Maruti Alto 800 top quality entry-level car

According to JD Power 2014 India Initial Quality Study rankings, Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 ranks highest in the entry compact segment with 97 problems per 100 vehicles (PP100), while the company's Swift ranks highest in the premium compact segment with 78 PP100.

In the compact segment, Hyundai i10 ranks highest with 84 PP100, and the Hyundai Xcent ranks highest in entry midsize segment with 86 PP100.

Besides, Honda Brio ranks highest in the upper compact segment, the Ford Ecosport in SUV segment, the Skoda Rapid in the midsize segment and and the Toyota Innova in the MUV/ MPV segment.

The 2014 India Initial Quality Study (IQS) is based on evaluations from 8,429 vehicle owners who purchased a new vehicle between November 2013 and July 2014. The study includes 73 vehicle models from 17 makes.

The study was fielded from May 2014 to September 2014 in 30 cities across India. All problems are summarised as the number of problems per 100 vehicles (PP100). Lower PP100 scores indicate a lower rate of problem incidence and higher initial quality.

According to the study, diesel powered vehicles have become better in terms of quality in India as the number of problems new-vehicle owners are reporting with their diesel vehicles have decreased significantly.

Diesel vehicle sales in India have increased by 16 per cent in 2014, compared with 2010, while initial quality has improved as the number of problems with diesel vehicles have decreased to 96 problems per 100 vehicles (PP100) in 2014 from 148 PP100 in 2010, it added.

"Overall, the industry has made significant strides on improving the quality of diesel vehicles, especially on core vehicle systems," JD Power Asia Pacific, Singapore executive director Mohit Arora said. However, with the development of public transportation in India, coupled with an increase in carpooling, owners are driving fewer kilometers, helping to reduce the number of overall problems with diesel vehicles, he added.

The study, now in its 18th year, measured problems owners experience with their new vehicle during the first two to six months of ownership and examines more than 200 problem symptoms covering eight vehicle categories.

The categories covered in the study being: engine and transmission; vehicle exterior; driving experience; HVAC; features, controls and displays; vehicle interior; seats; and audio, entertainment and navigation.