Mexican Auto Market Competition Intensifying

Anthony Fontanelle
September 27, 2007

The Asian auto market may be showing signs of increased growth but it is not the only market that automakers are focusing on. In North America, the United States is no doubt the biggest market but the Mexican auto market is also showing signs of growth. And now automakers find themselves embroiled in a tight battle for supremacy in the said country. In the recent study conducted by J.D. Power and Associates to determine the degree of satisfaction of new car buyers, they found out that no automaker stands out. For the nine classes, eight brands were given the highest ratings by Mexican new car owners.

The 2007 Mexico Vehicle Ownership Satisfaction Study is on its fourth year and it is done to gauge the satisfaction of Mexican consumers with their new cars. According to theautochannel.com, J.D. Power and Associates grades the satisfaction of car owners on four areas which are vehicle quality and reliability, vehicle appeal, dealership service, and ownership costs. For the 2007 study, the number of segments included was raised to nine from last year's six. The additional segments are the entry premium car, entry pickup, and entry full size pickup.

The only automaker to have two vehicles top two segments is the soon to be world's largest automaker Toyota. The Toyota Yaris topped J.D. Power and Associates' study for the upper sub-compact car segment. The other Toyota nameplate to have the highest rating among Mexican car owners is the Toyota Sienna. The Sienna topped the minivan segment. This is the second year that the Toyota Sienna was named as the most satisfying minivan in Mexico.

Other vehicles which topped their respective segments come from American, Japanese, and European automakers. The Nissan Tsuru topped the entry sub-compact car segment showing that Nissan is making great strides in its development of small and economical cars. The BMW 1 Series is given the highest rating in the compact car segment once again showing that BMW is working hard to satisfy their consumers with their offerings. For the midsize car segment, Mexicans are very satisfied with their Volvo S40 which can be equipped with high quality Koni shocks.

For the entry premium car segment, the winner is the Mercedes-Benz C-Class. Mercedes-Benz is the third European automaker to top a segment and the second German automaker. The Mitsubishi Outlander topped the entry SUV segment showing that the Japanese automaker is still showing signs of life. For the new segment that is the entry pickup class, the Ford Ranger is the best choice for Mexican consumers. The Dodge Ram Pickup LD is the most satisfying full size pickup for Mexican consumers.

"A wide variety of brands demonstrate the ability to design and build vehicles that effectively meet the needs and wants of new-vehicle buyers in Mexico," said Neal Oddes, the director of product research and analysis at J.D. Power and Associates. "This high level of competition clearly benefits consumers in Mexico, who have a wide choice of satisfying vehicles at various price levels."

"As consumer credit becomes more widely available and shoppers become more inclined to perform detailed research before making a vehicle purchase, the need for manufacturers to differentiate themselves becomes more critical."

Source:  Amazines.com