In the corporate VDS ranking (which also includes Audi) Volkswagen placed 12th, the worst faring European automaker with 366
PP100. Not all is doom and gloom mind you, as the automaker actually managed to move one position up through the ranks from its 13th placement last year, and improved its PP100 rating by 12 increments from its previous score of 378.
How did it fare in the J.D. Power's 2004 Initial Quality Study (IQS)? Volkswagen once again places well below the industry average in this year's corporate ranking. Its 10th position on the grid is identical to last year, as is its 141 PP100 score. How it arrives at this identical ranking and PP100 score is a bit of a miracle, however, as the Volkswagen brand dropped in initial quality while the upscale Audi nameplate moved up the charts. While it's one of few automakers to show no numerical improvement, at least it isn't sliding backwards.
Volkswagen was in 24th place out of 36 brands in 2003 IQS as ranked by nameplate, just behind Hyundai. While Hyundai has
improved in 2004 VW's PP100 fell from 143 to 164 this year, and with the fall landed in second to last place. Only Hummer faired worse, with Volkswagen being beat out by Kia, Mitsubishi, Suzuki and every domestic brand.
What is more interesting, is that Porsche went from 7th place last year, the top German brand with a PP100 of 117, to just a single notch above Volkswagen in 2004, third from last with a dismal PP100 of 159. What does Porsche have to do with Volkswagen? Everything, currently that is. The only thing that has changed at Porsche is the Cayenne SUV, and now the revered premium brand sells more SUVs than sports cars. The Cayenne, if you didn't already know, is built from its tires right up to its roof rack in the same VW factory that turns out the Touareg, sans V8 engines (the V6 is a VW engine and comes out of the plant installed). To make matters worse Porsche also dove from 2nd place in last year's corporate ranking to last place in the 2004 study. Ouch!
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| While VW AG hasn't been moving up J.D. Power's initial quality charts, at least it isn't moving down. (Photo: Shawn Pisio, Canadian Auto Press) |
How did it fare in the J.D. Power's 2004 Initial Quality Study (IQS)? Volkswagen once again places well below the industry average in this year's corporate ranking. Its 10th position on the grid is identical to last year, as is its 141 PP100 score. How it arrives at this identical ranking and PP100 score is a bit of a miracle, however, as the Volkswagen brand dropped in initial quality while the upscale Audi nameplate moved up the charts. While it's one of few automakers to show no numerical improvement, at least it isn't sliding backwards.
Volkswagen was in 24th place out of 36 brands in 2003 IQS as ranked by nameplate, just behind Hyundai. While Hyundai has
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| According to all the ratings, it appears Volkswagen is facing serious quality issues. (Photo: Shawn Pisio, Canadian Auto Press) |
What is more interesting, is that Porsche went from 7th place last year, the top German brand with a PP100 of 117, to just a single notch above Volkswagen in 2004, third from last with a dismal PP100 of 159. What does Porsche have to do with Volkswagen? Everything, currently that is. The only thing that has changed at Porsche is the Cayenne SUV, and now the revered premium brand sells more SUVs than sports cars. The Cayenne, if you didn't already know, is built from its tires right up to its roof rack in the same VW factory that turns out the Touareg, sans V8 engines (the V6 is a VW engine and comes out of the plant installed). To make matters worse Porsche also dove from 2nd place in last year's corporate ranking to last place in the 2004 study. Ouch!