Whether you’re buying or leasing your next car, one of the most important questions you may have is “When will I get my car?”. In this article, we’re going to break down the leasing process and timescales involved to help you understand when you’ll get your new car if you decide to lease with Xcite Car Leasing.
What does delivery lead time mean?
The delivery lead time's the expected time it'll take to deliver your vehicle from when you place your order.
If you decide to lease through Xcite Car Leasing, as part of the process you'll have access to the Wessex Fleet dashboard which will show you 2 dates: the estimated delivery date and the confirmed delivery date.
The estimated delivery date's based on the updates we get from the dealer for the lead time of your vehicle, and if there's any movement from the dealer updates this'll be reflected here for you. This is only an estimate and not a guaranteed delivery date.
The confirmed delivery date will remain blank until we have arranged the delivery with you.
If you'd like to learn more about leasing delivery lead times then we recently wrote a piece that goes into more detail.
How accurate's the lead time?
Before you even decide to commit to leasing a vehicle, our Sales Team will advise you of the lead time on any vehicle that you're interested in. Then when we place the order with the dealer we'll get a lead time on the vehicle we secure for you.
We aim to provide as honest a lead time as possible for you, but we're dependant on the dealer to provide us with accurate updates.
As the order progresses, we'll regularly get updates from the dealer on your vehicle and keep you informed of these even if there's no change to the lead time.
What does in stock really mean?
Cars are listed as in stock on our website if they're physically at the dealership, or if they're in the UK and expected to arrive at the dealership shortly.
When the vehicle's at the dealership and has been assigned a registration, the dealer will then be able to arrange delivery which is a quicker process on in stock vehicles which are at or near the dealership. So, if you’re looking to get a lease vehicle quickly then an in stock car would be the best choice for you.
It’s worth noting that the turn around time for delivery can vary between dealers but it's usually around a week from the day they offer delivery.
What's a factory order?
A factory order allows you to build a car to your exact specification, choosing the colour, engine and additional technology or trim packs.
With a factory order, your vehicle'll be assigned a build slot. This isn't always done when the order's placed but once the build slot's been assigned, we'll have a better idea of the expected lead time on your vehicle.
How long will a factory order car take to arrive?
The lead time on a factory order varies between manufacturers, and sometimes models, and can be anything from 2 weeks to 6 months.
Factory order lead times depend on several factors which include:
- Model demand: If you're interested in a particularly popular model there may be a longer waiting time, as more orders will have been placed for the vehicle and you'll be joining the back of a longer queue.
- Options chosen: Depending on what additional options or packs you add to your vehicle, production may take slightly longer.
- Time of year: The time of year can also impact your car's lead time as some manufacturers focus on particular models at different times of the year. It's important to note that some factories also have annual shutdowns, where they don't produce any vehicles for a few weeks.
- Factory location: Very few cars are produced in the UK now and depending on where the factory's located, shipping times to the UK can be several weeks.
As with all orders, we'll let you know when you're placing the order what the estimated lead time would be and provide you with updates as the order progresses.
Can I reduce the lead time?
There isn’t really any way for you to be able to reduce the lead time on your order.
If you’re looking to get a car quickly then it would be best to look at an in stock lease cars and complete your finance documents as quickly as possible.
Can I change spec on a factory order?
You may be able to change the spec if your lease vehicle's a factory order, however this'll need to be done as quickly as possible after the order's placed. The further along the order is, the less likely it'll be that you can make any amendments.
It’s important to know that if you do make changes to the spec of your vehicle then this may mean that the manufacturer could move the build slot.
We can always look at alternative vehicles for you, however this'll also impact the lead time on the order.
What impact do my finance documents have on delivery?
Whether you decide to lease a vehicle that's in stock or a factory order you'll need to have the finance documents completed and approved by the funder before we can arrange delivery.
For a personal lease there's a 14 day cooling off period from when the finance documents are approved. During this period, we're unable to deliver the vehicle but can arrange delivery for when it's over.
Businesses don't usually have a cooling off period so as soon as the finance documents are completed we'll be able to arrange delivery, provided the vehicle's in stock. If you're self-employed then a cooling off period may be applied depending on the size of your business.
If you're in the process of leasing a vehicle with us we'll keep you updated on any changes to your vehicle lead time as soon as we're aware of them. And if you're looking to place an order we'll provide you with up to date lead times on any vehicle you're interested in.
If you have any further questions about the lead time on a particular vehicle please don’t hesitate to get in touch either by dropping us an email or calling us on 0330 221 0000.