Providing Shoppers with Time to Test Advanced Features and Technologies in New Vehicles
Imperative to Increased Negotiation Satisfaction, J.D. Power Finds
BMW Ranks Highest in Sales Satisfaction among Luxury Brands; Mazda Ranks Highest among Mass
Market Domestic Brands
TOKYO: 23 Aug. 2024 — New-vehicle shoppers currently consider hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) andplug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) more frequently than traditional EVs, according to theJ.D. Power 2024 Japan Sales Satisfaction Index (SSI) Study,SM released today. As all types of EVsinclude advanced technologies and features, it is important that they are showcased to shoppers
during the test drive. Specifically, sales satisfaction during the negotiation process averages 837 points(on a 1,000-point scale) among those shoppers who say they had an opportunity to explore the newvehicle features during the test drive, compared with 807 points among those shoppers who focusedmore on vehicle size and driving performance.
The study measures customer satisfaction with the purchase experience among new-vehicle buyers aswell as among rejecters, defined as those who seriously consider a brand but ultimately buy anotherbrand.
“New-vehicle shoppers have considered HEVs or PHEVs more frequently, implying that more newvehicles have been equipped with advanced technologies,” said Taku Kimoto, senior managing officerof research at J.D. Power. “Currently, shoppers mainly check how big the vehicle is or how well it drives
during a test drive. However, given the increase in new vehicles with advanced technologies, test drives
could be an effective way for dealerships to provide shoppers with enhanced experiences of theindividual features and their user-friendliness.”
Following are some of the key findings of the 2024 study:
Overall sales satisfaction remains static from 2023: In 2024, overall sales satisfaction averages
720, unchanged from 2023. By factor, sales satisfaction with dealer facilities and support is 730,
while the score for contract procedure is 728, followed by 715 for negotiations and 709 for delivery.
By segment, sales satisfaction for luxury brands averages 776, while the mass market domestic
brand average is 715.

More HEVs and PHEVs1 are considered while EVs stagnate: This year’s study finds that for thefirst time, new-vehicle shoppers in Japan considered HEVs more frequently than internal
combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. The percentage of shoppers who considered HEVs increases to60% in 2024 from 57% in 2023, while shoppers who considered ICE vehicles decreases to 57% from62%. HEVs, which have been mass produced for 25 years, now are the most frequent type ofvehicle that shoppers consider, rather than ICE vehicles. The percentage of shoppers whoconsidered PHEVs has increased to 14% this year from 11% in 2023. Additionally, the percentageof shoppers who considered EVs remains the same as in 2023 at 10%. While the demand for EVs
has stagnated, HEVs and PHEVs have become the focus of more attention than in the past.

Shoppers who considered HEVs and PHEVs include those who considered vehicles with other engine types, such as gasoline
engines, at the same time.
1japan.jdpower.com

•Shoppers who consider HEVs and PHEVs conduct more pre-purchase research: These shoppers
tend to rely more on specific information sources. When shopping for a new vehicle, they consult
digital information more frequently than shoppers who consider ICE vehicles, including
manufacturer and dealer websites, their social media accounts and news sites. Specifically,
shoppers who considered HEVs or PHEVs this year reviewed the manufacturer or dealer social
media accounts more frequently than they did in 2023. This suggests that vehicle manufacturers
and dealerships are increasingly utilizing social media to provide information. Boosting information
dissemination not only in print form, such as catalogs and brochures, but also digitally will be one of
the keys for manufacturers and dealerships in the future.

Study Rankings
Luxury Brands
Among the four luxury brands included in the study, BMW (783) ranks highest. BMW performs
particularly well in the negotiations factor. Lexus (780) ranks second.
Mass Market Domestic Brands
Among the eight mass market domestic brands, Mazda (747) ranks highest. Mazda performs
particularly well in the delivery, dealer facilities and support, negotiations, and contract procedurefactors. Nissan (736) ranks second and Subaru (725) ranks third.
The Japan Sales Satisfaction Index (SSI) Study, now in its 23rd year, this year is based on responses
from 7,110 buyers who purchased their new vehicle at a manufacturer-authorized dealer. Satisfaction
is measured in four factors (listed in order of importance): delivery (26%); dealer facilities and support(26%); negotiations (26%); and contract procedure (21%). The data was collected between April 2023
and March 2024, after two to 13 months of ownership. The online survey was fielded in May-June
2024.
About J.D. PowerJ.D. Power is a global leader in automotive data and analytics, and provides industry intelligence,
consumer insights and advisory solutions to the automotive industry and selected non-automotiveindustries. J.D. Power leverages its extensive proprietary datasets and software capabilities combinedwith advanced analytics and artificial intelligence tools to help its clients optimize businessperformance.
J.D. Power was founded in 1968 and has offices in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. To learn
more about the company’s business offerings, visit https://japan.jdpower.com/.
Media Relations Contacts
Kumi Kitami, J.D. Power; Japan; 81-3-6809-2996; release@jdpa.com
Geno Effler, J.D. Power; USA; 714-621-6224; media.relations@jdpa.com
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