Maruti leads in design, performance

Three models from Maruti Suzuki, as well as models from Mahindra-Renault, Chevrolet, Toyota and Honda have got top rankings in their respective segments in a survey for new-vehicle design and performance in India, according to J D Power Asia Pacific 2007 India Automatic Performance, Execution and Layout Study (APEAL) released on Wednesday.

The study provides an analysis of what excited owners about their new vehicle's performance and design during the initial two to six months of ownership.

The study examined nearly 100 attributes covering 10 vehicle factors including exterior, interior, storage and space, audio, seats, driving dynamics, engine/ transmission, visibility, driving safety and fuel economy.

The Mahindra-Renault Logan, Chevrolet Optra, Toyota Innova and Honda CR-V ranked highest in their respective segments.

The Maruti Zen Estilo ranked highest in the compact segment while the Swift led the premium compact segment. The Maruti SX4 ranked highest in the mid-size segment.

"Maruti has been very successful in delighting its customers with the performance and design of its recently launched models, which is an area where it has traditionally underperformed in the past," said Mohit Arora, senior director at J D Power Asia Pacific, Singapore.

In particular, owners across all segments report dissatisfaction with vehicle fuel economy. "With gas prices soaring, it is hardly unexpected to find that fuel economy a key concern among owners across all vehicle segments," said Arora.