Mini and Kia have been crowned the brands to work with, according to the latest Business Barometer.
The most recent dealer attitude survey, conducted through the National Association of Franchised Dealers, attracted 2,321 responses from 32 franchise networks over a five-week period, asking franchised dealers about their relationships with their respective manufacturers.
It revealed an overall upward trend in the maximum number of questions, with 47 out of 56 questions appearing with an average score higher than the previous survey last summer.
Sue Robinson, Chief Executive Officer of the NFDA, said: “The NFDA congratulates Kia and MINI on being co-winners of this edition of the survey. It’s also worth noting that seven Stellantis Group brands showed some improvement, and many of them brands that are among the lowest scores in previous editions of the survey. “There are encouraging findings: 47 out of 56 questions show an overall upward trend in the average score. There are also spaces that DAS has known where there is still room for improvement, adding brands that respond to considerations highlighted through dealerships related to electric vehicles. “
The manufacturer’s lowest overall score is Jaguar, while Jeep is considered the logo that has taken the biggest step forward compared to the summer 2023 survey.
Federico Izzo, Head of Mini UK & Ireland, said that the relationship with their stores is central to the advertising good fortune of the MINI network and logo in the UK and I would like to thank them for their unwavering power and support.
“This makes the final results of the latest NFDA survey satisfactory, especially at the start of a year in which the MINI logo is experiencing a renaissance, with three new models introduced to the market and the transition to electric power already underway. “
Paul Philpott, chairman and chief executive of Kia UK, said the automaker is very pleased to once again be named the number one logo in the NFDA’s most recent poll, and for the third time in a row.
“This result is a testament to the strength of our relationships with our intermediary partners, with whom we work closely. Above all, we listened and learned from each other, as well as our customers, to make Kia the varied logo it is today.
“With the recent launch of our new flagship, the all-electric seven-seater EV9, we are editing our appeal and attracting new consumers to the brand, ensuring a healthy mix of new and existing interest in the brand.
“We just achieved our most productive sales in the first quarter, which follows our most productive sales year in 2023, following 2022, when Kia reached more than 100,000 sales in a year for the first time. This is not a remote expansion yet, the culmination of years of hard work, investing in our people, accepting as true in our product and accepting as true in our customers.
In detail
Return on Profits
Dealer satisfaction with existing earnings saw a slight decrease, with an average score of 6. 1, -0. 1 less than in the summer 2023 edition (-1. 6% change). When assessing trends from previous DAS surveys, existing earnings scores have been variable as distributors have faced global supply chain shortages and a cost-of-living crisis. Kia takes the top position with a score of 8. 8, a -0. 3 relief from its score of 9. 1 in the previous survey. MINI and Lexus eliminate the top three with scores of 8. 3 and 7. 7 respectively. The lowest scores were achieved by Jaguar (2. 7), DS (3. 5) and Seat (3. 9).
Conversely, traders’ satisfaction ratings with long-term earnings appear more optimistic, with an average rising to 6. 1, an increase of 0. 3. Kia ranks most sensible with a score of 8. 7, followed by Lexus with a score of 8. 0 and Dacia with a score of 8. 0. Jaguar (3. 1), Seat (3. 5) and DS (3. 5) had the lowest scores, with Jaguar and DS improving on their scores from last year’s edition (1. 6 and 1. 3 respectively).
Electric Vehicles
The survey noted that all questions related to electric cars (EVs) gained an increase in average scores. Despite this, considerations persist among dealers about manufacturers’ on-site EV charging infrastructures, with an average score of 5. 2 out of 10, the lowest. score in the entire survey.
Kia took first place in each and every EV-related subject presented at the DAS, while SEAT scored the lowest.
This year’s new EV highlighted that more than a third of dealers were dissatisfied with how the ZEV mandate affects new vehicle orders.
The survey shows that, despite some progress compared to the last edition, there is still room for improvement, with topics related to electric vehicles once again among the worst-rated questions. Despite the really significant investments made through dealerships, the transition to electric vehicles, considerations persist about support and profitability for manufacturers.
Used Vehicles
Used car scores continue to record survey scores and notably, in some cases, showed further improvement.
Since the last edition, intermediary satisfaction with the used car brand criteria remains the highest and the average score has increased from 7. 1 to 7. 4, the highest score in this edition of the survey. This follows targets set across used car brands, which scored an average score of 7. 3, an increase of 9. 0%. Honda and Kia finished first and second on any of the questions, respectively, while Alfa Romeo and Jaguar scored the lowest.
More Improved
The origin of new cars continued to show the largest increase in score, with 27 out of 32 brands posting gains since the last edition of the survey. This indicator has increased in recent surveys and is a smart indicator of the improvement of global supply chains.
The brands’ average score related to the source of new vehicles in the winter 2024 survey increased to 6. 4 from 5. 5 (score of 0. 9) in the summer 2023 edition, a substitution of 16. 4%. Nissan (8. 4), Kia (8. 1) and Mazda (7. 8) earned the scores. Despite this, some brands have also noticed a decline in middleman satisfaction with the origin of new vehicles. Jaguar (2. 9), Audi (3. 1), Seat and Volvo (both 4. 3) had the lowest scores.
Learning
Dealers’ opinion of manufacturers’ learning systems increased by an average of 0. 2, from 7. 0 in the Summer 2023 edition to 7. 2 in this edition. Lexus took the top position with a score of 9. 7, followed by Kia (9. 2) and BMW (9. 0). MINI, which held the top position, fell to seventh place with a score of 7. 7, while Cupra (5. 8), Land Rover, Citroën and Seat (all with 5. 9) had the least favorable scores.
Relationship with the manufacturer
Distributor satisfaction with their ability to do business with brands increased from 0. 6% to 7. 1%, an improvement of 9. 2%. In fact, this is a positive progression and the brands of the Stellantis Group have noticed the most significant improvement in their appointments. with brands after achieving weak effects in previous surveys, adding Citroën (-148%), DS (-146%) and Vauxhall (-132%). Conversely, Jaguar saw a -32% drop, followed by Cupra (-19%), MG (-18%), Audi (-17%) and Volvo (-15%).
Overall Manufacturer’s Rating
The important question “How would you rate your manufacturer overall on a scale of 1 to 10?”It returned an average of 6. 6, an increase of 0. 3 from our Summer 2023 issue. MINI (9. 23) and Kia (9. 23) shared the prize as co-winners of this year’s DAS, with Lexus (9. 0) once again taking the lead. At the other end of the spectrum, Jaguar (2. 9), Alfa Romeo (4. 0) and Land Rover (4. 1) scored the lowest. Jeep is the one that has advanced to the maximum with a cumulative 3. 8 points until the last survey.
Largest motors and agitators in general
Notably, in this edition of the survey, when distributors were asked to rate their manufacturer overall, 18 brands saw an improvement in their average score, while thirteen brands experienced a decrease. 7 of the Stellantis Group’s brands were among the top 10 most sensible winners.
The brands that raised their overall score to the maximum were DS (-180. 0%), Jeep (-165. 2%) and Vauxhall (-145. 8%), ranking twenty-ninth, 17th and twenty-first, respectively.
The brands that earned their scores were Land Rover (-26. 8%), MG (-20. 3%) and Mazda (-18. 7%), which ranked thirtieth, fourteenth and eighteenth respectively.
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Aimée Turner is a B2B specialist and journalist who has been covering the foreign shipping industry for more than 20 years.
He specializes in vital safety, regulatory, and environmental issues affecting high-tech corporations in the pursuit of more efficient, safe, and sustainable modes of transportation.
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