USA - VW leads the non-premium sector for the first time since 2001, beating the non-premium average by 15 points.

• Volkswagen leads the non-premium sector for the first time since 2001, beating the non-premium average by 15 points

Volkswagen of America, Inc., today announced that the brand has been ranked the highest non-premium nameplate in the  J.D. Power 2016 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study. 

This is the first time that Volkswagen has led the non-premium sector since 2001: the brand ranked 12^th overall in the study, out of a total of 33 nameplates. 

Volkswagen performs better than the industry average score of 801 points (out of 1000), with a total of 809 points. This was also 15 points better than the non-premium nameplate average.

“The J.D. Power APEAL Study is a great proof point of a brand’s appeal to new car buyers,” said Hinrich J. Woebcken, President and CEO, Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. “It’s very encouraging for everyone in the company that Volkswagen heads up the non-premium nameplates for the first time since 2001.” 

The APEAL study examines how rewarding a new vehicle is to own and drive, based on owner evaluations of 77 vehicle attributes. 

The 2016 APEAL study is based on responses gathered between February and May of 2016 from more than 80,000 purchasers and lessees of new 2016 model-year cars and trucks who were surveyed after the first 90 days of ownership.