J.D. Power Study: High-tech cars tempt Indians more

According to the J.D. Power 2016 India Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) study, the inclusion of safety features such as anti-lock braking system and airbags, and technology features such as hands-free connectivity makes cars more appealing to customers in India.

Key Findings:

On a 1,000-point scale, the overall APEAL average has climbed up to 862 from 846 in 2015. The increase in score is attributed partially to a greater share of vehicles being equipped with safety and technology features.

50 per cent of the new vehicles of 2016 feature dual airbags, up from 38 per cent in the previous year. Also, the APEAL score for vehicles with airbags is 11 points higher than for the ones without any. Vehicles equipped with anti-lock braking system have an APEAL score of 871 points, which is 17 points higher than those without any.

The APEAL score for vehicles with features such as hands-free connectivity has increased by 8 percentage points from last year. Also worth noting is that vehicles with hands-free connectivity average an APEAL score that is 5 points higher than vehicles without the technology.

Among owners of vehicles with average or higher APEAL scores (862 or higher), 83 per cent say they ‘definitely would' recommend their purchased model and 66 per cent ‘definitely would' repurchase the same make. On the other hand, among owners of vehicles with below-average APEAL scores (861 or lower), 64 per cent say they ‘definitely would' recommend their purchased model while 47 per cent ‘definitely would' repurchase the same make.

On a scale of 1-10, 23 per cent of owners gave a 10-on-10 score for the quietness of the cabin on the move. It is up from 19 per cent, recorded in 2013. Interior quietness has an impact on the overall APEAL score too. The average APEAL score given by such delighted owners is more than 300 points higher than by those who are disappointed and who rated the sound insulation between 1 and 4.

Study Rankings:

Hyundai: Received five out of eight segment-level APEAL awards - Eon (entry compact car); i10 (compact car); Grand i10 (upper compact car); Elite i20/Active (premium compact car) and Creta (SUV).

Honda: Bagged three awards - Jazz (tied with Hyundai Elite i20/Active); Amaze (entry midsize car) and City (midsize car).

Maruti Suzuki received an APEAL award for Ciaz (tied with Honda City).

Toyota gets an award for MUV/MPV segment for Innova.

Mahindra bagged an award for Scorpio, which tied with Hyundai Creta in the same SUV segment.

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