Should You Wait For A New Car Due To Chip Shortage Or Cancel Booking?

The crisis has pushed back production and hampered new car deliveries along with timelines of customers expecting their new car.

Mahindra.

New Delhi: You dream about getting that shiny new car on an auspicious occasion but on booking, you have been quoted a long waiting period. So, the question is, should you cancel the booking or wait? That is an important decision but also very much an issue currently with various factors. 

Car deliveries have been slow and not due to lack of demand as such but due to the ongoing chip shortage. The crisis has pushed back production and hampered new car deliveries along with timelines of customers expecting their new car. Currently, the longest waiting period is for new and popular cars hence customers who typically want the newest will have to wait a lot if you haven't acted fast. 

If you are thinking of buying a new car now or booking, most of the newer launches are sold out for this year like the MG Astor for having a really long waiting list like the Mahindra XUV700. 

All new launches are having a long waiting list but alongside newer cars, 1-year-old cars like the new Creta have a massive waiting period due to their sheer popularity as is the Maruti Ertiga amongst others.

The first option could be to modify your requirements. If you wanted a particular variant or the top-end, modifying and going for a mid-spec with a different colour might reduce your waiting period. 

The XUV700 for example has amongst the highest waiting for its diesel auto with the midnight black shade. Hence changing it to a diesel manual with a lower-spec trim plus different colour might reduce based on allocation/demand. 

Typically all top-end variants have the highest waiting period, hence going for a lower variant might reduce your waiting time. If you want a new car but do not want to wait a long time, then the best option is to buy a car that is a bit older and relatively easier to get. Changing your preference for your new car might drastically reduce your waiting time, especially if the said car has been in the market for a while with has low waiting periods. 

Some cars are readily available or have smaller waiting periods, hence might make sense for those who do not want to wait.