The festive season is here and several car manufacturers and dealerships have started offering lucrative discounts and schemes on vehicles. While most of the car or motorcycle buyers will have their eye on the top-sellers in the market, waiting periods are a major concern for them considering such popular vehicles will take months to get delivered. For instance, Maruti Suzuki's Vitara Brezza or Royal Enfield's Classic range commands a waiting period that goes up to 10 months and 3 months respectively. While there are some who will wait out such long waiting period to get their hands on their desired vehicle, there are many who look for smart options that not only come with lesser waiting period but also make a much better package. What we have put together here is a list of popular cars and bikes with obnoxiously long waiting period and similar options that are both easily available and attractively priced.
Cars:
1) Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza
Options: Ford EcoSport or Mahindra TUV300
Maruti Suzuki's Vitara Brezza currently commands a waiting period of 5 to 8 months for the single colour option and 10 to 12 months for dual tone trim depending on the colour. So, if you are among those who don't want to wait almost a year for the Vitara Brezza than you should probably look into the Ford EcoSport or Mahindra TUV300.
Both the models are sub-compact SUVs like the Vitara Brezza and waiting period for these cars are way less. The EcoSport comes with a waiting period 15 days to 1 month and if the desired model is in stock then it will take 5-7 days. It also comes in a special edition model which, if opted for, could take a week or so more. Similarly, the TUV300 takes right about three to five weeks to get delivered and just a week if the desired model is in stock. If it's a made-to-order colour with additional accessories than it might increase the waiting period by a couple of weeks.
The Mahindra TUV300 comes with offers like - 5 Year Warranty + Rs. 10,000 worth accessories + an exchange bonus of Rs. 25,000 + loyalty bonus of Rs. 10,000, making it the most practical choice among all three. The Ecosport also gets an acessory package worth Rs 15,000.
Price (ex-showroom, Delhi)
Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza: Rs. 7.19 lakh to Rs. 9.88 lakh
Mahindra TUV300: Rs. 7.38 lakh to Rs. 9.73 lakh
Ford EcoSport: Rs. 6.93 lakh to Rs. 9.82 lakh
2) Maruti Suzuki Baleno
Option: Honda Jazz
The Baleno is currently the most popular hatchback in Maruti Suzuki's line up and commands a waiting period of up to over 6 months. In retrospect, rival Honda Jazz comes with a waiting period of 1 to 2 weeks depending on the variant and trim availability. While like the Vitara Brezza the Baleno also doesn't come with any specific festive discount or offers, Honda dealerships are offering cash discounts from Rs. 10,000 to Rs, 25,000 depending on the variant.
Price (ex-showroom, Delhi)
Maruti Suzuki Baleno: Rs. 5.25 lakh to Rs. 8.35 lakh
Honda Jazz: Rs. 5.69 lakh to Rs. 9.09 lakh
3) Hyundai Creta
Option: Renault Duster
The Creta has proved to be a major game changer for Hyundai India in the SUV space. Currently, the waiting period for the Creta is between 1-3 months depending on the variants. So, if you are looking for a more easily available option than we would suggest you go for the Renault Duster. The compact SUV from the French carmaker recently went through a facelift and in comparison to the Creta, it comes with a waiting period of just 1 week to less than a month. Renault is offering the Duster with a Gift Cheque of Rs. 40,000 along with 2-gram gold coin and other benefits up to Rs. 80,000.
Price (ex-showroom, Delhi)
Hyundai Creta: Rs. 9.22 lakh to Rs. 14.57 lakh
Renault Duster: Rs. 8.53 lakh to Rs. 13.77 lakh
4) Renault Kwid
Option: Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 and K10
Since its launch in India last year, the Renault Kwid has become one of the top-selling small hatchbacks in the country. While the monthly numbers are nowhere near rival Maruti Suzuki Alto800, the Renault Kwid still commands more waiting period than former and now it also comes with a new 1.0-litre petrol engine to compete with Alto K10. The car has been seeing a waiting period of up to 3 months depending on variants and engine trim. In comparison, the Maruti Suzuki Alto800 comes with a waiting period of around 1 month and if the colour and variant are in stock then it will come down to 2 weeks.
Both the cars come with festive schemes and offers, the one on the Alto 800 are a bit better is a lot of ways. The Renault Kwid comes with a Gift Cheque of Rs. 40,000 along with 2-gram gold coin and other benefits up to Rs. 80,000 as part of the company's 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil' offer. Whereas, the Alto 800 and the K10 comes with cash discounts up to Rs. 35,000 and exchange bonus of Rs. 22,000 each. Apart from that, there is also an additional Rs.3000 discount for government employees and teachers.
Price (ex-showroom, Delhi)
Renault Kwid: Rs. 2.64 lakh to Rs. 3.95 lakh
Maruti Suzuki Alto (800 and K10): Rs. 2.45 lakh to Rs. 4.15 lakh
5) Tata Tiago
Option: Maruti Suzuki Celerio
The Tata Tiago has recently registered over 50,000 booking in India and is seeing a waiting period of up to 4 months. This is way more than the waiting period of its rival Maruti Suzuki Celerio which is just about 1 month and if your choice of the variant is in stock with the dealer then it will come down to 2 weeks. The Celerio is also available with an AMT gearbox. Maruti is offering an exchange bonus of Rs. 22,000 along with discounts benefits up to Rs. 45,000 on the Celerio making it an interesing option.
Maruti Suzuki Celerio
Price (ex-showroom, Delhi)
Tata Tiago: Rs. 5.25 lakh to Rs. 8.35 lakh
Maruti Suzuki Celerio: Rs. 4.03 lakh to Rs. 5.90 lakh
6) Maruti Suzuki Ciaz
Option: Honda City
The Maruti Suzuki Ciaz is currently seeing a waiting period of up to over 2 months depending on variants and colour options. The car has been on the market for nearly 2 years now and has been one of the top sellers among C-segment sedans. In comparison rival, Honda City is more expensive but it comes with a waiting period of just 2 to 3 weeks and the car is a bit better in terms of quality and cabin space.
As festive discounts and scheme, both the cars are almost at par. Maruti is currently offering Rs 15,000 cash discount plus exchange bonus of up to Rs 50,000 with the petrol trim and exchange bonus of up to Rs 30,000 for the diesel models. On the other hand, the Honda city comes with a cash discount of Rs. 15,000 along with exchange bonus of Rs. 10,000 and in addition to that free insurance on the SV variant worth Rs. 29,000.
Hyundai Verna
Price (ex-showroom, Delhi)
Maruti Suzuki Ciaz: Rs. 7.53 lakh to Rs. 9.54 lakh
Honda City: Rs. 8.21 lakh to Rs. 12.54 lakh
Bikes:
1) Royal Enfield Classic 350
Option: Bajaj Avenger Street 220
While opting for a Bajaj Avenger might be a little hard to digest for Royal Enfield enthusiasts, for those who do not mind looking at the former as an option the Avenger 220 Street and Cruise come with a waiting period of a maximum of 2 weeks or less. In comparison, Royal Enfield's Classic 350 comes with a waiting period of up to 3 months depending on availability and colour option.
Bajaj Avenger 220
As for festive discounts, none of these manufacturers has come out with any festive offers or schemes this Diwali. That said, Royal Enfield is offering customers the choice to avail a three-year insurance scheme at the dealership level. In addition to that, the Avenger is almost half the price of the Classic 350
Price (ex-showroom, Delhi)
Royal Enfield Classic 350: Rs. 1.31 lakh
Bajaj Avenger 220 Street/Cruise: Rs. 87,331
2) Honda Activa 3G
Option: TVS Jupiter
The Honda Activa 3G is currently the country's largest selling two-wheeler and is highly in demand, especially, during the festive season. As of now, the Activa range commands a waiting period of 1 week to a month depending on colour availability and trim options. In comparison, rival TVS Jupiter comes with a maximum waiting period of 12 days and if your choice of colour and variant is available then these numbers come down to 4-5 days after full payment.
As for festive schemes and offers, there are no ongoing discounts on the Honda Activa range apart from a free insurance scheme in Delhi-NCR dealerships for up to 125cc scooter. TVS, on the other hand, is currently running a low-interest finance scheme at a special interest rate of 3.99 per cent for the Jupiter and other two-wheelers in the line-up.
Price (ex-showroom, Delhi)
Honda Activa 3G: Rs. 50,219
TVS Jupiter: Rs. 49,034 to Rs. 53,034
3) Royal Enfield Himalayan
Option: Mahindra Mojo
An all-new product in Royal Enfield's tight-knitted line-up, the Himalayan is already seeing a waiting period of up to 2 months. The motorcycle is purpose built for touring and adventure riding and the bike that comes closest in comparison is the Mahindra Mojo. While the bike is not built for adventure riding and is nearly Rs. 10,000 more expensive than the Himalayan, it is a capable highway tourer, barely has any waiting period, which maximum goes up to 7- 10 days.
Price (ex-showroom, Delhi)
Royal Enfield Himalayan: Rs. 1.56 lakh
Mahindra Mojo: Rs. 1.63 lakh
4) Yamaha R3
Option: Kawasaki Ninja 300 or KTM 390 RC
If you are planning something a bit premium and powerful under Rs. 4.5 lakh then the best option right now is the Yamaha R3. The bike has a waiting period of 20 to 30 days depending on availability, considering the bike comes via the CBU route.
But if you want something equally powerful and stylish than you could go for the Kawasaki Ninja 300. Like the Yamaha R3, it is also a twin-cylinder but the bike is a bit more popular and sees a waiting period of 10 - 12 days. The Ninja is a bit pricier as well.
In case you still want the aggressive styling but don't mind losing a cylinder, the KTM RC390 is a very good option. The bike is easily available in top KTM showrooms and it takes just about 4 days to a week for the bike to be delivered.
Price (ex-showroom, Delhi)
Yamaha R3: Rs. 3.26 lakh
Kawasaki Ninja 300: Rs. 3.64 lakh
KTM 390 RC: Rs. 2.13 lakh
