The Chevrolet Corvette Stingray finished tops in the luxury sport car segment.
IHS Automotive and Customer Loyalty, 2014 Edition
Behind the scenes at the North American International Auto Show a number of side events are held. The Automotive News World Congress is one such occasion, the place where automotive executives opine about the very industry they represent. Within the congress the IHS Automotive Loyalty Awards are presented, recognizing manufacturers and brands for their customer loyalty and conquest efforts.
Ford, Toyota and Maserati Shine
Looking back at the year most recently ended, 2014, IHS Automotive dispensed with 33 awards covering a variety of categories. Perhaps most noteworthy was the overall loyalty to manufacturer award, presented to the Ford Motor Company, a repeat winner. The Ford brand also repeated for the best overall loyalty to a make and for having the highest loyalty amongst African American consumers.
Maserati may not be a household name, but the Italian sports car make made a name for itself by garnering the most improved loyalty to make award for 2014. Maserati also scored tops for having the highest conquest percent of registrations.
The Toyota Motor Corporation pulled down three significant awards as well. The Toyota brand finished on top in both the Hispanic owner loyalty and Asian owner loyalty demographics. Its Lexus brand had the most improved conquest percent of registrations.
Segment by Segment Honors
Also of interest to manufacturers were how specific models were rated. In the non-luxury compact SUV segment, the Kia Soul came out on top. For the non-luxury traditional compact car, the Nissan Leaf finished first. For the non-luxury traditional midsize car, the Honda Accord was tops.
The Chevrolet Silverado was awarded the non-luxury full-size half-ton pickup truck award. The Buick Enclave garnered the non-luxury midsize CUV award and the Jeep Grand Cherokee took the non-luxury midsize SUV honors. The Mitsubishi Mirage finished first in the non-luxury traditional subcompact car segment.
For the luxury traditional compact car, recognition was given to the Lincoln MKZ. The Lexus RX snagged the luxury midsize CUV segment and the Chrysler Town & Country pulled down the non-luxury midsize van award.
The Mercedes-Benz E-Class garnered the luxury traditional midsize car honors and the Toyota Avalon won the non-luxury traditional full-size car award. The Toyota Tacoma came out in front to win non-luxury midsize pickup truck recognition and the Mercedes-Benz GLK took luxury compact CUV honors.
Winning the non-luxury sport midsize car award was the Dodge Challenger. The Chevrolet Suburban took the non-luxury, full size SUV award, while the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray was recognized tops amongst luxury sports cars.
The Volkswagen EOS won out as the non-luxury sport car and the Land Rover Range Rover bested the competition to take the luxury full-size SUV segment. The Mercedes-Benz S-Class was recognized as the top luxury traditional full-size car and the Lexus CT200h as the luxury traditional subcompact car winner.
The Jeep Wrangler pulled down honors as the non-luxury compact SUV. The Mercedes-Benz G-Class finished first among luxury midsize SUVs.
Stepping up to the top of the automotive spectrum, the Bentley Continental pulled down the luxury prestige full-size car honors, while the Maserati GranTurismo finished first in the luxury exotic car segment.
Customer Loyalty Defined
IHS Automotive stated that “loyalty is determined when a household that owns a new vehicle returns to market and purchases or leases another new vehicle of the same make, model or manufacturer.” The awards are presented annually by IHS Automotive to manufacturers as well as to brands “that demonstrate a manufacturer’s ability to retain owners over repeat buying cycles.” IHS also says that they are the “only fact-based awards of their kind in the industry.”
“We are pleased to recognize those OEMs that have put a concerted effort in maximizing customer loyalty,” said Michael Gingell, vice president, global market analysis solutions and corporate development, IHS Automotive. “Going forward, successful OEMs will excel at keeping their customer base through a greater understanding of their customers’ experiences– as well as the impact these experiences have on the consumers’ next vehicle purchase decision.”
See Also — IHS: Utility Vehicle Owners Drive Up Loyalty Rates
Photo copyright Auto Trends Magazine. All rights reserved.
Matt has maintained his love for cars ever since his father taught him kicking tires can be one way to uncover a problem with a vehicle’s suspension system. He since moved on to learn a few things about coefficient of drag, G-forces, toe-heel shifting, and how to work the crazy infotainment system in some random weekly driver. Matt is a member of the Washington Automotive Press Association and is a contributor to various print and online media sources including NAPA, CarsDirect, CapitalOne, and Driven Autos.
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