BANGKOK: 27 November 2007 — Three Nissan models and two Honda models rank highest in their respective segments in new-vehicle design and performance, according to the J.D. Power Asia Pacific 2007 Thailand Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) StudySM released today.
Now in its fifth year, the APEAL Study is a consumer-reported measure of what excites and delights owners about their new vehicle’s performance and design during the first two to six months of ownership. Redesigned in 2007, the study is comprised of nearly 100 attributes covering 10 vehicle components: exterior; interior; storage and space; audio/entertainment/navigation; seats; HVAC; driving dynamics; engine/transmission; visibility/driving safety; and fuel economy.
The study finds that new-vehicle design and performance in Thailand averages 876 points on a 1,000-point scale in 2007. Visibility/driving safety and fuel economy are the top two components that contribute most to overall satisfaction among customers in the passenger car, utility vehicle and pickup segments. Driving dynamics is also particularly important in the utility vehicle and pickup segments, while vehicle interior is more critical to owners in the passenger car segment.
Nissan Tiida ranks highest in the entry midsize car segment with a score of 864, performing well in exterior; interior; storage and space; seats; engine/transmission; and visibility/driving safety. The redesigned Toyota Vios (863) closely follows and the Honda Jazz (855) ranks third in the segment.
Among midsize cars, the Honda Civic leads the rankings for a second consecutive year with a score of 879, performing particularly well in eight of 10 vehicle components: exterior; interior; storage and space; audio/entertainment/navigation; seats; engine/transmission; visibility/driving safety; and fuel economy. The Mazda3 (873) follows the Honda Civic in the segment rankings, performing well in storage and space, HVAC and driving dynamics, and the Toyota Corolla Altis (848) ranks third in the segment.
The redesigned Honda CR-V ranks highest in the SUV segment with a score of 887, performing particularly well in exterior; interior; storage and space; audio/entertainment/navigation; seats; and visibility/driving safety. The Isuzu MU-7 (876) follows in the segment, performing well in HVAC and fuel economy. The Toyota Fortuner (867) ranks third, receiving high ratings in the area of engine/transmission.
In the pickup extended cab segment, the Nissan Frontier Navara (900) ranks highest, performing particularly well in nine vehicle components examined: exterior; interior; storage and space; audio/entertainment/navigation; seats; HVAC; driving dynamics; engine/transmission; and visibility/driving safety. The Chevrolet Colorado (899) follows the Nissan Frontier Navara in the segment rankings, performing well in visibility/driving and safety. The Toyota Hilux Vigo Prerunner (895) ranks third in the segment, performing particularly well in the areas of vehicle exterior, vehicle interior, and storage and space.
The Nissan Frontier Navara (891) also ranks highest in the pickup double cab segment. The Isuzu D-Max Hi-Lander (886) follows the Navara in the segment rankings, performing particularly well in vehicle interior and fuel economy. The Toyota Hilux Vigo Prerunner ranks third in the segment with 882.
“New and redesigned models tend to perform particularly well in APEAL, which is rewarding to those manufacturers that make significant efforts to improve and renew their vehicle design and performance,” said Loic Pean, country manager at J.D. Power Asia Pacific, Singapore. “Models performing well in APEAL can also expect greater positive word of mouth than competitors within the same segment.”
The 2007 Thailand APEAL Study is based on evaluations from 3,991 owners who purchased their new vehicle between October 2006 and June 2007. The study includes 55 passenger car, pickup truck and utility vehicle models covering 10 makes. Fieldwork for the study was conducted from April to August 2007.
The APEAL study is one of four consumer-based studies that J.D. Power Asia Pacific conducts in Thailand. The 2007 Thailand Customer Satisfaction Index Study (CSI), which measures authorized dealer after-sales service in Thailand, was released in July. The 2007 Sales Satisfaction Index Study (SSI), which examines the new-vehicle sales process, was released in August and the 2007 Thailand Initial Quality Study (IQS), measuring problems experienced by new-vehicle owners, was released in October.
