Initial Quality Of Cars In India Improves

Initial vehicle quality in India has improved for the third consecutive year. The number of problems reported by new car owners declined by 27 per cent compared with 1999, according to the J D Power Asia Pacific 2000 India Initial Quality Study (IQS).

The study, the fourth one on the Indian market, examines the initial vehicle quality for three to five months from ownership. It uses problems per 100 vehicles (PP100) as a yard stick to check quality.

J D Power Asia Pacific conducts customer satisfaction research and does consulting services for the automobile, information technology and finance industries.

The quality improvements are driven by the strong performance by six new models included in the 2000 IQS as well as improvements by the existing models. Five out of the six new models -- Ford Ikon, Hyundai Accent, Opel Corsa, Maruti Baleno and Toyota Qualis -- record less problems compared with last year.

 

"Quality in India has improved dramatically in the past four years," said Chris Bonsi, a director at J D Power Asia Pacific. "The 2000 India IQS results show that manufacturers are delivering better quality vehicles than they have done in the past. For example, Honda City was the only model to record fewer than 200 PP100 in 1998. In comparison, 12 out of the 23 models covered in the 2000 IQS record a better score than 200 PP100."

Excessive fuel consumption continues to be a major problem for the third consecutive year, the study said.

"Many models with older designs have been to able to improve their fuel economy by switching to fuel injected engines. However, managing customer expectations is the key to improve performance on this attribute since fuel consumption is dependent on factors such as road conditions and driving habits which are beyond manufacturers' control ," Bonsi said.

Vehicles getting highest quality ratings from new car buyers are: Hyundai Santro, best small car, Maruti Esteem, best entry midsize car; HM/Mitsubishi Lancer, best premium midsize car, and Toyota Qualis, best multi-utility vehicle.

Hyundai Santro improved it tally by 19 per cent, while Maruti Esteem improved its IQS performance by 40 per cent, ranking ahead of Ford Ikon, Hyundai Accent and Opel Corsa. HM/Mitsubhi Lancer has established a benchmark with 84PP100, the first model in India to break the 100PP100 barrier. Tyota Qualis set a new benchmark in quality for the multi-utility vehicle segment.

The survey includes responses from new car owners of more than 20 different models, representing 11 different makes.