Guangzhou-based GAC Motor, one of China's fastest growing automakers, has consolidated its dominance in the domestic industry by retaining its position as the highest ranking Chinese brand in the J.D. Power Asia Pacific's 2017 China Initial Quality Study for the fifth consecutive year.

Its best-selling innovative SUV model GS4 ranked first in the study's compact SUV category of Chinese brands.

J.D. Power, the US-based global marketing information services company, measures top-performing auto brands and products by surveying millions of consumers.

The extensive automotive surveys conducted on customer satisfaction and product quality have made the index one of the most trustworthy industry-wide.

According to its 2017 study, released in late September, the new-vehicle quality gap between Chinese domestic brands and international brands has narrowed dramatically to 13 PP100 since J.D.Power first launched its Initial Quality Study in China in 2000, when the gap was 396 PP100.

The study shows that Chinese domestic brands, for the first time, slightly outperformed international brands in three of the eight problem categories - including vehicle interior (0.3 PP100), feature, controls and displays (0.2 PP100) and audio, communication, entertainment and navigation (less than 0.1 PP100).

"The overall trend, based on our annul study, is that the quality of new vehicles in China has been improving continuously and substantially," said Jef Cai, general manager of Auto Product Practice at the J.D. Power China.

"Chinese domestic brands have made remarkable progress in producing quality vehicles as they gain on international brands year by year in the initial quality of their products."

According to Cai, Chinese brands will still need to proactively address consumers' concerns and complaints in a timely manner on both design-related problems and defects and malfunctions.

"It is highly critical for automakers to respond to consumer feedback regarding the quality of new vehicles," Cai said.

Since its establishment in 2008, GAC Motor has created a full life circle management system that guarantees product quality in all four links of vehicle production - from research and development, manufacturing to supply chain and sales and services - which ensures that the company achieves multi-year, cross-platform and cross-model quality consistency.

"J.D. Power has recognized GAC Motor's quality-centric strategy," said Yu Jun, president of GAC Motor.

"Our company has forged a new path that is directed towards the high-end market, guaranteed by top quality and driven by innovation. It's the spirit of genuine craftsmanship that has motivated us to engineer every model to the highest standards."

To guarantee product quality and safety, GAC Motor has established its strict 6520 quality control system that sets a goal of zero flaws and improves product quality standards through six management activities, five inspections and examinations and two major flow control systems.

"We have an exceptionally low defective rate of supplier parts and components; the 22ppm rating in 2016 was far lower than the industry average, and this year we aim to achieve 10ppm, which means only 650 defectives are allowed for every 650 million supplier parts.

This shows GAC Motor's confidence in its product quality control system," said Yu.

Excelling at safety performances in particular, GAC Motor received a top ranking in the China New Car Assessment Program. And in the 2017 China Automobile After-sales Customer Satisfaction report, released on September 20, GAC Motor ranked No 1 among independent brands with a score of 87.74.

GAC Motor sold 376,220 vehicles from January to September this year, a 46.8 percent year-on-year increase.

The GA6 model had over 18,000 sales, a 165.6 percent year-on-year increase, while the premium midsize GA8 sedan remained one of the best sellers among Chinese brands.

"Our long-term goal is to improve our systems, strengthen institutional mechanisms and drive innovation," Yu said.

"Through elevating our brand in all respects, from products to branding and services, we aim to become a world-class Chinese auto brand and a globalized enterprise."

A subsidiary of GAC Group, GAC Motor develops and manufactures premium quality vehicles, engines, components and auto accessories.

It achieved a year-on-year growth rate of 96 percent in 2016, the highest among all Chinese brands over the corresponding period.

Crowning its already long list of achievements, GAC Motor ranked the highest among all Chinese brands for five consecutive years and ninth among all global brands in the 2017 China Initial Quality Study.

qiuquanlin@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 10/13/2017 page17)