Honda Activa-i & Yamaha R15 have the best initial quality: JD Power!

JD Power, a Singapore-based survey company has declared that the Yamaha R15 sportsbike and the Honda Activa-i automatic scooter have the best initial quality among all mass market two wheelers sold in India. JD Power surveyed 8,905 owners across 85 two wheeler models to arrive at this conclusion. With 86 problems/100 vehicles sold, both the Honda Activa and Yamaha R15 emerged on top.

7 broad areas were identified: engine; brakes; fit and finish; lights/ electrical; ride and handling; transmission; and gauges and controls, and 147 problems were listed in front of owners during the survey. While Japanese two wheeler companies dominate the leader board, Bajaj Auto, Hero MotoCorp and TVS Motors are Indian two wheeler majors that finished strongly, with the likes of the Bajaj Pulsar 150, Hero HF Deluxe and TVS Apache RTR 160 doing well.

Here is what Rajat Agarwal, Two-Wheeler Industry Expert at J.D. Power, had to say about this survey,

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 Honda Activa i’s performance in this survey is particularly appreciable given the sheer volumes at which this scooter sells in India. A high reputation for quality from real owners reflects the tight quality processes followed by Honda Two Wheelers. However, some other offerings from the brand do not do as well. The Honda Grazia scooter and the Unicorn 150 motorcycle did not fare very well, with 137 and 156 problems/100 vehicles respectively. Yamaha on the other hand, did quite well, with the FZ16 topping its segment with 108 problems/100 vehicles. Yamaha is a company whose reputation for quality is a prime reason for buyers opting for its two wheelers. The company has done well in this regard.

The R15 is a premium sportsbike that resurrected the Yamaha brand way back in 2008, when it was launched at the Auto Expo of that year. Currently, in its 3rd generation, the R15 is priced at around Rs. 1.4 lakh for the dual channel ABS equipped model. The 155cc bike is fully faired and gets a slew of segment leading features. The Honda Activa-i, on the other hand, is the brand’s entry level scooter offering in the best selling Activa range, with a price tag of Rs. 52,000. The Activa is known for its reliability, good resale value, fuel efficiency and low maintenance costs.