Genesis Tops Premium Brands in J.D. Power 2020 Initial Quality Study
Genesis is the top premium brand in the J.D. Power 2020 Initial Quality Study, which looks at the cars that have the least amount of problems for brand new owners. This is the fourth consecutive year that Genesis tops the study.
According to J.D. Power, Genesis vehicle owners experience 17 fewer problems per 100 vehicles than the second-best luxury brand and 24 fewer problems than the average new 2020 vehicle owner. The brand was ranked fifth overall among all automakers — including premium and non-premium brands.
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The 2020 Initial Quality Study looks only at the first 90 days of new vehicle ownership, which it says is a proven predictor of long-term reliability. The 2020 study looked at 233 potential problems organized across nine categories including climate, exterior, interior, powertrain, seats, and infotainment.
Problems caused by advanced driver assistance problems, new technologies and services, and the interaction of the vehicle and the environment were a major point of focus for IQS this year. As vehicles become increasingly technologically complex, so has the number of issues that drivers experience with these technologies.
This was not always reflected in previous studies. In the 2019 study, Genesis topped all brands with just 63 problems per 100 vehicles, with the industry average at 93 PP100. The industry average in 2020 was 166, a significant increase. What’s more, premium brands performed more poorly than their non-premium counterparts, which is unusual, and likely a result of the extra technology features that the more expensive vehicles offer.
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Nonetheless, Genesis performed well compared to the rest of the industry, and the 2020 G70 was ranked the top compact premium car for the second consecutive year, with 32 fewer PP100 than its closest competitor, and 45 PP100 less than the segment average. The 2020 G80 was also ranked second among upper midsize premium cars.
“To be ranked the #1 premium nameplate in the J.D. Power Initial Quality Study any year is a significant accomplishment,” said Mark Del Rosso, CEO of Genesis Motor North America. “But to be named the top ranked premium nameplate for four straight years is phenomenal. Genesis consistently scores well above our luxury brand competitors. We are thrilled with the results and remain steadfastly committed to delivering a personalized luxury experience to all of our customers.”
Kurt Verlin was born in France and lives in the United States. Throughout his life he was always told French was the language of romance, but it was English he fell in love with. He likes cats, music, cars, 30 Rock, Formula 1, and pretending to be a race car driver in simulators; but most of all, he just likes to write about it all. See more articles by Kurt.