The J.D. Power Asia Pacific 2014 Malaysia Initial Quality Study, currently it its 12th year, has noticed that, for the 5th consecutive year, new-vehicle initial quality has improved, despite more owners having issues with excessive fuel consumption.
Various vehicle categories are examined, which includes the vehicle exterior; driving experience; features/controls/displays, audio/entertainment/navigation, seats, HVAC, vehicle interior, and engine/transmission. J.D. Power Asia Pacific measures problem by summarizing them to number of problems per 100 vehicles (PP100). Lower PP100 scores means that the said vehicle has a higher initial quality.
In 2013, the average PP100 for excessive fuel consumption was 2.7, but for 2014, it has increased to 2.8. This moves it up to the top 5 most frequently reported problem.
The Toyota Vios (!) has been ranked the highest the entry midsize segment with a score of 64 PP100. This is followed closely by the Nissan Almera (68 PP100) and the Honda City (73 PP100).
A total of 3,070 new car owners who bought their new cars between August 2013 and May 2014 had their responses gauged for the 2014 Malaysia Initial Quality Study.
