Customer satisfaction with new vehicle design and performance increases for a sixth consecutive year

Customer satisfaction with new vehicle design and performance in India has increased for a sixth consecutive year, according to the J.D. Power Asia Pacific 2013 India Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study.

Now in its 15th year, the study examines how a new vehicle is to own and drive, based on owner evaluations during the first two to six months of ownership. The study measures satisfaction across many performance categories: exteriors; interiors; storage and space; audio/ entertainment/ navigation; seats; heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC); driving dynamics; engine/ transmission; visibility and driving safety; and fuel economy. Overall APEAL performance is reported as an index score based on a 1,000-point scale, with a higher score indicating higher satisfaction.

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.

The overall APEAL score averages 845 in 2013, which is a nine-point increase from 2012. The industry improves across all 10 categories, with the largest improvement posted in the audio/ entertainment/ navigation category, due to a higher percentage of vehicles being delivered with factory- or dealer-installed features such as USB connectivity for iPod/MP3 players, hands-free communication and steering wheel-mounted audio controls

The study has found that during the past five years, the impact of the vehicle exterior on overall satisfaction has increased, particularly in the mid-size segment. Additionally, 13 per cent of owners indicate that good vehicle styling was the main reason they selected the vehicle that they purchased in 2013 (up from 8 per cent in 2012).

It also found that the quality of vehicles had improved consistently during the past three years, and sensitivity towards vehicle breakdown has increased in India, although the proportion of customers experiencing a breakdown in their vehicle has remained at four per cent since 2011, the gap in APEAL scores between customers who experience a breakdown and those who do not has increased to 44 points in 2013 from 23 points in 2011.

Maruti Suzuki tops the study in each of the compact segments , while Toyota is the leader in the UV segment with the Innova taking this title for the seventh consecutive year. The Honda Amaze tops  the mid-size entry segment while the VW Vento and Hyundai Verna tie for the top place in the mid-size segment. Chevrolet D-segment sedan, the Cruze has topped the premium mid-size segment.     

“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 J.D. Power Asia Pacific, Singapore. “Increased choice of branded accessories at a range of prices has also increasingly induced new-vehicle buyers to install such fitments at the time of delivery.”