Three Maruti Models, as Well as Mahindra-Renault, Chevrolet, Toyota and Honda Models Lead Their Respective Segments in India

SINGAPORE: 12 December 2007 — Three Maruti models, as well as models from Mahindra-Renault, Chevrolet, Toyota and Honda rank highest in their respective segments in new-vehicle design and performance in India, according to the J.D. Power Asia Pacific 2007 India Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout StudySM (APEAL) released today.

Now in its ninth year, the APEAL study provides an analysis of what excites and delights owners about their new vehicle’s performance and design during the initial two to six months of ownership. Redesigned in 2007 to meet changes in new technologies and features of vehicle models, the study now examines nearly 100 attributes covering 10 vehicle factors: vehicle exterior; vehicle interior; storage and space; audio/entertainment/navigation; seats; heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC); driving dynamics; engine/transmission; visibility and driving safety; and fuel economy.

The Mahindra-Renault Logan (entry midsize), Chevrolet Optra (premium midsize), Toyota Innova (MUV/MPV) and Honda CR-V (SUV) each rank highest in their respective segments. The Mahindra-Renault Logan is a new model in 2007, while the Honda CR-V has been redesigned.

The new Maruti Zen Estilo ranks highest in the compact segment with a score of 814 on a 1,000-point scale, and performs particularly well in seven of the 10 factors, including vehicle exterior; vehicle interior; seats; HVAC; engine/transmission; visibility and driving safety; and fuel economy. The Maruti Swift leads the premium compact segment with a score of 787, while the Maruti SX4 ranks highest in the midsize segment with a score of 835.

“Clearly, Maruti has been very successful in delighting its customers with the performance and design of its recently launched models, which is an area where Maruti has traditionally underperformed in the past,” said Mohit Arora, senior director at J.D. Power Asia Pacific, Singapore. “APEAL scores tend to be higher for newly launched or redesigned models. Hence, it is important for manufacturers to act swiftly and appropriately to introduce new or redesigned models that will maximize owner delight.”

The study finds that new-vehicle design and performance in India averages 784 points in 2007. For the industry, across all factors, customers say they are most delighted with their vehicle’s exterior and drivability. However, the study also finds that the importance of satisfaction drivers varies from segment to segment. For example, owners of small cars report that HVAC is more important than other factors, while in the midsize car segment, fuel economy emerges as a key driver of satisfaction.

“These differences are not surprising, as customer expectations and vehicle performance vary between segments,” said Arora. “Understanding these expectations and improving vehicles accordingly not only helps manufacturers to satisfy customers but also provides an opportunity for manufacturers to differentiate their products from competition.”

In particular, owners across all segments report dissatisfaction with vehicle fuel economy.

“With gas prices soaring, it is hardly unexpected to find that fuel economy is a key concern among owners across all vehicle segments,” said Arora.

The 2007 India APEAL study is based on responses from nearly 6,000 owners who purchased a new vehicle between November 2006 and July 2007. Owners were interviewed between May and September 2007 in 15 major cities across India.

About J.D. Power Asia Pacific
J.D. Power in the Asia Pacific region has offices in Tokyo, Singapore and China conducting customer satisfaction research and providing consulting services in the automotive, information technology and finance industries. Together, the three offices bring the language of customer satisfaction to consumers and businesses in China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan and Thailand.

About J.D. Power and Associates
Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is an ISO 9001-registered global marketing information services firm operating in key business sectors including market research, forecasting, performance improvement, training and customer satisfaction. The firm’s quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually. J.D. Power and Associates is a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies.

About The McGraw-Hill Companies
Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP) is a leading global information services provider meeting worldwide needs in the financial services, education and business information markets through leading brands such as Standard & Poor’s, McGraw-Hill Education, BusinessWeek and J.D. Power and Associates. The Corporation has more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Sales in 2006 were $6.3 billion. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/.

No advertising or other promotional use can be made of the information in this release without the express prior written consent of J.D. Power and Associates. www.jdpower.com/corporate

Source: J.D. Power and Associates

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