach angle of 41.8degree, a departure angle of 36.8degree and a ramp over angle of 27degree. It’s underpinned by a new ladder-frame chassis and sits on independent double-wishbone suspension at the front and multi-link coil springs at the rear. Features in the Thar include 7-inch touchscreen infotainment that features off-road stats, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, cruise control, roof-mounted speakers, electronic air conditioner, steering mounted audio controls, a multi-info display, power windows and keyless entry. Safety is covered by dual airbags, ABS with EBD, rear parking sensors, electronic stability control and a roll cage.

Pricing & Variants

Variant	Ex- Showroom Price	Specification
AX OPT 4 Seater Convertible	Rs.12.79 Lakh	Petrol Manual 13 kmpl
LX Hard Top	Rs. 13.39 Lakh	Petrol Manual 13 kmpl
LX AMT Convertible	Rs.14.79 Lakh	Petrol Automatic 13 kmpl
LX AMT Hard Top	Rs.14.79 Lakh	Petrol Automatic 13 kmpl
AX OPT Convertible	Rs. 12.99 Lakh	Diesel Manual 15.02 kmpl
AX OPT Hard Top	Rs. 13.09 Lakh	Diesel Manual 15.02 kmpl
LX Convertible	Rs. 13.59 Lakh	Diesel Manual 15.02 kmpl
LX Hard Top	Rs. 13.69 Lakh	Diesel Manual 15.02 kmpl
LX AMT Convertible	Rs. 14.99 Lakh	Diesel Automatic 15.02 kmpl
LX AMT Hard Top	Rs. 15.09 Lakh	Diesel Automatic 15.02 kmpl