One of the most important questions we all have when looking for a new car is “When will I get it?” This is true whether you are leasing or buying but we know that sometimes the leasing process and the impact this has on delivery of your new car can be a little confusing which is why we’ve put together this helpful guide on delivery lead time for you.
Delivery lead time is a phrase commonly used when ordering anything online or that needs to be shipped to you and it is used to describe the expected time it will take to deliver the item from when you place the order.
If you decide to lease through Xcite Car Leasing then we will 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.
Before you agree to a lease vehicle with Xcite Car Leasing your Leasing Consultant will advise you of the lead time on any vehicle you are interested in. When we confirm the order we will also advise you of the lead time on the vehicle we secure for you.
Please note that although we aim to provide you with as honest a lead time as possible and with regular updates on this we are dependent on the dealer to provide us with accurate updates.
As the order progresses we will request updates from the dealer for you and when we receive these will send these onto you even if there is no change to the expected arrival of your vehicle.
Cars are listed as in stock on our website if they are physically at the dealership or if they are in the UK and expected to arrive at the dealership shortly.
When we list a vehicle as in stock then it will have a relatively quick turnaround, especially when compared with factory orders, and we can usually get this 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.
A factory order is pretty self-explanatory in that it is a vehicle you order from the factory rather than a vehicle that has 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 to it.
When you order a factory order the vehicle will be assigned a build slot which is when it is scheduled to go into production. This is not always done at the point of order as some manufacturers wait until they are closer to the expected build slot to confirm this.
With the build slot comes a better estimate of the lead time for your vehicle, though this is still subject to change.
The lead time on a factory order can vary between manufacturers and sometimes even models, from anywhere between two weeks and six months.
There are a number of different things that can influence the lead time of a factory order vehicle and these include:
The model that you order can have an impact on how long delivery will take for it. If you are after a particularly popular vehicle then there will likely be a longer waiting queue for the model and so the lead time will be longer.
On the flipside if you are after a less popular model then this might not be in production as often or for as long as other vehicles and so you might have to wait for this to come into production again.
If you choose to add options to your vehicle then this might also impact the lead time on the vehicle depending on whether they are available and how long they take to fit.
Some manufacturers also produce vehicles with specific packs or options added together at a specific point in that model's production cycle as this is more convenient for them.
It might surprise you to learn that the time of the year you order your vehicle can also 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 the particular model you are after to go into production again.
Some factories also have annual shutdowns where they do not produce any vehicles for a few weeks.
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.
If you have a factory order then you will be able to add packs or amend the base spec of the vehicle in order to choose the right options for you.
With a factory order, you may be able to amend the spec after the order is placed, however you will need to do this as quickly as possible as the further along in the process the order is then the less likely it will be that you can make any amendments.
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 are 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.
Whether you decide on a vehicle that is in stock or a factory order, you will need to complete finance documents for the lease agreement. Before we can arrange delivery you will need to have completed these and have them approved by the funder.
For a personal lease, there is a 14-day cooling-off period from when the finance documents are approved by the funder. During this time, we are unable to deliver the vehicle but can arrange delivery for once the cooling-off period expires.
Business customers do not usually have a cooling-off period so as soon as the finance documents are completed and approved we will be able to arrange delivery, provided the vehicle is in stock. If you are self-employed or a sole-trader then a cooling-off period may be applied depending on the size of your business.
Once your vehicle is in stock at the dealership and your finance documents are in place we will then 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 will 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 will work with the dealer to get your vehicle to you as quickly as possible, based on their driver availability. We will of course check the delivery date with you as well as requesting the below details:
If you do have a current lease vehicle then we will work to arrange collection on the same day as delivery for you if it is leased through Xcite Car Leasing, however this will be collected by your funder’s agents and not the same person as who is delivering your new vehicle.
Please note that we can normally only offer delivery Monday to Friday and delivery will usually be an all-day slot. Some dealers may offer an am or pm slot, but this is not 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.
We will work with you to arrange delivery on a convenient date and our Customer Service Advisors will be there to answer any questions you have during this journey.
If you are currently in a vehicle you own and are moving into a lease car then you might be looking to sell this to avoid having a depreciating asset, that you are still paying the associated costs for, which is not used regularly. We have teamed up with Carwow in order to provide you with a quick and easy way of selling your vehicle - just search your registration in the box below to get started.
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.
Check out one of our helpful guides or our explaination of leasing to get all your questions answered.
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