It seems to vary by dealer. On our first Motability car we were asked to pay for the cost of any optional extras when we ordered, but no deposit towards the AP. We knew no different and paid happily. The next one we weren’t asked for a penny up front. The one after we were asked for a £500 deposit, but we paid this happily as, in return, the dealer ordered the car 2 months before our 3 month order window opened so was taking some risk. The car had a 5 month wait and, as a result, we took delivery on the exact date that our previous lease expired. At the same time, many others on this forum were expressing frustration at very long lead times. All 3 of those cars were VW’s. On our current BMW we added a few grands worth of options and we weren’t asked for a deposit or up front payment for the options, so didn’t part with a penny until we picked the car up.