Hyundai and Maruti Suzuki Each Receive Initial Quality Awards in Three Segments
Author(s): City Air NewsThe number of problems reported per 100 vehicles (PP100) by new-vehicle owners has declined over the past five years, with declines reported across all problem categories except heating, ventilation and cooling...
The number of problems reported per 100 vehicles (PP100) by new-vehicle owners has declined over the past five years, with declines reported across all problem categories except heating, ventilation and cooling (HVAC), according to the J.D.Power 2017 India Initial Quality StudySM (IQS), released today.
Overall, initial quality averages 95 PP100 in 2017, a significant improvement from 115 PP100 in 2013. All problems are summarized as the number of problems per 100 vehicles (PP100), with lower PP100 scores indicating a lower incidence of problems and, therefore, higher initial quality.
Although problems in the engine and transmission category remain the most frequently reported issues, there has been a significant improvement of 9 PP100 during the past five years (39 PP100 in 2013 vs. 30 PP100 in 2017). Problem reporting has either remained the same or has improved in all other categories except HVAC, with new-vehicle owners reporting more problems related to the quality of air conditioning effectiveness, compared to five years ago (22 PP100 in 2017 vs. 15 PP100 in 2013, respectively).
“With the advent of the lighter engine and power train introductions by vehicle manufacturers in the last five years, the number of engine, noise and vibration-related issues has declined considerably, resulting in better overall product quality,” said Kaustav Roy, Director at J.D. Power. “However, the challenge lies in optimizing customer requirements related to HVAC effectiveness while continuing to provide better engine power and fuel efficiency. Manufacturers that are able to integrate these customer requirements into their overall vehicle design would likely be in a better position to differentiate themselves from the competition.”