Chevrolet doesn’t sell as well in the United Kingdom as it does in America. That much is a given. However, its limited success might have a thing or two to do with how the brand ranks in Europe’s J.D. Power Customer Satisfaction Survey. In the most recent case — dead last.
The survey consisted of 16,000 car owners in the U.K. and 116 models from 27 brands that are between a year and three years old. The requirements for a vehicle to be eligible for the survey are that it has to have at least 4,000 sales and 50 clean surveys. In total, respondents tallied more than 340 million miles in their cars.
Owners had to rank their vehicles based on 66 criteria, which are grouped to deliver an overall percentage score. Points are based on good reliability, performance, service and running costs.
Based on that formula, the winning brand was Jaguar, at 82.7%, followed closely by Lexus at 81.8%, and Honda at 80%. The bottom three were Mitsubishi with 74.5%, Alfa Romeo at 72.5%, and Chevrolet at 69.1%, with the Spark also ranking lowest in satisfaction for individual models. Yes, just 13.6 percentage points separate first from last, but nobody wants to be last. To note, Vauxhall came in 22nd place, which isn’t very good, either.
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Dacia? Nope, lower than that.
Ssangyong? Nope, lower than that.
Chrysler? Nope, even lower than that.
Seriously, why would GM let themselves suck so badly abroad? If they want to know why their European operations are terrible, why not start with consumer satisfaction.
I agree, considering GM is trying to establish Chevy as the mainstream or bread and butter brand this hurts. One would think they’d be trying a lot harder at getting to a better place.
Ouch! It hurts just to read that. I sure hope they are working toward improving their models over there…
Something fishy.
Jaguar rated higher than Lexus?
Very strange.
I wondered too how jaguar ended up on top. And the survey was in the u.k.
And Alex wanted to replace the Holden brand (the second strongest brand in Australia) with the Chevrolet brand (already has a reputation as poor as the one in the UK)…
Irrelevant on so many levels. For starters:
1. This survey is for the U.K. — not for Australia or for Holden
2. I imagine that most Chevrolet buyers surveyed are reporting their experience with non-global Chevrolet models… in other words, Chevy-badged Daewoos. We all know those were piss-poor products that have since been either mostly or entirely replaced by worldclass-quality Chevrolets
3. Do you have any objective evidence to support your position that Chevrolet has a “poor” reputation in the U.K. or in Australia? Keep in mind, that the results of one survey (seen here) aren’t necessarily indicative of “reputation”. Rather, they convey the experience customers had with their cars, dealers, service centers, and customer service/support outlets (phone, email, etc.). Based on recent improvements in the Chevrolet product lineup globally, customers’ experience is likely to also improve (see #2)
4. Holden’s supposedly “strong” reputation isn’t preventing its sales from slumping, or from the unit turning a financial loss (in 2012)
Outside of your generally-subjective and rather baseless observation (couldn’t resist 🙂 ) , I’m with bronc624 (and others) in calling BS on this survey given that Jaguar is on top.
The Jaguar brand (or its vehicles) isn’t a leader of any survey or vehicle segment anywhere else in the world. Seems like there’s a good deal of positive nationalistic subjectivity here toward Jag (and perhaps negative subjectivity towards others). Ironically, said subjectivity doesn’t extend to Vauxhall 🙁
And on a related note: Holden, or “Australia’s Chevrolet”, wouldn’t have done any better in the JDP study, as it offers (by and large) the same vehicles as Chevy does in Europe.
The Commodore, Ute, Caprice, and Holden Cruze (Aussie made, slightly aussie designed, aussie engineering) would make a difference.
relax, I’m just stirring you up lol. Take a look at the amount thumbs up, I think most people caught on it was just a stupid joke comment. If I was serious, I wouldn’t have mentioned you name and talked in the same tone.
Bear in mind that the Spark seems to be the only Chevrolet (or Cadillac) model to meet their criteria of sales and responses. I would like to think that some of the other excluded models would have fared better in the standings. For example, the Aveo (US Sonic) and Orlando are pushing the perception meter up in the UK market.
Remember, it took a while for the “imports” to gain traction in the United States, as unfortunately they ultimately did.
Vauxhall tends to come in about average year on year, past models that have let the company down are Frontera & Sintra (badge engineered models) infect rumour has it this survey was the reason Sintra was axed. Vauxhall have a younger average age for their buyers than some of the higher placed manufactures & its said older buyers are less fussy, also if in a breakdown younger buyers could ineffect lose a days pay whilst being off work as opposed to the retired with no financial loss (something that you’d remember if asked in a survey). Vauxhall are great cars that sell in a lot higher numbers than many of the well performing niche manufactures, also of note Vauxhall is the only manufacture to offer a lifetime warranty thus showing confidence in the product.
Also when something is doing everything you asked of it you don’t complement the manufacturer only if it goes wrong do you complain. How many people have got time to fill in a survey unless they’ve got something they need to get off their chest.
Thumper , good point. And isn’t the Spark a Korean import? Chevy had problems in the past with doing that. They have started trying again. Hope it works better this time around.
Chevy Cruze, Spark, Captiva, Malibu, Aveo, Trax and Orlando are all imported from South Korea except for the Camaro, Volt and Corvette.
Vauxhall’s included in survey Corsa, Astra, Insignia & Zafira. Vauxhall’s not included Agila, Adam, Mokka, Meriva, Zafira Tourer, Cascada, VXR8, Maloo, Antara & Ampera hardly the full range then.
If there is any weak area it’s the dealers themselves, lacking the upmarket feel (decent chairs, free cans, biscuits, chocolates, fruit etc) also not helped in some by sharing showrooms with Chevy and when I say sharing its not two seperate showrooms on the same plot it’s the same showroom with two different brands & values with nothing separating ether by way of seperate building in what is a showroom showcasing the range.
There are two issues at play here. I agree the dealers suck in Europe as GM needs to get a hold of the dealers and distribution networks there.
Second there is little love for American names and cars there. There are small pockets but out side of Ford as a long established name plate England and many parts of Europe have no love for a American car.
There is nothing wrong with the GM cars as most are generally the same as we have here and have little issue with them. Keep in mind these people are also driving many screwed up French, Italian and British cars that they find acceptable.
The road into great Britain and Europe is not going to be an Easy or Short road. GM has the product but needs to back it up with great service and marketing.
The reality is there is not much Holden or Vauxhall left as most of each are using Chevy or Opel models to fill out most of their lines. The Holden RWD I expect will be a global GM car soon and will be a GM car as much as a Holden.
GM moving forward is mostly going to be Chevy and Cadillac with a couple other divisions with shared modes between them. like Buick/Opel and Holden/Chevy.
GM has a lot of work to do but they will get through it but it will take time and money to do it.
Most Europeans like American exotics such as muscle cars or trucks, but no mainstream vehicles. In Germany, people distinguish between American or German Fords. Ford is the only American or non European brand which is seen as a domestic producer in the UK or Germany due to its long history there.
Britain has nothing against American cars back in the day many was grey imported into UK. Also in UK Chrysler is present using rebadged Lancia’s (in Europe they are Lancia with Chrysler not even present). French & Itailan cars are rubbish & yes some are happy with them but they are purchased by people of little or no interest in cars & that want to buy them cheap so no loyalty. Which brings me neatly onto Chevy the type of person wanting a traditional Chevy dont want a Spark & so the customer buying a Spark isnt bothered about Chevys heratage, just the fact it’s cheap.
Chevy is sponcering the worlds biggest & possibly the most world famous football club Manchester United FC in a bid to become big in Europe, yet even this is proving to be a struggle sales are no better than when it was Daewoo & models such as Volt, Camaro & Corvette are tiny (have they sold any Camaro & Corvette in UK in the last 12 months, I suspect no) & I haven’t seen a Volt yet, not even in Prestwich, Manchester where there are quite a few hybrids. Maybe it’s time to quietly drop Chevy in Europe & let GM concentrate all their efforts into Vauxhall & Opel.
I agree with you. Chevrolet is presented in many countries around the world, while Opel/Vauxhall´s presence is only limited to Europe, mainly Western Europe and some countries outside of Europe such as China or Egypt with very, very little sales compared to other European rivals and Chevrolet. With Opel and Vauxhall GM has already two well established mainstream brands with a long history in Europe. Why should GM change this strategy without knowledge, if it will work or not. At the end GM could lose more customers than gain. Alex and the others think that most Opel/Vauxhall would switch to Chevrolet when GM moves Opel more “upmarket” (btw such a segment doesn´t exist in Europe), but the reality is different. I know a lot of former Opel drivers who are now driving a KIA, Hyundai, Skoda or a Ford, not Chevy! What about China! GM gives priority to Buick. Why not Opel/Vauxhall in Europe?
Surly there’s a case to suggest Chevy is loosing Vauxhall & Opel sales in Europe, Spark although not identical to Agila is aiming at a simlar market (OAP, mobility & family’s on a budget) Trax (simlar to Mokka), Volt (simlar to Ampera), Captiva (not to different from a Antara) in some cases the same cars are being duplicated in both ranges so surly part of Vauxhall & Opel’s move upmarket should include the prestige of having Europe to themselves.
The Spark is just like most other small cheap makes in Europe. It is no better and in many cases no worse than the others.
There is a niche group of Chevy fans there but for the sport and performance cars. Also a core market for the SUV’s. We sell a lot of parts there for these models but the fact is Chevy is no longer selling the older popular models.
GM has worked hard to promote the Cruze there with racing and will continue to promote the new cars in the brand. But they need to make sure these cars appeal to the market there. The Cruze appeal well to America but does it hold the same appeal as presented in Europe?
The real issue is people in Europe have been very brand loyal as this is the only way you can explain how Fiat, Peugeot and Renault not to mention the many other half baked brands we have seen in Europe. The Asian cars have crept in but even they have not seen the success as they have in North America.
I understand the Chevy name as a global name plate as it makes sense. The problem is sense in Europe is not always what wins with the human factor.
At times the traditional names applied to the same cars could make a difference.
Chevy may be a old name but it still holds that not from here tone to many.
With regards Chevy racing when they replaced regular title winning Vauxhall’s with Chevys in the BTCC I lost interest. As for half baked euro rubbish cars yes there are many (they sell in their home markets & poorer countries) the prestige ones in their own markets & to richer countries, hence why it’s so important to ensure GM keeps its European home brands on top of their game.
that’s kind of embarrassing for chevy and gm, i hope this is fixed soon