Noise and Infotainment Issues Contribute to Quality Problems Cited by New-Vehicle Owners in India, J.D. Power Finds

Among the total problems cited by new-vehicle owners in India, 33% are related to noise and infotainment functionality issues, according to the J.D. Power 2021 India Initial Quality Study (IQS),^SM released today.  After a hiatus since 2019, J.D. Power has re-launched the India Initial Quality Study in collaboration with NielsenIQ.

Initial quality is measured by the number of problems experienced per 100 vehicles (PP100) during the first month of ownership until six months, with a lower score reflecting higher quality. In this year’s study, the industry average stands at 148 PP100.

“As vehicles continue to come in with multitude of infotainment features, consumers’ sensitivity towards their seamless functionality and ease of use keep increasing,” said Sandeep Pande, lead of the automotive practice India at NielsenIQ. “At the same time, traditional problems like excessive fuel consumption, in-car noise and speed of HVAC cooling system continue to occur.

Following are additional key findings of the 2021 study:

• It is not only about the driver: Owners who usually have more than two people riding in their car usually cite a significantly higher problem incidence. Owners with up to two people have a PP100 of 95.1, while owners with more than two people in their car have an average of 183 PP100.
• Features/controls/displays (FCD) category has most design problems: The FCD category has the most design-related problems at 12.9 PP100. The key issues are related to inadequacy of horn sound and slow charging of the USB ports.
• Kilometers driven have a bearing on quality issues cited: Owners who have driven up to 5,000 kilometers in their new vehicle cite considerably fewer problems than those who have driven more kilometers (134 PP100 vs. 170 PP100, respectively).

Highest-Ranking Models

• Hyundai Santro ranks highest in the compact segment with 139 PP100.
• Maruti Suzuki Ignis ranks highest in the upper compact segment with 157 PP100.
• Hyundai Elite i20 ranks highest in the premium compact segment with 136 PP100
• Hyundai Venue ranks highest in the compact SUV segment with 123 PP100.
• Hyundai Creta ranks highest in the SUV segment with 122 PP100
• Mahindra Bolero ranks highest in the MPV / MUV segment with 99 PP100

The study measures problems experienced in two distinct categories: design-related problems and defects and malfunctions. The study includes specific diagnostic questions covering eight problem categories: exterior; driving experience; features/controls/displays; seats; audio/communication/entertainment/navigation; heating/ventilation/air conditioning; interior; and engine/transmission.

The 2021 India Initial Quality Study (IQS) is based on responses from 5,421 new vehicle owners who purchased their vehicle from January through December 2021. The months of April-June 2021 were not considered on account of the severe pandemic situation in India. The study was fielded from September through December 2021.

J.D. Power is a global leader in consumer insights, advisory services and data and analytics. A pioneer in the use of big data, artificial intelligence (AI) and algorithmic modeling capabilities to understand consumer behavior, J.D. Power has been delivering incisive industry intelligence on customer interactions with brands and products for more than 50 years. The world's leading businesses across major industries rely on J.D. Power to guide their customer-facing strategies. J.D. Power has offices in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific.

NielsenIQ is the leader in providing the most complete, unbiased view of consumer behavior, globally. Powered by a groundbreaking consumer data platform and fueled by rich analytic capabilities, NielsenIQ enables bold, confident decision-making for the world’s leading consumer goods companies and retailers.

Using comprehensive data sets and measuring all transactions equally, NielsenIQ gives clients a forward-looking view into consumer behavior in order to optimize performance across all retail platforms. Our open philosophy on data integration enables the most influential consumer data sets on the planet. NielsenIQ delivers the complete truth.

NielsenIQ, an Advent International portfolio company, has operations in nearly 100 markets, covering more than 90% of the world’s population. For more information, visit NielsenIQ.com.

Media Relations Contacts
Geno Effler, J.D. Power; media.relations@jdpa.com; +1-714-621-6224
Kaustav Roy, NielsenIQ; kaustav.roy@nielseniq.com;
Sandeep Pande, NielsenIQ: sandeep.pande@nielseniq.com

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