Why new cars have waiting periods in India, and how to shorten yours
By Arjun Ramanarayanan, IndiCar · Published 4 November 2026 · Tips
Maruti Suzuki reported 1.80 lakh pending bookings in August 2026. This explainer covers why new car waits happen, why they differ by variant, colour and region, and how to shorten yours.
A new car has a waiting period when orders for a specific variant, colour and region outrun what the carmaker can build and send there. Maruti Suzuki reported 1.80 lakh pending bookings as of August 2026, and semiconductor and rare earth supply still limit how many cars get built. You shorten the wait mainly by being flexible on variant, colour and transmission, and by getting the delivery month in writing.
Orders are running ahead of production
The Brezza facelift shows the scale. Maruti Suzuki says it took over 50,000 bookings in 35 days. A Maruti executive put the Brezza's pending bookings at close to 35,000, with a two-month wait.
Other reports put Brezza waits at about 4 to 6 weeks, depending on location and variant. Festive demand adds to the queue: one carmaker's pending bookings were reported to have risen from about 2 lakh units at the start of October to 2.7 lakh after Dussehra.
Chips and rare earths still limit supply
The Director General of SIAM, the carmakers' industry body, said semiconductor supply has improved but still does not meet manufacturers' full needs. Carmakers are therefore planning their model mix around the chips they can get. Maruti's marketing head attributed longer waits on certain models mainly to the chip shortage.
Rare earths are the newer constraint. Maruti was reported to have cut its April to September 2025 production plan for the e-Vitara from 26,500 to about 8,200 units because of rare earth shortages. Maruti said e-Vitara deliveries would be constrained until July 2026. Dealers have also said that the more sophisticated the model, the longer the wait.
Why the same car has different waits
The wait is set per configuration, not per model. Hyundai's chief operating officer said waiting periods differ across variants. One weekly waiting-period tracker names three drivers:
- Variant mix: the maker builds more of some variants than others, so each variant carries its own queue.
- Colour: popular colours ship first, and rare ones wait for a production slot.
- Regional allocation: the same variant can take 2 weeks in one state and 4 months in another.
Reported waits for selected models
| Model | Variant | Reported wait |
|---|---|---|
| Mahindra XUV700 (older listing) | MX, AX3 | 4 weeks |
| Mahindra XUV700 (older listing) | AX5, AX7 | 6 weeks |
| Mahindra XUV700 (older listing) | AX7 L | About 8 weeks |
| Mahindra XUV 7XO (Pune, 2026) | 2.0 AX | 365 days |
| Mahindra XUV 7XO (Pune, 2026) | AX3 | 150 days |
| Mahindra XUV 7XO (Pune, 2026) | 2.0 AX7 AT | 60 days |
| Maruti Suzuki Brezza facelift | Range | Two months (Maruti executive); 4 to 6 weeks (reported) |
| Maruti Suzuki e-Vitara | Delta, Zeta, Alpha | 6 to 8 weeks |
The two Mahindra lists point in opposite directions. In the older XUV700 listing, the wait grew as you moved up the range. In the 2026 XUV 7XO figures for Pune, the 2.0 AX had the longest wait of the three listed and the 2.0 AX7 AT the shortest.
The cheapest variant is therefore not automatically the quickest to arrive. Check the wait on every variant you would accept, not just the one below your first choice.
The e-Vitara shows where this stops working. Its reported 6 to 8 weeks applied across all three variants, and buyers were reported to favour the entry-level Delta over the Zeta or Alpha. When every trim carries the same wait, changing trim does not move your car up the queue.
How to shorten your wait
- Widen the variants you would accept. Waits differ by variant, so get the wait for each one you would take.
- Be open on colour. Popular colours ship first, so a rare shade can add time for a production slot.
- Get the promise in writing. The agreed delivery period should name the variant, colour, transmission and estimated delivery month.
Changing variant changes the price
Before you switch variant to get an earlier car, check what the switch does to the on-road price. IndiCar's price list dated 12 October 2026 prices 27 variant and powertrain combinations of the Mahindra Scorpio N for Mumbai, individual registration, in petrol and diesel with manual and automatic gearboxes.
| Scorpio N variant | Ex-showroom | On-road |
|---|---|---|
| Z2 Petrol Manual 7-seater (cheapest) | Rs 13,69,001 | Rs 16,54,792 |
| Z8 L 4WD Diesel Automatic 7-seater (most expensive) | Rs 25,49,001 | Rs 31,30,136 |
The spread from cheapest to most expensive on-road is Rs 14,75,344. On the Z2, the on-road price is Rs 2,85,791 above ex-showroom.
That gap is made up of Rs 1,68,436 for RTO registration and road tax, Rs 1,02,815 for first-year comprehensive insurance, Rs 13,690 TCS and Rs 850 for FASTag. You can see every combination on the Scorpio N prices and configurator page, or price another model with the on-road price calculator.
In Maharashtra, switching fuel changes road tax
If you change fuel type to get a car sooner, your road tax rate changes too. The Maharashtra Motor Vehicle Tax (Amendment) Act, 2025 took effect on July 1 and sets the petrol rates below. The diesel and CNG/LPG rates come from a separate source and use the same price slabs.
| Price slab | Petrol (the Act) | Diesel (separate source) | CNG/LPG (separate source) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under Rs 10 lakh | 11% | 13% | 8% |
| Rs 10 lakh to Rs 20 lakh | 12% | 14% | 9% |
| Above Rs 20 lakh | 13% | 15% | 10% |
Imported cars and cars registered in a company's name pay a flat 20%. These rates cover tax at purchase only. Fuel and running costs are not covered here, so a lower road tax rate does not by itself make one fuel the cheaper car to own.
Sources: Maruti Suzuki Brezza Facelift Bookings Cross 50,000 Units Since Launch, Waiting , Waiting period for Maruti e Vitara revealed - Introduction, October 2026 Auto Sales LIVE Updates: Maruti, Tata, Mahindra, Hyundai, Bajaj & M
Buying a new car through IndiCar
IndiCar arranges new-car purchases in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Thane. You book a new car on IndiCar at the on-road price shown on its car page, with the full price breakup: ex-showroom, RTO registration, insurance, TCS and FASTag. You book online with a refundable reservation, and IndiCar sources the car from partner dealer stock and handles the registration, insurance, paperwork and delivery.
You deal only with IndiCar from quote to delivery. Your phone number is never passed to a dealer, and you do not need to take the quote to a showroom to negotiate. See on-road prices and book or get a WhatsApp quote on +91 85916 41004.
Frequently asked questions
Why do new cars have waiting periods in India?
Orders for specific variants run ahead of production. SIAM's Director General said semiconductor supply has improved but still does not meet manufacturers' full needs, and Maruti's e-Vitara production was reported to have been cut because of rare earth shortages.
Does the cheapest variant always arrive first?
No. In 2026 figures for the Mahindra XUV 7XO in Pune, the 2.0 AX had a 365-day wait, while the 2.0 AX7 AT had 60 days.
Does the colour I choose affect the wait?
Yes. Popular colours ship first, and rare colours wait for a production slot.
Can the same variant have different waits in different states?
Yes. Because of regional stock allocation, the same variant can take 2 weeks in one state and 4 months in another.
What should the delivery promise include?
Get it in writing with the variant, colour, transmission and estimated delivery month.
How long is the wait on the Maruti Brezza facelift?
A Maruti executive put it at two months, with close to 35,000 pending bookings. Other reports put it at about 4 to 6 weeks, depending on location and variant.
Tags: waiting period, new car buying, semiconductor shortage, road tax, car delivery