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.

Ford retains best selling nameplate for the Focus for the first half of 2013

• Ford Focus is the best-selling vehicle nameplate globally according to Polk registration data for the first half of 2013
• Globally Focus is up 20 per cent in the first half of this year compared with the same period last year
• In the UK almost nine per cent more customers chose a new Ford Focus this year when comparing the same six months 

 Ford Focus, the best-selling vehicle nameplate in the world in 2012, retains the title for the first half of 2013.

In addition, Ford Fiesta ranks as the fourth best-selling vehicle – making Ford the only brand to have two nameplates among the global top five best-sellers, according to Polk global vehicle registration data.

Ford Focus grew 20 per cent in the first half of 2013 from the same period last year, to 589,709 vehicle registrations, driven primarily by increasing demand from customers in China and other Asian countries.

In the UK 47,675 new Ford Focus cars were delivered in the first six months of this year, up 8.7 per cent on the 43,853 cars sold in the first half of 2012.  Ford Focus is the second best-selling car in Britain behind Ford Fiesta.

“Fiesta and Focus just keep getting better,” said Jim Farley, Ford executive vice president, global marketing, sales and service.  “This is Ford’s ‘One Ford’ global strategy at its best:  great-looking vehicles with leading fuel economy, leading quality, technology and fun-to-drive personalities.”

Both Ford’s Focus and Fiesta are among the top five global best-sellers.  Combined worldwide registrations of Focus and Fiesta –946,143 cars for the first six months of the year, represent an 8 per cent increase.

Ford's Focus continues to be worlds best selling nameplate

• Based on Ford’s analysis of Polk’s latest global vehicle registration data, Ford Focus continues to be the world’s best-selling vehicle nameplate
• Focus global retail registrations up 18 per cent in the first quarter of 2013 compared to the same period last year with the U.K., China, and Brazil experiencing strong demand
• Focus range includes Focus Electric, 250 PS Focus ST and will be joined early next year by a new Focus 1.0-litre EcoBoost variant – the first petrol-powered family car in Europe to offer 99 g/km CO2 emissions
• Focus now produced in nine plants worldwide, giving Ford capacity to build more than two Focus vehicles every minute

Ford Focus, the best-selling vehicle nameplate in the world last year, retains that ranking through the first quarter of 2013 with global vehicle registrations up 18 per cent compared to the same period in 2012.

Based on analysis of Polk’s latest global registration data, 288,724 Focus vehicles were registered in the quarter ending March 31 – the most recent figures available.

Cementing Focus’ grip on the best-selling passenger vehicle title was strong demand in key markets such as the U.K., Brazil and China. Focus registrations in the U.K. for the quarter totalled 25,081 vehicles. Brazil experienced an increase of 18 per cent with 7,227 Focus vehicles registered during the period. In China, 104,065 Focus vehicles were registered in first quarter 2013, representing an increase of 153 per cent compared to the first quarter of 2012.

“The statistics speak for themselves,” said Roelant de Waard, vice president, Marketing, Sales and Service, Ford of Europe. “Our global Focus has struck a chord with customers around the world because it offers remarkable technologies, excellent fuel economy and performance, super driving dynamics and all at a very competitive price.”

European customers can now order the all-new Focus Electric – the first full-electric vehicle to be built by Ford in Europe – in Saarlouis, Germany. The Focus Electric is also the first full-electric passenger car to be manufactured in Germany directly from a volume production line.

The flagship 250 PS Focus ST is Ford’s first truly global performance car – having launched in North America last year and being introduced in the Asia Pacific regions this year.

Ford recently has announced a new version of the Focus that will be the first non-hybrid petrol-powered family car in Europe to offer 99 g/km CO2 emissions. Using a specially calibrated 100 PS version of Ford’s award-winning 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine, the Focus will achieve class-leading fuel efficiency of 4.3 l/100 km (67.5 mpg)*.

“Continual development has been critical to the Focus’ global success, as demonstrated by the new Focus 1.0-litre EcoBoost with 99 g/km CO2 that will launch in Europe early next year,” added de Waard. “More powerful than a first generation Ford Focus with a 1.6‑litre engine from less than 10 years ago while producing 47 per cent less CO2, it’s a testament to Focus development never standing still.”

To meet growing customer demand for Focus, Ford has ramped up capacity worldwide. In July, the company’s plant in Pacheco, Argentina, became the latest to produce Focus on a global platform. Focus is now built in nine plants on four continents. Factories in Germany, U.S., Russia, China, Thailand, Vietnam, Taiwan and Argentina have a combined capacity to produce more than 1.5 million Focus vehicles annually at a rate of more than two vehicles per minute.