Models from Maruti, Toyota get 2 Initial Quality Awards

The incidence of initial quality problems reported by new-vehicle owners in India has decreased by 16 percent in 2011 compared with 2010, according to the J.D. Power Asia Pacific 2011 India Initial Quality Study (IQS). The study, which measures problems owners experience with their new vehicles during the first 2-6 months of ownership, examines more than 200 problem symptoms covering eight vehicle categories. These categories, listed in order of frequency of reported problems, include engine and transmission; vehicle exterior; driving experience; features, controls and displays; HVAC; vehicle interior; seats; and audio, entertainment and navigation.

All problems are summarized as the number of problems per 100 vehicles (PP100). Lower PP100 scores indicate a lower rate of problem incidence and higher initial quality. Overall initial quality in India improves to 119 PP100 in 2011 from 142 PP100 in 2010—an improvement of 23 PP100. The number of owner-reported initial quality problems has decreased in all categories except audio/ entertainment/ navigation.

“Manufacturers in India have consistently delivered improving levels of initial quality over the years,” said Mohit Arora, executive director at J.D. Power Asia Pacific.

The study finds that more than one-third of all initial quality problems reported by vehicle owners in India are related to the engine/ transmission. “Cost of operation is a strong driver of model consideration and purchase in India,” said Arora. “However, when owner expectations of fuel economy—which are often set during the purchase process—are higher than what is actually achieved after purchase, it often leads to reports of fuel economy problems. As the expectations for optimum fuel efficiency rise in the market, each manufacturer will need to strive to bridge this gap between expectation and reality.”

The study also finds that customers who indicate they have experienced more initial quality problems than they expected intend to replace their current vehicle within three years—much sooner than the industry average of five years.

Two models from Maruti and Toyota rank highest in their respective segments. The Swift Dzire ranks highest in the entry midsize segment for a second consecutive year, while the Estilo ranks highest among compacts. The Toyota Innova ranks highest in the MUV/MPV segment for a fifth straight year, and the Corolla Altis ranks highest in the premium midsize segment.