Customer satisfaction with new car design and performance increases for a sixth consecutive year: JD Power

  • Dec 16, 2013
  • Views : 2257
  • 2 min read

  • bookmark

JD Power Asia Pacific's Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) study reveals that exterior design is the driving force to increase customer satisfaction

Honda Amaze tops APEAL study in the car segment

Car design is believed to be the first impression a manufacturer makes on the customer. And now there are reports to prove just that. JD Power Asia Pacific has been conducting the APEAL study for 15 years, and in its latest study, the findings reveal that during the past five years, the impact of vehicle exterior on overall satisfaction has increased, particularly in the midsize segment. Exterior styling importance has gone up to 13 percent from 8 percent in 2012.

Shantanu Majumdar, senior manager, JD Power and Associates said, “The exterior draws the first aspiration to buy a car and that’s why we see in the small and midsize car segment, and to some extent in the utility vehicle segment has been strongly growing over the years. Vehicle styling is emerging as one of the most important reasons for purchase in India.” 

The study is based on owner evaluations during the first two to six months of ownership across 10 categories: vehicle exterior; vehicle interior; storage and space; audio/ entertainment/ navigation; seats; heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC); driving dynamics; engine/ transmission; visibility and driving safety; and fuel economy. The ratings are reported as an index score on a 1,000-point scale, with an average rating of 845 for 2013.

Toyota Innova tops APEAL study in the MPV segment

The study has shown improvements across all categories with the largest increase in the audio/ entertainment/ navigation category. "Increasingly, vehicle owners want to improve the value of the time spent in their cars, and audio/ entertainment/ navigation features help them stay connected and entertained," said Mohit Arora, executive director at JD Power Asia Pacific, Singapore. 

While styling importance has gone up, ease of maintenance and cost of ownership are still paramount. Maruti models like the Alto, Estilo, Ritz and Swift have aced their respective segments scoring 856, 857, 858 and 860 respectively. The Amaze outscored the Dzire in the entry-midsize segment scoring 876 to the Dzire’s 857. Among premium midsizers, the Cruze comes up on top while the Toyota Innova and Fortuner are the highest scoring MPV and SUV in the APEAL study.

The 2013 India APEAL Study is based on responses from 9,069 owners who purchased a new vehicle between November 2012 and July 2013. The study was fielded between May and September 2013 in 25 cities across India.

See what our community has to say! NEW

India's largest automotive community

Explore Now
comminity image
×
Recently Visited
Select Category