The Volkswagen Polo has topped the premium compact segment in the J D Power Asia Pacific 2014 India Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study.

With an index score of 872 points on a scale of 1000, the Polo has improved 17 points over the previous year’s survey to gain the top spot. The Vento was ranked third in the same study in the midsize sedan segment with 862 points, an improvement of 3 points over 2013.

The 2014 India APEAL survey, now in its 16th year, serves as the industry benchmark for new-vehicle appeal. The study was based on responses from 8,422 owners who purchased a new vehicle between November 2013 and July 2014 and participated in the survey between May 2014 and September 2014 in 30 cities across India gauging customer satisfaction. The study measures satisfaction across 10 performance 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.

Meanwhile, the Polo and Vento both ranked second in the 2014 India Initial Quality Study SM (IQS) in the premium compact segment and in the midsize sedan category respectively. The Polo registered 85 PP100 (problems per 100 vehicles) which was an improvement of 7 PPM over 2013 while the Vento registered 68 PP100 which was an improvement of 5 PPM over 2013.

The IQS does an annual assessment of the problems owners experience with their new vehicles during the first two to six months of ownership. The study measures more than 200 problem symptoms covering eight categories and is based on evaluations from 8,429 owners who purchased a new vehicle between November 2013 and July 2014. The study was fielded from May to September 2014.

Commenting on the J D Power honours, Ruediger Kasparek, Head of Quality Assurance Volkswagen Group India, said, “Volkswagen is synonymous with German engineering and quality. Our success registered through the J D Power APEAL and IQS studies emphasises how each and every aspect of the engineering of our cars translates into the highest level of customer satisfaction and quality that we aim to deliver.”