The Lexus IS
Photo by: Toyota
The Lexus IS has been crowned South Africa’s best-quality vehicle for 2013, with the locally made Mercedes-Benz petrol C-Class, the Audi A3 and Mazda 2 hatchback following close on its heels.
This title has been awarded by research house Ipsos, based on telephonic interviews conducted with car buyers within their first three months of vehicle ownership.
In these interviews, consumers indicate the problems they experience with their purchase in four categories, namely noise levels – always the biggest problem; appearance; static functional aspects (such as water leaks); and dynamic functional aspects (such as steering and handling).
These problems are calculated as problems per 100 vehicles (PP100), with a lower score the best outcome.
According to this system, the Lexus IS scored 11 PP100 in the Ipsos survey, followed by the C-Class petrol model at 12 PP100, and the Audi A3 and Mazda 2 hatchback at 13 PP100.
In the case of the Lexus this means that, out of ten vehicles, almost nine were completely problem-free, even from the smallest squeak or rattle.
Mercedes-Benz South Africa (MBSA) and Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) are the big winners in the plant awards. TSAM walked away with the title as the local light commercial vehicle (LCV) plant producing the most problem-free bakkies of all local plants, with MBSA taking the crown as the best local passenger car plant.
The Isuzu KB diesel single cab bakkie and its sibling, the Isuzu petrol single cab, have been crowned as the country’s best light commercial vehicles, at 29 PP100.
The Toyota Hilux diesel double cab came third, with 33 PP100.
General Motors South Africa, which produces the Isuzu bakkie and the Chevrolet Utility at its Port Elizabeth plant, was penalised in the plant awards, however, by the quality of the Chevrolet Utility small bakkie, which recorded a PP100 of 85, and ended at the bottom of the pile in the LCV segment.
The best recreational vehicle was the Audi Q7 at 12 PP100.
Locally produced vehicles recorded better overall quality than imported vehicles, at 55 PP100 for local LCVs and 28 PP100 for local passenger cars, compared with 56 PP100 for imported LCVs and 35 PP100 for imported passenger cars.
Worst segment performers in 2013 were the Volkswagen Caddy, at 75 PP100, and the BMW 1-Series, at 74 PP100, in the passenger car segment, with the worst performing recreational vehicle the BMW X5, at 53 PP100.
This year’s Ipsos quality awards have yielded an overall average of 39 PP100, down from 41 PP100 last year, and 182 PP100 as far back as 2001, says Ipsos automotive business unit director Patrick Busschau, which indicates that vehicle quality is increasing.
Brands which did not participate in this year’s awards include Hyundai, Land Rover, Honda, Jeep, Tata, Suzuki, Mahindra, Foton, Chery, Jaguar, Chrysler, Alfa, Fiat, Porsche and Mitsubishi.
However, notes Busschau, Honda are set to participate in next year’s awards.
Brands included in the survey are Audi, BMW, Kia, Nissan, Lexus, Citroën, Chevrolet, Mercedes-Benz, Mazda, Toyota, Opel, Volvo, Renault, Peugeot, Volkswagen, Mazda, Isuzu, Infinity and Ford.
Busschau says several participants withdrew from the survey following the 2009 recession, owing to financial pressure, while others do not sell the volumes necessary to participate in the survey, or have been perennial poor performers.