Domestic car manufacturers score well in latest TQI study.
About Strategic Vision
Strategic Vision, the California consultancy group that measures consumer buying behaviors and trends, has released the results of its 18th annual Total Quality Index™ (TQI) study. This years study has revealed that domestic car manufacturers the General Motors Company, the Ford Motor Company and the Chrysler Group have made significant progress, finishing atop multiple vehicle segments including some of the most competitive ones.
Topping the small car category was the Dodge Dart, one of the newest models on the market. Among midsize cars, the Ford Fusion and Chevrolet Volt tied for first place. The Chrysler 200 Convertible beat out all other convertibles and the Buick Enclave scored highest in the near-luxury utility segment.
Alexander Edwards, president of Strategic Vision, noted that domestic manufacturers now lead in more segments than foreign manufacturers. Edwards explained that the domestics have been striving to lead, but he also said that companies such as Hyundai and Toyota continue to perform admirably as well. Significant quality improvements by the Detroit Three have forced, …all manufacturers to build the most superior, innovative and holistically quality vehicles possible to gain the hearts and minds of the customer.
Total Quality: Love
Strategic Vision began to measure quality in 1994, using an approach that goes beyond counting problems. The company uses more of an emotional thrust to gauge vehicle satisfaction, employing a five-point scale based on love. Specifically, Strategic Vision examines 155 specific aspects of total quality in a bid to understand buyer sentiment with its rankings ranging from 5 for I love it to a 1 for failure.
For the eighth consecutive year the Volkswagen Group of America was the best overall corporation when measuring total quality. Audi, a Volkswagen Group brand, tied with Toyotas Lexus brand as the best brand overall. Among corporations, the Ford Motor Company took second place with GM and Hyundai tying for third place.
2013 Volkswagen CC.
TQI Segment Winners
Other segment winners included the Kia Soul in the small multifunction segment, the Honda Accord Crosstour among mid-size multifunction models and the Volkswagen CC in the large car segment.
For near-luxury car models, the Hyundai Genesis Sedan and Audi A4 Sedan tied for first place. In the midsize crossover utility segment, the Chevrolet Traverse beat out its competitors. Other winners included the Dodge Durango, Porsche Cayenne, Chevrolet Avalanche, Ford F-250/350 and the Toyota Tacoma. The MINI Cooper Hardtop, both coupe and convertible versions of the Chevrolet Corvette, and the GMC Yukon were also segment winners. Since the survey was conducted, the Chevrolet Avalanche has been discontinued.
2013 Kia Soul.
All-New Dodge Dart
Perhaps the most surprising model to finish on top of any segment was the Dodge Dart. All-new for 2013, the Dodge Dart is a compact sedan based on the Alfa Romeo Giulietta and is also the first Chrysler Group model derived from FIAT. The Dart is sold in six trim levels: SE, SXT, Rallye, Aero, Limited and GT, and competes in a segment dominated by the Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, Ford Focus, Nissan Sentra and the Chevrolet Cruze.
The Strategic Vision study, in particular its Total Quality Index, was calculated from 17,568 buyers who purchased 2013 models during September, October and November 2012. The study employs psychology and research methods defined by Dr. Darrell Edwards in 1968 and enhanced in the 1970s by J. Susan Johnson and Sharon Shedroff.
Strategic Vision: Total Quality Index for 2013
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