Will you be able to bring home your favourite car by Diwali? These models could keep you waiting

The festive season is when carmakers and dealers typically roll out their biggest offers. But for buyers who have already chosen their preferred model, another question could be more important: will the car actually be delivered by Diwali?

Current dealer-level waiting-period data shows a wide gap across models, variants and cities. While several cars can be delivered within weeks, some popular SUVs, MPVs and hybrids could leave buyers waiting until the end of the year or even into 2027.

Toyota, Mahindra grappling with long waitlists for bestsellers

The Toyota Innova Hycross is among the models with relatively long delivery timelines. September city-wise data shows a wait of 3-4 months in New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Chennai, rising to 6-8 months in Pune and Jaipur, according to dealer sources.

For buyers in the latter markets, a fresh booking now would clearly stretch well beyond Diwali. The wide city-wise variation also shows why buyers need to check availability with their local dealer rather than rely on a single nationwide estimate.

The Mahindra XUV 7XO has one of the widest variations in delivery timelines. September data shows waitlists of up to 40 weeks for the base AX petrol and diesel variants, while the AX7 L diesel AWD can take up to 34 weeks. Mid-spec variants have considerably shorter timelines, according to multiple dealer sources.

Interestingly, Mahindra's electric SUVs also have significant city-wise variations. Dealer-level waiting-period data shows the XEV 9S at 4-7 months in New Delhi, compared with 2-3 months in Bengaluru. The XEV 9E generally has shorter timelines, although delivery periods vary by city and variant.

Maruti, Hyundai, Honda and Tata

The waiting-period story is not confined to SUVs from Mahindra and Toyota. Maruti Suzuki's revamped Brezza has also seen demand build up, with speculation of waiting periods extending to around 6-8 weeks after bookings crossed 50,000 units soon after launch.

The Honda City Hybrid is another model where delivery timelines vary significantly by location. September data showed waits of up to three months in some cities, although buyers in other markets faced much shorter timelines, according to a dealer source in Delhi-NCR.

Hyundai, meanwhile, offers an interesting contrast. Dealer offer listings show benefits of up to ₹1 lakh on the Creta, but delivery timelines can still differ by variant and location. Dealer-level data for Mumbai, for instance, shows some Creta diesel variants carrying waits of 26-30 weeks, although other variants have substantially shorter timelines, according to multiple authorised dealers.

Tata Motors provides an important counterpoint. September city-wise data shows the Nexon at up to 2 months in New Delhi, while the Safari is at around 1-2 months. Despite discount offers, the Nexon EV also carries a wait of up to two months, while the Curvv is generally around a month in the cities covered, according to dealer sources.

The Diwali deadline

For buyers targeting a Diwali delivery, the numbers suggest three different scenarios. Cars with waits of a few weeks could still reach customers during the festive period. Those with two to three months of waiting are a closer call, while models carrying four, six or eight-month timelines are unlikely to arrive by November 8 if booked now.

Most of the aforementioned automakers were approached for comment on the reported waiting periods, but none responded. The waiting-period figures cited in this story are based on inputs from authorised dealers and dealer-level market sources and may vary by city, variant and availability.

Puneet Gupta, director, Mobility Global, has pointed to the divergence between healthy retail demand and rising dealer inventory as an important feature of the current market.

“While retail demand remains healthy, the fact that wholesale volumes exceeded retail sales last month points to some build-up in dealer inventory,” Gupta said. He added that if the macroeconomic environment deteriorates further and inventory continues to rise, it could eventually put pressure on dealer health and wholesale momentum.

For buyers, therefore, the festive-season question is not just how much discount can I get? It is also when can I actually get the car? And for some of India's most sought-after models, the answer could come well after Diwali.