Kia Motors has taken the number one spot on the 2016
J.D. Power Initial Quality Survey (IQS)! This year marks the 30th year of the annual J.D Power
IQS and the first time in 27 years that a non-premium brand has topped the
list.
Each year J.D.
Power, a U.S. based marketing research firm, conducts syndicated studies to
evaluate driving experience, vehicle performance, and quality during the
initial 90 days of car ownership. For 2016, a total of 80,157 surveys of were
completed by vehicle owners to assess 233 potential problems for 33 US auto
makers and 245 vehicle models.. In addition, 167 assembly plants were evaluated
for quality.
Kia has been
steadily rising in ranking in the past ten years, initially placing 36th in
1999 and entering the top ten in 2013. This year’s first place recognition is
an affirmation that Kia
Motors has truly come a long way to become a world-class
automobile brand.
In addition to
the overall brand recognition, several Kia models also sparkled in the
spotlight, receiving individual recognition in their respective vehicle
segments. The third-generation
Sportage and second-generation
Soul have
emerged as winners in the small SUV and compact multi-purpose vehicle segments,
respectively, while the Rio
and Forte (also
known as Cerato)
were also runners-up in their corresponding categories.
Furthermore, the Gwang Ju Manufacturing Plant
in Korea was ranked number two in the Asia Pacific region.
Kia Motors will take this shining achievement as further motivation to
continue our giant stride forward in craftsmanship and owner satisfaction.
We’ll work extra hard to stay at the top.