Kia Motors Ranks No. 1 Among All Brands in US JD Power New Vehicle Quality Study

[Asia Economy Reporter Su-yeon Woo] Kia Motors has proven its world-class quality competitiveness by ranking first among all brands in the most prestigious new car quality survey.

According to the '2020 Initial Quality Study (IQS)' announced on the 24th (local time) by the U.S. market research firm J.D. Power, Kia ranked first among all brands, including premium brands. With this, Kia reclaimed the overall first place in the survey after three years and maintained the number one position among general mass-market brands for six consecutive years.

Now in its 34th year, the J.D. Power Initial Quality Study is the world's most prestigious survey, which began in 1987. This year, the survey covered a total of 31 brands, including 13 premium brands and 18 general brands, across 189 vehicle models.

This year's survey compiled quality complaint cases for 223 items based on three months of consumer usage experience of new cars sold in the U.S. from November last year to February this year, expressing the number of complaints per 100 vehicles as a score. A lower score indicates higher quality satisfaction.

In this survey, Kia scored 136 points, showing a significant gap from the overall brand average of 166 points, confirming its top quality competitiveness. In particular, Kia demonstrated strengths in electronic convenience features, which have recently become an important purchasing criterion for consumers, earning high satisfaction from customers.

Kia K3, Winner of the 2020 JD Power New Car Quality Study Best Quality Award in the Compact Car Segment

In the class-specific survey, the K3 (local name Forte) ranked first in the compact car segment, the Soul in the small sport utility vehicle (SUV) segment, the Sorento in the mid-size SUV segment, and the Carnival (local name Sedona) in the minivan segment, making Kia the brand with the most models?four in total?awarded the 'Highest Quality Award' among surveyed brands.

Additionally, the Rio was recognized in the small car segment, the K5 (local name Optima) in the mid-size car segment, the Stinger in the mid-size premium car segment, and the Sportage in the compact SUV segment as excellent quality models, totaling eight models selected as highest or excellent quality vehicles. Furthermore, the Gwangju Plant 1, which produces the Soul, ranked third in production quality among 29 plants in the Asia-Pacific region, earning recognition for production quality as well. The first place went to the Yantai Dongyue Plant 2 in China, producing Buick for the GM Group, and second place was awarded to the Lexus Kyushu Plant 1 in Japan, part of the Toyota Group.

A Kia Motors representative said, "Since IQS is based on evaluations from customers who have directly experienced the vehicles, ranking first among all brands and first among general brands for six consecutive years means that numerous customers have proven Kia's high quality competitiveness," adding, "We will continue to provide the best value through relentless quality innovation."

Hyundai Veloster, awarded the Best Quality Award in the Compact Sports Car category in the 2020 JD Power Initial Quality Study

Moreover, a total of seven models, including the Genesis G70, Hyundai Tucson, and Veloster, were selected for the highest quality awards by segment, making Hyundai Motor Group the automotive group with the most segment-specific highest quality awards. GM Group ranked second with six models, and Ford and Nissan Group tied for third place.

Genesis recorded 142 points in this survey, overwhelmingly surpassing Lexus (159 points), achieving first place among 13 premium brands for four consecutive years. Earlier in February, Genesis also ranked first in J.D. Power's Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS), establishing itself as a luxury car brand with world-class quality competitiveness.

A Hyundai Motor Group official said, "J.D. Power survey results are actively used as a purchasing standard by U.S. consumers and serve as a key indicator to gauge the quality competitiveness of manufacturers," adding, "We expect these results to play a significant role in expanding sales and enhancing the brand image of Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis in the future."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.