Audi has had a long and successful career in the movie franchise with some of the biggest names in cinematic history, especially in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Now, they’ve teamed up with Twentieth Century Fox and Blue Sky Studios to create the first-ever Audi animated virtual concept car for the latest animated film, Spies in Disguise. (more…)
The Aston Martin Wings Series have produced some of the world’s most beautiful limited-edition models and its latest member is no exception. Inspired by the world’s first and only supersonic passenger jet, this is the Aston Martin DBS Superleggera Concorde Edition. How special? Only 10 units are available. (more…)
Ever wondered what will happen if you stuff a Formula 1 race-winning engine into your project car that’s been sitting around forever? If you have the money, then wonder no more because there are two Ferrari Formula 1 V10 engines up for sale from the manufacturer’s championship-winning 2002 season! (more…)
The latest JD Power Initial Quality Study (IQS) for Malaysia which provides insights into the problems faced by owners of new vehicles shows that they are experiencing fewer problems than in 2018. This is largely attributed to a decline in manufacturing-related issues and prevailing problems are nearly equally split between design and manufacturing categories.
Initial quality measures the number of problems experienced per 100 vehicles (PP100) during the first two to six months of ownership, with a lower count reflecting higher quality. In this year’s study, the industry average decreased to 85 PP100, from 89 PP100 in 2018.
The study showed that the share of manufacturing-related issues has been on the decline over the past 3 years, falling to 51% in 2019 from 74% in 2016. The majority of the reduction from last year related to noise aspects, such as wind noise (-1.7 PP100); abnormal suspension noise (-1.1 PP100); seat noise (-0.9 PP100); abnormal transmission noise (-0.7 PP100); and other interior storage compartments noises (-0.3 PP100).
One-third of issues relate to noise
That said, noise-related issues accounted for 36% of all manufacturing issues identified by owners this year. On average, the overall rating on quality and reliability of new vehicle is lower among owners who reported such noise-related manufacturing issues than those who did not (7.3 and 8.2 respectively on a 10-point scale). Interestingly, engineers are some car companies have told PISTON.MY that Malaysians seem to have the ‘most sensitive’ ears as complaints about noise tend to be higher than from motorists in other countries!
“Vehicle owners continue to be sensitive to noise-related problems, which strongly affect their overall perception of the vehicle’s quality,” said E-Ling Cheah, Country Manager for Malaysia at J.D. Power. “Given the heightened customer sensitivity around buzz, squeak, rattle and wind noises, manufacturers need to not only improve their manufacturing processes but also work upstream to review and redefine vehicle design guidelines to avoid such issues surfacing early in the ownership cycle.”
Some key findings of the 2019 study
Among the top 5 problems, 4 were similar to the top 5 in 2018. Excessive wind noise (5.9 PP100) and excessive road noise (2.9 PP100) continued to be the top two most-cited problems. “Built-in Bluetooth Mobile Phone/Device Has Frequent Pairing/Connectivity Issues” became the third most reported problem (2.7 PP100), up from fifth last year (2.5 PP100). Radio problems were fourth this year (2.0 PP100).
Younger car owners cited more problems when responding. Those under 35 years old (57%) indicated more problems than those 35 years or older (91 PP100 vs. 73 PP100, respectively). Younger car owners cited more problems in the features/controls/displays (+4.6 PP100) as well as vehicle interior (+4.5 PP100) categories. Perhaps they have more sensitive hearing?
Among new vehicle owners who did not indicate any problems, 49% said they “definitely will” recommend their brand and model to friends or relatives, compared with 37% for those who had encountered at least one problem with their vehicle. One-third of new vehicle owners who did not experience any problems with their vehicle said they “definitely will” purchase a vehicle from the same brand the next time, compared with 26% of those who experienced at least one problem.
The J.D. Power 2019 Malaysia Initial Quality Study was based on responses from 1,904 new vehicle owners who purchased their vehicles between July 2018 and August 2019. The study, conducted between March and October 2019, included 50 passenger car, pick-up and utility vehicle models of 12 brands.
No more studies in ASEAN after 2019
JD Power has been conducting a series of three studies annually for the past 17 years but will no longer do so after this year. Reorganization sees the regional office in Singapore, which was responsible for the Malaysian market, shutting down. The company, founded in 1968, will focus on business activities in China and Japan from 2020 onwards.
Almost all (97%) of residents in Malaysia who participated in a survey think that owning a car is important and 67% still see the car as the ideal mode of transport. However, more than half (51%) said that they would consider giving up car ownership and rely on long-term car rental if it was convenient and easy for them.
This is the finding of ‘The Road Ahead: The Future of Mobility’, a new report by Avis Budget Group which examines the way in which the mobility landscape is changing around the world, how it is likely to look in the future and, how people in different countries view these changes.
In the research conducted across 16 countries in Europe and Asia, including Malaysia, respondents revealed that over the next decade, consumers are likely to move to an access-driven and on-demand model as their favourite mode of transportation.
Technology drives transport revolution
The single biggest factor leading the transport revolution is technology, specifically 5G networks. Most recently, the Malaysia government has started a nationwide demonstration of 5G projects that indicated it was on track to becoming one of the first Asian countries to launch the technology. Once implemented, the large amounts of data provided by the 5G networks will enable mobility companies to collect and mine data for insight, which can be used to improve travel experiences.
To this point, the Avis Budget Group’s research revealed that 73% of respondents feel comfortable having their data accessed and shared for the implementation of smart infrastructure and better travel experience. More than 4-in-5 (81%) of respondents also expect driving to become easier in the coming years.
“Driven by technology advancements and the influence of services like Amazon, Netflix and Spotify, people today want to consume and access products and services at the click of a button. The expectation for an on-demand service has impacted the mobility industry and resulted in the evolution we’re seeing today – from being able to book a taxi instantly to hiring a car for a week-long holiday – all from your smartphone. However, our report reveals that we are now seeing a rise in this demand for instant access and flexibility, resulting in changing behaviours towards car ownership,” said Keith Rankin, President, International, Avis Budget Group.
“Changing needs and the expansion of the sharing economy offer both challenges and opportunities for the mobility industry. Our research has shown that whilst consumers are expectant of connected, integrated and on-demand services, they still want convenience at a reasonable price.
“It’s imperative that different mobility players work together to ensure the future needs of consumers are met. We have demonstrated the success of collaboration, as shown with our fleet management as a service (FMaaS) partnerships with Via and Lyft, and our agreements with Ford and Continental in providing connected cars,” he added. “Our partnerships demonstrate well how the sector can work together to provide the on-demand and connected services that customers want. These can range from a technology giant delivering 5G, or local governments working with the private sector for improved, urban electric vehicle access for residents.”
Click here to download the full report
It’s been a while since we’ve heard anything from Uber these days but the latest news surrounding the once successful company here in the country is not a great one. It seems that their operations in London have fallen and their operating license has been stripped (for the second time in two years) on 25 November 2019 after failing several safety and security measures. (more…)
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