Korean Automakers Move to the Top in AutoPacific’s 2015 Vehicle Satisfaction Awards
July 08 2015 - 12:01AM
Business Wire
AutoPacific today announced its 19th annual Vehicle Satisfaction
Awards (VSAs), identifying the most satisfying vehicles on the
market. An industry benchmark for measuring how satisfied an owner
is with his/her new vehicle, VSAs are based on survey responses
from over 66,000 owners of new 2015 model year cars and light
trucks.
“2015 represents a year of diversity,” says George Peterson,
president of AutoPacific. “Competition is fierce and no one
automaker dominates the results.” The 2015 winners are spread
across nearly every manufacturer, with wins by 9 out of 11
automakers. General Motors receives the most wins with 5, followed
by Kia and Nissan, with 4 and 3 wins, respectively. Honda, Toyota,
FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automobile), Volkswagen and Ford follow with 2
wins each. Volvo, Mercedes-Benz and Hyundai each take home 1
win.
“For the 2015 model year, there are 274 models and 33 brands
from which to choose a new vehicle,” says Peterson. “It can be
daunting for consumers to sort through all of those options and try
to predict which one will work best for them in the long run.
AutoPacific VSAs help to give them a strong starting point.”
The average VSA score for 2015 is 25-points higher than in 2014
confirming products and customer handling are improving markedly.
The brands with the greatest year-over-year improvements are Jaguar
– improving eleven positions; Volkswagen – improving ten positions;
Ford – improving nine positions.
The Kia K900 – Kia’s range topping luxury car – set an all time
high and wins AutoPacific’s President’s Award. This award is given
only when the overall score tops the previous high score.
Interestingly, the all-new aluminum bodied Ford F-150 would have
won this award if the Kia was not in the running. The previous
President’s Award winners were the 2014 Mercedes S-Class and the
2010 Hyundai Sonata.
Korean Manufacturers Take Over Top Spot in
Satisfaction
With 5 winning vehicles, including the top ranking Kia K900,
Korean manufacturers Kia and Hyundai come out on top in combined
average score, taking over the position previously held by European
manufacturers. “Kia and Hyundai are continually improving owner
satisfaction in key areas like reliability and quality, yet are
also hitting the mark with safety, braking, handling, styling and
seat comfort, not to mention a very satisfying warranty program,”
explains Peterson.
AutoPacific’s Vehicle Satisfaction Awards objectively measure
owner satisfaction with 50 separate attributes ranging from
interior comfort and styling to fuel economy and performance. “In
many cases, an extremely satisfying vehicle is not the car or truck
that has the best absolute build quality or the best safety
rating,” says Peterson. “VSAs look at the big picture, which
includes owners’ experiences with their vehicle’s quality and
safety, but also goes deeper into the heart of the ownership
experience.”
Top 2015 model year performers are:
MOST SATISFYING VEHICLE OVERALL: Kia K900HIGHEST
SATISFACTION PREMIUM BRAND: TeslaHIGHEST SATISFACTION
POPULAR BRAND: GMC
PASSENGER CARS:
Luxury Car Kia K900 Aspirational Luxury Car Volvo S60
Luxury Mid-Size Car Lexus ES Large Car Kia Cadenza Mid-Size Car
Hyundai Sonata Premium Compact Car Lexus CT 200h Compact Car Kia
Soul (tie) Volkswagen Jetta (tie) Volkswagen Beetle (tie) Economy
Car Honda Fit Sports Car Chevrolet Corvette Sporty Car Dodge
Challenger
LIGHT TRUCKS:
Heavy Duty Pickup Ford F-Series Super Duty Light Duty
Pickup Ford F-150 Compact Pickup GMC Canyon Luxury SUV Infiniti
QX80 Large SUV Chevrolet Tahoe Mid-Size SUV Jeep Grand Cherokee
Premium Luxury Crossover SUV BMW X5 (tie) Mercedes-Benz ML (tie)
Luxury Crossover SUV Buick Enclave Large Crossover SUV GMC Acadia
Premium Mid-Size Crossover SUV Nissan Murano Mid-Size Crossover SUV
Honda CR-V Compact Crossover SUV Kia Sportage Minivan Nissan Quest
About AutoPacific
AutoPacific is a future-oriented automotive marketing and
product-consulting firm. Every year AutoPacific publishes a wide
variety of syndicated studies on the automotive industry. The firm
also conducts extensive proprietary research and consulting for
auto manufacturers, distributors, marketers and suppliers
worldwide. Company headquarters are in Tustin, California, with an
affiliate office in the Detroit area. Additional information about
AutoPacific and the Vehicle Satisfaction Awards can be found on
AutoPacific's websites: www.autopacific.com and
www.vehiclevoice.com.
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AutoPacificDan Hall, 714.838.4234dan.hall@autopacific.com