May 2022 New Car Wait Times: Part 2

In the first part of our monthly analysis of new car wait times, we detailed the makes and models with the longest wait times, as well as the state of play across the broader market, with the average wait time rising by six days to 146 days last month.

We will now shift our attention to wait times across the different states and territories around the country, as well as the makes and models with the shortest wait times right now. Without further ado, here are the rest of May’s observations.

Wait times across the country

A big spike in wait times for Western Australian based new car buyers last month means that it is now the market with the biggest delays. With the average wait time increasing almost three months, the total wait time for a new car in WA is now close to eight months. 

Northern Territory buyers are still looking at a six month wait, albeit that is a slight improvement on the result from April, when wait times were above 190 days.

After a period of relatively steady, albeit prolonged wait times, the east coast is seeing a setback. The nation’s most-populous states in New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland all recorded a modest uptick in wait times last month, which follows ongoing supply issues across a wide list of brands. Were it not for the fact that some stock has likely been pulled away from other markets already, these wait times could have been even worse.

Wait times also increased in South Australia, up by 25 days to an average of 136 days, although there were improvements across Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory, where new car buyers face the shortest delays in 136 days, and 81 days respectively.

Makes and models with the shortest wait times

Following a revision to recent data, and the latest numbers from May, Renault is sitting at the top of the list in terms of the brand with the shortest average wait time across Australia. 

Renault is one of the few brands where the average wait time is below that of a year ago. Renault buyers can expect a 20 day wait, on average, to receive delivery of a new car. One of the contributing factors behind this is the fact the brand does not necessarily sell a large volume of vehicles each month, so the company has been able to stretch stock further, and it also received a large shipment earlier this year.

There are also relatively short wait times for the likes of Skoda, Suzuki, and Honda. Again, none of these brands are particularly large volume names, which does make it somewhat easier to manage supply and stock numbers. In the case of Honda, its central agency model may also be helping it keep supply in good stead.

M.G. was previously the brand with the shortest wait time across the market, but it has encountered some production delays over recent weeks. The manufacturer is still feeling some of the effects tied to the lockdowns in China, with its logistics network impacted as popularity for the brand soars. Nonetheless, the brand is looking to ramp up production levels to try reverse course.

It’s no surprise Renault is in front of all other brands given two of their models have the shortest wait times at the moment. This includes the Renault Captur and the Renault Koleos, with average wait times of 10 days and 27 days respectively. 

The Suzuki Vitara is in third place with an average delivery delay of 29 days, which is well down on the wait time from a year ago, when new car buyers were staring at a four month wait. 

M.G’s supply chain hiccup hasn’t affected the M.G. 3 hatchback, which actually recorded a solid improvement in wait times throughout May. It is the brand’s SUV line-up where stock has been a little harder to source.

And lastly, the relatively new Hyundai Staria rounds out the car models with the shortest average wait times right now. Up slightly on the result from April, new car buyers can now expect an average wait time of approximately 41 days for this stylish, practical and versatile people-mover.

Only a small number of car manufacturers saw improvements across their local supply chain last month, and in the case of some of these names, the gains were practically negligible. Nonetheless, Suzuki, Volvo, and BMW bucked the trend, with supplies improving 20%, 17%, and 15% versus the month prior.

To get FREE access to instant pricing on just about every new car make and model, plus guaranteed discounts, sign up today