Persistent chip, logistics woes frustrate car delivery timelines

Open order books in Feb breach 700K; wait period for some models exceed a year

Automotive (auto) companies are staring at a long road to delivery as open order books (as of February) range between 700,000 and 720,000 units, with waiting periods for some models stretching into more than a year.

Maruti Suzuki India (MSIL) could only produce 700 units of the Ciaz, its midsize sedan, in February, leading to sales of 792 units — a 58.5 per cent drop year-on-year.

“We have production issues for the Ciaz. We could produce only 700 units. Retail sales of the model were much better,” says Shashank Srivastava, senior executive officer, marketing and sales, MSIL.

He says the