JD Power results of first ever Two Wheeler Initial Quality Study in India

Team OD Updated: February 06, 2015, 10:29 AM IST

JD Power has revealed the results of its maiden Indian Two-Wheeler Initial Quality Study. The survey was based on the feedback from 10,285 owners who purchased a new two-wheeler between March and October 2014. As per the results of the survey, 70 per cent of the initial quality problems are in the engine, fit and finish, lights, electricals and brakes of a two-wheeler.

JD Power Two Wheeler Study

The survey is limited to ownership problems in the period of two to six months. The problems are categorised into seven sections and quantified by the denotation PP100 or problems per hundred vehicles. A lower figure would hence translate into better quality.

Mohit Arora, executive director, JD Power Asia Pacific, "Many reported problems impact vehicle useage and varied driving conditions. Therefore, OEMs need to focus on these issues to improve performance quality and enhance vehicle safety and visibility." He also adds, "The Two-Wheeler Initial Quality Study provides the industry with key information about customer expectations and establishes a benchmark to measure performance against the competition."

The two wheelers were divided into two categories, Scooters and Motorcycles. Scooters were further categorised into Economy and Executive segments whereas Motorcycles were classified into Economy, Executive, Upper Executive, Premium and Premium Plus.

The study concludes that since 80 per cent of owners use their two wheelers for commuting and hence place a greater emphasis on fuel efficiency when it comes to the primary reason for purchase.

As per findings of the study, when considering scooters, owners highlighted engine and brakes as the major problem areas. Overall, the initial quality of scooters averages at 150 PP100. In the motorcycles category engine, electricals and fit and finish were the top problem areas. The overall initial quality ratings for motorcycles was 173 PP100.

The two wheelers that won for best initial quality in their respective segments are listed below:-

Executive Scooter TVS Wego
Executive Motorcycle Hero Splendor iSmart
Upper Executive Motorcycle Yamaha Fazer
Premium Motorcycle Bajaj Avenger

Also see:

Luxury car sales increase in India, according to JD Power survey
Motorcycles coming to India in 2015
Scooters coming to India in 2015

J.D. Power Report: Two-Wheeler Owners in India Report High Incidence of Initial Quality Problems with Engine, Fit and Finish, Electricals and Brakes

Bajaj, Hero, TVS and Yamaha Each Receive Model-Level Awards for Two-Wheeler Initial Quality Singapore: 23 January 2015 - Nearly three-fourths (70%) of initial quality problems reported by two-wheeler owners in India are experienced in the engine, fit and finish, lights/electricals and brakes categories, according to the inaugural J.D. Power 2015 India Two-Wheeler Initial Quality Study (2WIQS) StudySM released today. The study measures problems owners experience with their new two-wheeler during the first two to six months of ownership. It examines 138 problem symptoms covering seven two-wheeler problem categories (listed in order of frequency of reported problems): engine; brakes; lights/electricals; fit and finish; ride and handling; transmission; and gauges and controls. All problems are summarized as the number of problems per 100 vehicles (PP100). Lower PP100 scores indicate a lower rate of problem incidence and therefore higher initial quality. "Many reported problems impact vehicle usage and varied driving conditions. Therefore, OEMs need to focus on these issues to improve performance quality and enhance vehicle safety and visibility," said Mohit Arora, executive director, J.D. Power Asia Pacific. "The Two-Wheeler Initial Quality Study provides the industry with key information about customer expectations and establishes a benchmark to measure performance against the competition." The two-wheeler models surveyed in this study were classified into Scooters and Motorcycles. Scooters include two model segments: Economy and Executive, while Motorcycles include five model segments: Economy, Executive, Upper Executive, Premium and Premium Plus. Overall two-wheeler initial quality in India averages 166 PP100. Engine (44 PP100), fit and finish (25 PP100), lights/electricals (25 PP100) and brakes (24 PP100) are the top reported problem categories. The most frequently cited problem symptoms include excessive fuel consumption, engine is hard to start, lights not bright enough headlight, brakes are ineffective/ don't have enough stopping power, and brakes are too sensitive. The study finds that 80 percent of two-wheeler owners use their vehicle for daily commuting, averaging about 40 kilometers per day. Given this high usage, nearly one-third (27%) of two-wheeler owners have reported mileage/ fuel economy as the top main reason to purchase a new two-wheeler. KEY FINDINGS · For Scooters, overall initial quality averages 150 PP100. Engine (44 PP100) and brakes (28 PP100) are the top two reported problem categories. The top three reported problem symptoms include engine hard to start - electric start (7.7 PP100); excessive fuel consumption (7.6 PP100); and engine hard to start - first start of the day (6.5 PP100). · For Motorcycles, overall initial quality is 173 PP100. Engine (44 PP100), electrical and light (27 PP100), and fit and finish (26 PP100) contribute to 56 percent of initial quality problems reported by motorcycle owners. The top reported problem symptoms include gears are noisy (7.1 PP100); lights not bright enough - headlight (6.6 PP100); and excessive fuel consumption (6.0 PP100). · Receiving an explanation of the operation and benefits of vehicle features improves initial quality perceptions among two-wheeler owners. The number of reported problems among new two-wheeler owners who receive an explanation of their vehicle's operation features and their benefits is 142 PP100, compared with 242 PP100 among those who do not receive such an explanation. · Two-wheeler owners who experience fewer problems than expected (68%) are twice as likely to recommend their model to family and friends as owners who experience more problems than expected (31%). 2015 India Two-Wheeler Initial Quality Study Rankings Award recipient segments include Scooters: Executive and Motorcycles: Economy, Executive, Upper Executive and Premium. For Scooters, TVS Wego (84 PP100) ranks highest among executive models. For Motorcycles, Hero Splendor iSmart ranks highest among economy models with 101 PP100, and Hero Super Splendor ranks highest among executive models with 137 PP100. Yamaha Fazer ranks highest among upper executive models (109 PP100) and Bajaj Avenger ranks highest among premium models (88 PP100). The 2015 India Two-Wheeler Initial Quality Study (2WIQS) is based on evaluations from 10,285 vehicle owners who purchased a new vehicle between March 2014 and October 2014. The study includes 81 two-wheeler models from nine makes. The study was fielded from September 2014 to December 2014 in 45 cities across India.

Bajaj Avenger 2019 Full Spec

Price (Ex-Delhi)
Starts Rs 82,253

Displacement
160cc

Transmission
5-Speed

Max Power(ps)
15.00

Max Torque(Nm)
13.50

Mileage
-NA-

Hero Super Splendor 2018 Full Spec

Price (Ex-Delhi)
Starts Rs 61,600

Displacement
125cc

Transmission
4-Speed

Max Power(ps)
10.80