Kingdom making better-quality vehicles

[bazmlb]

Automobiles made in Thailand have improved in quality, according to a report by JD Power.

The JD Power Asia-Pacific 2013 Thailand Initial Quality StudySM (IQS) released earlier this week says initial new-vehicle quality in Thailand improved by 28 per cent.

"Efforts and investments made to improve vehicle manufacturing quality in Thailand are starting to be reflected, as fewer owners are reporting problems with their vehicles during the first few months of ownership," JD Power Asia-Pacific senior manager Loic Pean said.

"At the same time, vehicle owner expectations are increasing. In particular, owner feedback indicates increasing sensitivity to build quality and comfort features inside the cabin, including air-conditioning, interior materials and the audio/entertainment/navigation system," he added.

Among the 78 models included in the study, four models from Toyota (Camry Hybrid, Hilux Vigo Champ Prerunner D-Cab, Hilux Vigo Champ S-Cab and Hilux Vigo Champ Smart Cab) rank highest in their respective segments. Three models from Honda (Brio, City and CR-V) and one model from Mazda (Mazda3) also rank highest in their respective segments.

The 2013 Thailand IQS is based on evaluations from 5,015 owners who purchased new vehicles between October 2012 and June 2013. The study covers 13 makes that include 78 different passenger car, pickup truck and utility vehicle models. The study was fielded between April and August 2013.

-- Automotive Focus Group Thailand 2013-12-6

[thailoht]

A nice part on the back from JD - even though it's mainly the usual suspects that shine here.