Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications
Tuesday, Dec 09, 2003
Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications Tuesday, Dec 09, 2003 |
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Industry & Economy
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Cars Marketing - Marketing Research Wagon R, Esteem in top spot on quality: J.D. Power Our Bureau
New Delhi , Dec. 8 MARUTI Udyog Ltd's Wagon R and Esteem topped the J.D. Power Vehicle Initial Quality survey in their respective segments, even as the number of problems reported by new vehicle owners in the country has increased to 183 problems per 100 vehicles in 2003, from 151 in 2002. Honda City and Toyota Qualis ranked the highest in the categories of midsize cars and utility vehicles respectively, the J.D. Power Asia Pacific said in a statement here on Monday. The study measures new vehicle quality in the first two to six months of ownership. It takes into account problems encountered in ride, handling/breaking, features/controls, seats, heating, ventilation and cooling, sound system, exterior, interior, engine and transmission. The increase in initial quality problems in 2003 is largely due to problems reported in the categories of ride, handling and breaking, vehicle exterior and seats. Excessive fuel consumption continues to be the most frequently reported problems by owners, J.D. Power said. "Quality is a constantly moving target, and while the industry has made considerable progress over the past five years, it becomes increasingly difficult to maintain the rate of improvement we've been seeing because of rising customer expectations," said Mr Mohit Arora, J.D. Power Asia Pacific, India Country Manager. "Further, the surge in vehicle sales often creates pressure on quality control due to higher throughput requirements of the manufacturers." In the premium compact car category, Wagon R was followed by Maruti Zen and Hyundai Santro, while in the entry-level midsize car segment, Opel Corsa/Swing and Ford Ikon came at second and third positions after Maruti Esteem. J.D. Power noted that the Opel was the most improved model in this year's study. In the midsize car segment, Mitsubishi Lancer and Hyundai Accent followed Honda City. In the utility vehicle category, after Toyota Qualis, Mahindra Scorpio and Tata Safari took the next two slots. The study is based on evaluations from more than 3,300 new vehicle owners of 26 different models.
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