2013 Range Rover already on huge wait list

Had your eye on Land Rover's new all-singing, all-dancing 2013 Range Rover? You're not alone – and hopefully you were smart enough to already put down a deposit. The capability- and lux-laden sport utility vehicle began trickling into dealers in December, but is already "sold out for six months to a year," says Chris Marchand, executive vice president of operations at Jaguar Land Rover North America.

That's according to Automotive News, which notes that limited supply issues have made Land Rover shift all North American deliveries to the $88,545 HSE trim or higher instead of the $83,545 base model. The move should not only help dealer profits, it apparently better matches the buying patterns established by the outgoing model – shoppers of the L322 generation skipped out on the base spec and went right for costlier models with more luxury trappings.

It isn't immediately clear when Land Rover thinks it will be able to catch up to the Range Rover's order bank, but keeping the vehicle in high demand should assure higher transaction prices. As Land Rover is still ramping up its marketing efforts for their latest range topper, it's possible that wait lists could get even longer as more people find out about the new model.

Despite the shortage of vehicles, Automotive News says that Land Rover remains confident that its 2013 sales total will outpace last year's 43,664-unit total.