Vehicle Quality in South Africa: Now less than one problem per vehicle
Winners of the Synovate Quality Awards announced
BRYANSTON – Synovate latest automotive Quality Awards reveal that product quality in new vehicles has improved to the extent that out of 100 new vehicles sold, 7 of them are completely problem free, exempt from the slightest squeak or rattle.
"This count includes the smallest of glitches", states Roger Gibbs, Automotive Sector Head at Synovate, “which demonstrates the level of effort the manufacturers have gone to to ensure that customers are happy with the purchase that they have made and that the experience that they receive from their vehicles is top-notch."
The problem count on passenger vehicles has decreased from 103 problems per 100 vehicles (PP100) to only 93 problems. This is the lowest score since the survey began in 1992.
The research is part of Synovate’s Competitive Customer Satisfaction (CCSI) research which is the largest survey of its kind in the South African market. More than 55 000 vehicle owners are interviewed each year and the survey has been extensively used by the manufacturers for more than thirteen years as the benchmark of vehicle quality. Not only is the study utilised by local manufacturers but the information is used by plants exporting vehicles into South Africa.
Part of this survey includes a Product Quality measurement, which is commonly known as Problems per 100 Vehicles (PP100). Quite literally this survey measures the number of problems new car owners experience with their vehicles in the first few months of ownership. A lower score equates to a better result. Each year, Synovate recognises the top-performing manufacturers within their segments in terms of product quality. Those with the lowest problems per 100 new vehicles sold, receive Gold in their segment.
Although not all the brands participate in the survey, the survey covers over 90% of the models retailed in South Africa.
Passenger Car Category Awards
In the Best Local Plant Manufacturing Passenger Cars award, Mercedes-Benz maintains the top of the ranking and receives a Synovate Gold with an incredibly low score of 43 PP100. Toyota (65 PP100) and BMW (74 PP100) have retained their positions in the top three and receive second and third place respectively.
Mercedes-Benz also retained its Gold in the Best Luxury Car Brand Overall with Volvo and BMW in second and third place with 62 PP100 and 69 PP100 vehicles respectively. "The nature of the vehicles in this category make it an extremely competitive segment," Gibbs comments "Customers who purchase from this category have high expectations and manufacturers work extremely hard to get the problem count in this segment as low as possible."
Toyota shares top spot with Mazda in the Best Volume Passenger Car Brand Overall category. Peugeot has made it into second spot with 83 PP100 vehicles.
These first three categories make up the major chunk of the market," states Gibbs. "And it is outstanding that out of the top three brands in each, none of them have a problem count of over 100 PP100. While this is to be expected in the highly competitive Luxury category, many of these vehicles are entry or mid-market vehicles, meaning that vehicle consumers are receiving far more value for their money."
Light Commercial Vehicle Category Awards
Opel / Isuzu holds onto its Gold from last year for Best Local Plant Manufacturing Light Commercial Vehicles. Toyota scores 84 PP100 in second place and Nissan comes in third with 115 PP100.
The Gold for Best One Ton Petrol Light Commercial Vehicle is shared by Toyota and Nissan, with Mitsubishi in third position.
Opel breaks last years tie for Best Overall LCV Brand with a low PP100 score of 59 PP100. Toyota and Isuzu tie in second spot with 84 and 92 PP100 respectively.
Passenger Car Segment Awards
Entry Segment: As with the previous awards, Toyota Yaris T1 takes top spot in this segment with 58 PP100. The Chevrolet Spark and Opel Corsa Lite follow in second and third positions with 121 PP100 and 159 PP100 respectively. “There have been a few new models in this segment," explains Gibbs, "and problem counts on the newer models are usually higher than older ones, which have had the time to iron out any initial problems."
Small Hatch: The Small Hatch segment has seen an overall improvement in product quality and has three Gold award winners: the Mazda 2 (49 PP100), the Opel Corsa (51 PP100) and the Chevrolet Aveo Hatch (54 PP100).
Small Sedan: The Toyota Yaris Sedan maintains its Gold position in this segment with only 70 PP100, together with the Toyota Corolla 140i (72 PP100). The Chevrolet Aveo Sedan occupies second position in this segment.
Top Hatch: First position in this segment goes to the Mercedes-Benz A-Class and the BMW 1 Series with a very low 45 PP100 each. The MINI Cooper (including S and Clubman) takes second spot with 69 PP100.
Top Sedan: The Toyota Corolla and Mazda 3 take first place and second with 58 PP100 and 77 PP100 respectively. The Volkswagen Jetta 5 returns to the rankings in third place with 89 PP100.
Medium segment: The Gold award in the Medium segment goes to the Mercedes-Benz C Class with 43 PP100. The Volvo S40 and Audi A4 are in second (53 PP100) and third place (59 PP100),
The MPV / Station Wagon segment undergoes some change this year with VW Touran, Renault Scenic and Mercedes-Benz B-Class all tied in first position.
First place in the Small Recreational Vehicle segment is maintained by the BMW X3 (53 PP100). Toyota RAV4 moves into second place with 66 PP100 and the Land Rover Freelander is in third position with only 76 PP100.
Large Recreational Vehicle: The Toyota Prado retains its leading position in the segment with a score of 40 PP100. The Range Rover Sport and Land Rover Discovery 3 tie in second place with a problem count of 73 PP 100 and 76 PP100 respectively.
Light Commercial Vehicle Segment Awards
Three Quarter Ton segment. For the third year in a row, the Opel Corsa Utillity steals the show in this segment with a far lower problem count than those in the rest of the segment (58 PP100). The Nissan 1400 and Fiat Strada share second place with 134 and 136 PP100 respectively.
"Whereas historically, such low problem counts were only really seen in the passenger vehicle market, these are now more common in the LCV segments," states Gibbs, "for vehicles that are typically built for wear and tear, this is a major accomplishment."
Petrol Single Cab: In this segment, the Isuzu KB Small Petrol and the Nissan Hardbody Small Petrol are tied in first place with the Toyota Hilux Petrol Single Cab just behind them with 72 PP100.
Diesel Single Cab: The Isuzu KB Diesel Single Cab enters this segment in first place this year. Last year’s winner, the Toyota Hilux retains a position on the podium in second place and the Mitsubishi Colt takes third with 94 PP100.
Petrol Double Cab: The Toyota Hilux (91 PP100) keeps the Gold this year but shares it with Nissan Navara (93 PP100). The Nissan Hardbody features just behind them in second with 112 PP100.
Diesel Double Cab: This closely-contested segment has a three-way tie for first position between the Mitsubishi Triton, the Toyota Hilux and the Isuzu KB all winning Gold Awards
About The Synovate Quality Awards
These awards have achieved a high status over the years, due to the extensive research history that has been accumulated. The product quality interview is normally conducted after 90 days of ownership and the age of the vehicle is carefully controlled to ensure that comparisons between brands and models are fair.
About Synovate
Synovate, the market research arm of Aegis Group plc, generates consumer insights that drive competitive marketing solutions. The network provides clients with cohesive global support and a comprehensive suite of research solutions. Synovate employs over 6,700 staff across 61 countries. More information on Synovate can be found at www.synovate.com.
More information on Synovate can be found at www.synovate.com and www.synovate.com/southafrica.