As per the prestigious J.D. Power Asia Pacific 2012 for India, the Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout Study (APEAL) conducted by the group, vehicle interiors are now the new reasons for driving customer satisfaction. During the first two months of ownership, J.D. Power measures the gratification received by vehicle owners as per different categories- exterior, interior, storage and space audio/ entertainment / navigation, seats, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), driving dynamics, fuel economy, engine/transmission and visibility and driving safety. The APEAL score is revealed as an index score which is based upon a 100-point scale, with higher scores reflecting greater satisfaction levels.
The India APEAL Study is currently in its 14th year of existence. It shows that the impact of the interiors on satisfaction levels has greatly increased during the last 4 years. This can be seen in two of the fastest growing vehicle segments- small car (entry compact, compact and premium compact) and utility vehicles (MUV, MPV, SUV and van). Though the importance of interiors has increased, visibility and driving safety, followed fuel economy are still the highest parameters for customers of new vehicles in India. The country is predominantly a price and fuel efficiency-driven market, despite high sales scored by many luxury vehicle makers. However, interiors have gone up by 8 points compared to 2011, and 28 points as compared to 2011.
Remarking on the development, Mohit Arora, Executive Director of J.D. Power Asia Pacific said, “To improve the quality and aesthetics of their models, automakers have made significant efforts and investments to enhance the overall design and quality of the vehicle interior, even in the small car segment. This is evident in the newly launched models, as well as the refreshed models launched in 2012. Both newly launched and refreshed models perform 17 points higher in the interior factor compared with other models.”
From this reputed survey, it is quite clear that more and more customers are now giving emphasis to the quality of interiors, and this parameter could well reflect a few notches higher in subsequent year surveys.