Kia Motors tops U.S. quality test for 2nd year

SEOUL, June 22 (Yonhap) -- Kia Motors Corp., South Korea's second-largest carmaker, has ranked highest among global brands in a U.S. quality test for the second consecutive year, a U.S. market tracker has said.

"Kia ranks highest in overall initial quality for a second consecutive year with a score of 72 PP100," J.D. Power and Associates, a U.S.-based marketing information service company, said in its 2017 U.S. Initial Quality Study released Wednesday.

The study measures the number of problems experienced per 100 vehicles (PP100) during the first 90 days of ownership, with a lower score reflecting higher quality.

Kia's score is down 11 points from the previous year, and the best among the 32 brands studied. Five Kia models -- the subcompact Forte, the compact multipurpose vehicle Soul, the subcompact SUV Niro, the intermediate SUV Sorento and the full-size sedan Cadenza -- ranked highest in their respective segments.

It marks the first time since the start of the study in 1987 that a South Korean brand has captured the No. 1 spot for the second consecutive year.

Last year, Kia took the top position, one-upping Porsche that had remained atop the quality list for three years in a row.

Genesis, Hyundai Motor Co.'s luxury brand, ranked second among the nameplates with a 77 PP100, followed by Porsche with a 78 PP100.

Hyundai Motor, South Korea's top automaker and Kia's larger affiliate, tied for sixth with BMW and Chevrolet with an 88 PP100. Hyundai and Kia are the flagships of Hyundai Motor Group, the world's fifth-largest automaker.

The U.S. Initial Quality Study is based on responses from nearly 80,000 purchasers and lessees of new 2017 model-year vehicles surveyed after 90 days of ownership.
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