Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' high-octane Dodge brand, known for its dedication to muscle cars, led mass marketers in a J.D. Power study measuring excitement and emotional attachment to new vehicles.
J.D. Power's Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout Study, a complement to its Initial Quality Study released last month, measures attributes across 37 areas experienced by owners, "ranging from the sense of comfort and luxury they feel when climbing into the driver's seat to the feeling they get when they step on the accelerator," the company said. Scores are based on a 1,000-point scale.
Dodge is the first domestic brand to earn first-place honors in the appeal and quality studies in the same year. Hyundai is the only other mass-market brand to achieve the feat, while several luxury brands — Genesis, Lexus and Porsche — have done it.