Lease Vehicle Lead Times
A guide detailing when to expect your new car
Lease vehicle lead times
One of the most important questions when buying or leasing a new car is “When will I get it?” Leasing delivery lead times can seem a tad confusing to drivers which is why we’ve put together this helpful guide on delivery lead times for you.
What does delivery lead time mean?
Delivery lead time is a phrase commonly used when ordering anything online or that needs to be shipped to you. It describes the expected time it will take to deliver the item from the point you place the order.
If you decide to lease through Xcite Car Leasing then we'll regularly update you on the expected delivery lead time. This is an estimate based on the expected building and shipping time frames as well as the turnaround time at the dealership. We won't give you a confirmed date until the vehicle is in stock in the UK and we have arranged delivery with you.
How accurate is the delivery lead time?
Before you agree to lease a vehicle with Xcite Car Leasing, your Leasing Consultant will advise you of the lead time on any vehicle you're interested in. When we confirm the order we'll also advise you of the lead time on the vehicle we secure.
Please note that although we aim to provide you with as honest a lead time as possible, with regular updates, we're dependent on the dealer to provide us with accurate updates to base this on. As the order progresses we'll request these and pass them onto you, even if there's no change to the expected arrival of your vehicle.
What does 'in stock' really mean?
Cars are listed as 'in stock' on our website if they're physically at the dealership or in the UK and expected to arrive at the dealership shortly. When we list a vehicle as 'in stock', it will have a relatively quick turnaround, especially when compared with factory orders, and we can usually get it delivered to you within a few weeks, dependent on finance documents.
You can take at our top in stock offers here.
It’s worth noting that the notice needed to arrange delivery can vary between dealers although on average it’s usually around a week from the date they are making the offer to when they can deliver.
What does 'factory order' mean for my lease?
A 'factory order' is pretty self-explanatory, since it's a vehicle you order from the factory rather than a vehicle that's already been made or is in the production process. The benefit of a factory order is that it allows you to build a car to your exact specification; choosing the colour, engine and any additional technology or trim packs.
A factory order vehicle will be assigned a build slot for when it's scheduled to go into production. This isn't always done at the point of order as some manufacturers wait until they are closer to the expected build slot to confirm this. Once the build slot is confirmed, a better estimate of the lead time for your vehicle can be given, though this is still subject to change.
How long will a factory order car take to arrive?
The lead time on a factory order can vary between manufacturers and sometimes even models, from anywhere between 4 weeks and 6 months.
There are a number of different factors that can influence the lead time of a factory order vehicle, including:
- Model demand
- Additional options
- Time of the year
- Factory location
Model demand
The model that you order can have an impact on how long delivery will take, with a particularly popular vehicle likely to have a longer queue and lead time. On the flipside, a less popular model might not be in production as often or for as long as other vehicles and you might have to wait for this to come back into production.
Additional options
If you choose to add options to your vehicle then this might also impact the lead time on the vehicle depending on whether they're available and how long they take to fit. Some manufacturers also produce vehicles with specific packs or options added at a specific point in that model's production cycle to streamline their processes.
Time of the year
It might surprise you to learn that the time of the year you order your vehicle can affect the time it takes for delivery. Some manufacturers have production cycles where particular models are produced during certain times of the year and so depending on when you place your order you might have to wait for that model to go back into production again. Some factories also have annual shutdowns where no vehicles are produced for a few weeks.
Factory location
Though the UK has a rich automotive history, there are very few manufacturers who still have plants producing new vehicles. And so, where the factory is located determines how long it will take to reach the UK as some shipping time frames can be several weeks.
Can I change the lead time of a vehicle?
There isn’t really a way for you to amend the lead time of your vehicle in order to get it quicker. If you need a vehicle quickly then we advise looking at an in stock vehicle and making sure you complete your finance documents as quickly as possible to prevent them from holding up the process.
Can I change the spec on a lease car?
If you have a factory order then you'll be able to add packs or amend the base spec of the vehicle in order to include your chosen options. With a factory order, you may be able to amend the spec after the order is placed, however you'll need to do this as quickly as possible. The further along the process the order is, the less likely it is that amendments can be made.
If you do amend a factory order then you should be aware that this may impact the build slot and so the lead time of the vehicle to you. If you're unable to amend the vehicle and you really wanted a particular feature or additional pack then we can look at sourcing a different vehicle for you, however this may again impact the lead time and there could be financial implications.
Will my documents affect the car’s lead time?
Whether you decide on a vehicle that's in stock or a factory order, you'll need to complete finance documents for the lease agreement. Before we can arrange delivery you'll need to have completed these and have them approved by the funder.
For a personal lease, there's a 14-day cooling-off period from when the finance documents are approved by the funder. During this time, we're unable to deliver the vehicle but can arrange delivery for once the cooling-off period expires.
Business customers don't usually have a cooling-off period so as soon as the finance documents are completed and approved we'll be able to arrange delivery, provided the vehicle is in stock. If you're self-employed or a sole-trader then a cooling-off period may be applied depending on the size of your business.
Delivery of your lease vehicle
Once your vehicle is in stock at the dealership and your finance documents are in place we'll be able to arrange delivery for you.
Some funders are only able to authorise delivery to your home address or, if the lease is in a business name, to the business address. We'll let you know during the order process whether your funder is one of these and arrange delivery at a convenient date.
When arranging delivery, we'll work with the dealer to get your vehicle to you as quickly as possible, based on their driver availability, checking the delivery date with you as well as requesting the below details:
- Delivery contact name
- Delivery contact number
- Delivery address
- Any current lease vehicle that needs collecting
If you have a current lease vehicle through us, we'll work to arrange collection on the same day as delivery for you, however this will be collected by your funder’s agents and not the person delivering your new vehicle.
Please note that we can normally only offer delivery Monday to Friday and as an all-day slot. Some dealers may offer an am or pm slot, but this isn't guaranteed as there may be traffic delays. The delivery driver should call you when they are around an hour away to let you know a more accurate ETA.
For more information on leasing just head back to our guides homepage or to see what great deals we can currently offer you click here.