Yamaha R15 and Honda Activa Top The Charts in JD Power Initial Quality Survey

• Published On: 28 June 2019
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Yamaha R15 & Honda Activa top JD power initial quality survey.

With 86 points, Yamaha R15 has emerged as the industry leader in terms of reliability and problem free nature in the premium motorcycle segment in India. The average for this segment was 129 points and Yamaha R15 aced it with 86 points. The survey was conducted by JD Power, a Singapore-based survey company. Honda Activa-i managed to snag a similar score in the executive scooter segment where the industry average was 132. This survey pegs Yamaha R15 and Honda Activa-i as the products with best initial quality in India. The next best scorer was the Suzuki Access 125 with 94 points in the upper executive scooter segment where the segment average was 125. In order to reach these results, JD Power surveyed 8,905 owners across 85 two wheeler models in India. With 86 problems/100 vehicles sold, both the Honda Activa-I and Yamaha R15 emerged on top.

The survey conducted a study of engine; brakes; fit and finish; lights/ electrical; ride and handling; transmission; and gauges and controls. The owners were presented with the choice of 147 problems in the survey. The Japanese makers managed to snag top positions but the Indian makers were also not far behind with brands like Hero, Bajaj, and TVS also doing well in the test.

Talking about the survey, two-wheeler industry expert at J.D. Power, Rajat Agarwal spoke,

“Deteriorating product quality can detract from customer satisfaction and confidence in the two-wheeler model across the entire ownership period. As the industry will soon be going through a paradigm shift in technology in order to meet the BS-VI emission norms as set by the Government, OEMs can also focus on addressing concerns around sustained product quality to gain from improved word-of-mouth recommendations.”

The chairman of Yamaha Motor India, Motofumi Shitara also spoke on the occasion of Yamaha R15 gaining the top spot in the survey:

“It’s a great honour as Yamaha’s products have been acknowledged in the whole industry as the topmost quality-oriented motorcycles in the premium and upper executive categories. As the survey has collected user feedback, this award will naturally carry customer testimonials about Yamaha’s uniqueness. Further, the prestigious survey rank will be instrumental to drive Yamaha’s marketing initiatives as the brand is now building up its share in the premium segment. The testimony of good quality upon the already popular technologies that Yamaha has provided in the YZF-R15 and FZ/FZS motorcycles will usefully guide the purchase decisions of new customers. We thank J.D. Power as this survey has recognized Yamaha for such coveted positions. As an exciting brand, we will continue with our hard work to bring more style and sportiness into our products and experiences in the future.”

While the Yamaha R15 is not a mass market product, the results of the Honda Activa-i prove that if the makers pay enough attention even product sold in great volumes can prove to be long lasting and problem free.