USA - The Porsche brand has again won the overall classification of the prestigious J.D. Power APEAL Study

Vehicles by Porsche take top places

The Porsche brand has again won the overall classification of the prestigious J.D. Power APEAL Study by the US market research institute J.D. Power. In addition, the models Porsche 911 Boxster and Macan secured the first places in their categories. Taking part in the survey were more than 80,000 owners of new cars, who evaluated more than 245 models by 33 manufacturers in 10 categories.

“The results of the customer survey confirm our strategy,” said Oliver Blume, Chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche AG. “At the centre of attention in all business units is the enthusiasm of our customers. It is not only the products but also the service and communication with our customers around the world that are so important for us.”

The renewed top placing for the Porsche brand means that the sports car manufacturer has achieved the highest ranking in the overall classification for the twelfth time in succession. Since 2004, US customers have thus been demonstrating that the sports car from Zuffenhausen has the most satisfied customers. With 877 from a total of 1,000 possible points, Porsche is in first place this year once again.

Apart from the overall rankings, three models from Porsche were also able to achieve a clear decision in their categories. The 911 came top in the category “Midsize Premium Sporty Car” with 893 points. 

The Porsche Boxster was able to achieve victory in the category “Compact Premium Sporty Car” with 892 points. And the Macan, as youngest member of the model family, scored 876 points to lead in the category “Compact Premium SUV”.

In the APEAL Study, which takes place once a year, J.D. Power surveys new car customers 90 days after they have taken delivery of their vehicle. 

This year’s 21st edition of the Study questioned US new car drivers on 77 characteristics in 10 categories between November 2015 and February 2016. Among the attributes evaluated by the owners were “interior” and “driving dynamics”.

USA - J.D. Power designated the 2016 Hyundai Tucson as its most appealing small SUV in the 2016 Study.

J.D. Power designated the 2016 Hyundai Tucson as its most appealing small SUV in the 2016 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) StudySM. 

In its 21st year, the APEAL study examines owners’ emotional attachment and level of excitement across 77 attributes, ranging from the power they feel when they step on the gas to the sense of comfort and luxury they feel when climbing into the driver’s seat. Vehicles and their brands are measured on a 1,000-point scale.

Tucson outscored all other small SUVs and performed particularly well in the categories of vehicle fuel economy, seats, HVAC, storage, exterior, visibility, driving, interior and audio/comm./entertainment/navigation.

“We are thrilled with the recognition of Tucson in this year’s J.D. Power APEAL study,” said Scott Margason, director, product planning, Hyundai Motor America. “

The new Tucson looks great, has two fuel efficient engines and a roomy interior that satisfies a wide range of SUV buyers. The team did a great job launching the all-new Tucson this year.”

USA - Three Nissan models have scored favorably in their respective segments in the just released J.D. Power Study.

• All-new Nissan Titan XD named most appealing Large Light Duty pickup
• Redesigned Maxima takes top spot in Large Car segment
• Refreshed Nissan Altima finishes in top 3 among Midsize Car competitors
• Nissan safety, convenience and connectivity technologies rate well with customers

Three Nissan models have scored favorably in their respective segments in the just released J.D. Power 2015 U.S. Automotive, Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) ^SM Study – with the all-new 2016 Nissan Titan XD taking honors in the Large Light Duty Pickup segment, the new Maxima topping the Large Car segment and the refreshed Altima ranked number two among Midsize Car competitors.

The Titan scored 867 points to dominate its class, while the Maxima tallied 857 points. The 2016 Altima, Nissan's best-selling vehicle, with 824 points, was up seven points from last year. Overall, the industry average score was up three points to 801 in 2016. Murano and Sentra scored well at 831 and 814 points, respectively, but lacked sample size in this year’s survey to qualify in their segments from J.D. Power.

"It is gratifying to see three vehicles that are either all-new or redesigned receive such high marks from customers," said Christian Meunier, senior vice president, Sales & Marketing and Operations, U.S.A., Nissan North America, Inc. “And along with our best-selling sedans and crossovers, Nissan is providing more options as we launch the ‘Year of the Truck’ with our all-new TITAN and TITAN XD trucks.”

The annual APEAL Study, now in its 21^st year, surveys purchasers and lessees of new vehicles, giving owners a platform to evaluate their cars, trucks and SUVs across 77 specific attributes. The results are combined into an overall APEAL score measured on a 1,000-point scale. The study found that some features, such as blind spot warning and parking assist systems, substantially improved owners' sense of security – and satisfaction – with their vehicles. Nissan continues to offer a range of ‘Safety Shield’ technologies, as well as convenience and connectivity system technologies across a wide application of vehicles and trim levels including:

• Predictive Forward Collision Warning
• Forward Emergency Braking
• Blind Spot Warning
• Driver Attention Alert*
• Around View® Monitor with Moving Object Detection
• Rear Cross-Traffic Alert
• NissanConnect
• Advanced Drive-Assist™ Display

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.