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Mitsubishi i Ranks Highest in Appealing to Mini-Car Owners in Japan Review

October 2006
Filed under: MITSUBISHI Car News | MITSUBISHI Headlines
TOKYO: 31 October 2006 — The Mitsubishi i is the most appealing mini-car model in Japan, setting a new industry benchmark in overall satisfaction, according to the J.D. Power Asia Pacific 2006 Japan Mini-Car Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) StudySM released today. The study measures an important dimension of mini-car owner satisfaction by determining what excites and delights owners about their vehicle’s performance and design. The overall APEAL score is based on consumer evaluations in eight factors of vehicle performance and design. They are: styling/exterior; engine/transmission; comfort/convenience; cockpit/instrument panel; sound system; ride/handling; seats; and heating/ventilation/cooling.

Mitsubishi i

Among the 11 ranked mini-car models, the Mitsubishi i ranks highest with a score of 723 points on a 1,000-point scale. The Mitsubishi i performs well in all eight factors that determine overall APEAL. In particular, the model receives high ratings from owners in two of the most influential factors: styling/exterior and engine/transmission.

The all-new Honda Zest follows the Mitsubishi i in the rankings with a score of 669 points and performs particularly well in the area of comfort/convenience. The Daihatsu Move Latte ranks third overall with a score of 667 points.

The Daihatsu Tanto, Nissan Moco, Daihatsu Move, Honda Life and Daihatsu Esse also perform above the industry average.

“Considering the recent increase in the number of mini-cars being sold in Japan, competition among mini-car models has intensified,” said Tsuyoshi Takahashi, manager at J.D. Power Asia Pacific. “Mitsubishi in particular has taken a somewhat aggressive approach to differentiate the i model from the competition by attracting high-income buyers who are trading in a standard passenger vehicle. This is noteworthy, because attracting new buyers from another vehicle segment can be a challenging task.”

The styling/exterior of a vehicle has been the most influential factor contributing to mini-car APEAL since the study’s inception in 2002. The study also finds that mini-car APEAL performance is also closely tied to owner satisfaction with the engine/transmission, comfort/convenience and cockpit/instrument panel. In general, models that perform well in the styling/exterior factor also tend to perform well in the rankings.

“In a competitive Japanese new-vehicle market, manufacturers need to develop models that garner higher satisfaction levels from consumers,” said Takahashi. “Manufacturers also need to have an understanding of the constantly changing expectations that owners have with regard to their mini-car and to keep creating new, appealing products. These practices are crucial in targeting new and potential consumers.”

The 2006 Japan Mini-Car Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study includes responses from 3,164 new-car owners who purchased their vehicle between December 2005 and May 2006. The survey was conducted in July of 2006.

About J.D. Power Asia Pacific
J.D. Power Asia Pacific, established in 1990, conducts customer satisfaction research and provides consulting services in the automotive, information technology and finance industries. Information regarding J.D. Power Asia Pacific and its products can be accessed through the Internet at www.jdpower.co.jp

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, consulting, 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 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 290 offices in 38 countries. Sales in 2005 were $6.0 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

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Source: J.D. Power and Associates

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