Car owners’ love affair with new vehicles is stronger than ever, as evidenced by a 9-point increase in the APEAL index from last year – tied for the largest gain ever – according to the J.D. Power 2017 U.S. Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study,SM released today.
In this year’s study, the industry average APEAL index increases to 810 points (on a 1,000-point scale), propelled by significantly better scores in 9 of the 10 categories measured and 19 of the 32 brands in the study making positive gains in their performance, compared with 2016.
“Many automakers are getting better and better at giving consumers what they want in a vehicle,” said Dave Sargent, vice president, global automotive at J.D. Power. “The industry is doing a very good job of creating vehicles customers like across every segment, and the APEAL study identifies why this is. One clear reason is that non-premium vehicles are increasingly offering technology and safety features found in premium vehicles.”
