Volkswagen Group Tops Strategic Vision’s Total Quality Index Survey

Strategic Vision recently announced the results of its 2012 Total Quality Index (TQI) study which measures how closely the experience of quality matches the expectations of the customer. Lead by the top-scoring Audi A8 Sedan, the Volkswagen Group has taken top honors in the latest Strategic Vision TQI survey. All aspects of the experience of buying, owning, and driving a vehicle, not just a measure of things gone wrong, interact to form an overall impression on the customer. That overall experience includes the emotional response the vehicle elicits, as well as its tangible attributes and factors such as reliability.

While the Luxury Car segment-leading Audi A8 achieved a TQI score of 942 (the highest on the list), the Audi A4 scored 917, earning honors as the best near-luxury car. The Volkswagen Golf earned top honors in the Small Multi-Function segment, racking up 874 points in the process. Even Volkswagen’s oft-overlooked convertible, the Eos, scored 902 points, enough to win the convertible category. The automaker’s compact crossover, the Tiguan, garnered 877 points to win the Entry Utility category.

According to Strategic Vision, the real message is that innovation is connected to perceptions of quality. If innovation is strong, especially such that customers can say they “love it,” when referring to the product, then perceptions of quality will be greatly (positively) influenced. Strategic Vision research has proven that those who recognize and acknowledge innovation (most new car buyers) will purchase, and not just be driven by counting problems. With all manufacturers being in such close traditional quality proximity (counting problems only), there is little question that those car manufacturers who offer rich and impactful, intuitively designed cars will have the advantage going into the future.

Read Strategic Vision’s press release for a complete list of segment winners.