Audi was the first premium brand to develop an extended-wheelbase car with a larger back seat for the Chinese Market, the A6L. Both it and an A4L are produced in Northern China with FAW.
Chinese domestic vehicle brands narrowed a gap in customer perception of value, but international brands still lead a survey based on two to six months of new car ownership in the middle kingdom. Models from Shanghai General Motors led in four segments, while Audi rated the highest praise among automakers.
The study also showed that satisfaction with all new models is lower than satisfaction with redesigned models, which were generally more “tailored” to meet the preferences of consumers in China. Satisfaction with the interior and exterior of newly launched models has declined year over year.
The data come from the 2012 China Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (Apeal, ugh) Study released today by J.D. Power. The highest-ranked models by segment in 2012 are:
- Compact segment: Chery QQ3
- Premium compact segment: Chevrolet Sail
- Entry midsize segment: Kia K2
- Midsize segment: Buick Excelle XT/GT
- Lower premium midsize segment: Chevrolet Epica
- Upper premium midsize segment: Hyundai Sonata
- Luxury segment: Audi A6L
- SUV segment: Hyundai ix35
- MPV segment: Buick GL8
- Mini van segment: Wuling Sunshine
Domestic Chinese brands scored an average score of 781 points, an historic high. According to J.D. Power, the owner of the survey, Chinese brands have made “significant improvements” in the audio/ entertainment/ navigation and seats categories, each increasing by 11 points from 2011. There are also improvements in the driving dynamics and engine/ transmission categories, with each increasing by seven points from 2011.
The score for international brands dropped to 839 points in 2012 from 847 in 2011, attributed by Power to declining satisfaction in the vehicle exterior and storage and space categories.
“A new model will do much better in appealing to consumers in China if local consumer preferences are considered in the design stage, before it is launched to the market,” said Dr. Mei Songlin, vice president Power China. “Although global platforms are effective, we may be reaching the point where vehicles must be designed to better adapt to the Chinese buyers’ preferences.”
Collectively, Korean brands achieved the highest average score by country of origin for a second consecutive year, with an index score of 851 points, which is a 9-point decline from 2011. Korean brands outperform the industry average in eight of the ten vehicle performance categories, particularly in storage and space, in which Korean brands score 35 points higher than the industry average. European brands collectively averaged 846 points, followed by U.S. (837) and Japanese (829) brands.
Luxury brands achieved the four highest-rank positions among the 67 brands examined in the study. Audi ranks highest with a score of 884, followed by BMW (870), Lexus (864) and Mercedes-Benz (859).
“The significant price decline that the industry has experienced during the past year is causing a negative impact on owner satisfaction with their vehicle,” said Dr. Mei Songlin, vice president and managing director of J.D. Power China operations.
“Of 12 segments examined, seven experienced a continuous decline in median vehicle price within the nine-month study period. If an owner sees the price of their newly purchased vehicle depreciating dramatically over the months after the purchase, their appreciation of the vehicle’s appeal will be negatively affected.”
Now in its 10th year, the China Apeal Study examines how gratifying a new vehicle is to own and drive, based on owner evaluations during the first two to six months of ownership. The study examines 82 attributes across ten vehicle performance categories: vehicle exterior; vehicle interior; storage and space; audio/ entertainment/ navigation; seats; HVAC; driving dynamics; engine/ transmission; visibility and driving safety; and fuel economy.
