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SHANGHAI: 18 Jun, 2026 – As the automotive market in China nears saturation and price competition continues to increase, the purchase experience has replaced brand loyalty as the primary differentiator among consumers. According to the J.D. Power 2026 China Purchase Experience Index (PXI) Study, new energy vehicles (NEVs) lead internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles by 13 points, with advantages in showroom experience, test drives and customer follow-up. Strengths for ICE vehicles include the in-store experience. The study, formerly the J.D. Power China Sales Satisfaction Index (SSI) Study, shifts the lens from sales satisfaction to focus on the customer purchase experience and emotional aspects of the process to provide the industry with a new tool to measure new-vehicle owners’ purchase experience between two and six months of ownership.

Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) have endured a tough start to 2026. Sales of new models fell year on year in January, February, March and April. But how have individual models fared?

SHANGHAI: 11 Jun, 2026 – Owner’s focus on the emotional appeal and excitement of their new vehicle has risen appreciably from last year, with performance, entering and exiting the vehicle and infotainment system driving the higher satisfaction. The overall satisfaction score for internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles this year is 762 points (on a 1,000-point scale) increasing by 11 points from 2025. according to the China 2026 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) StudySM. The leading areas of higher satisfaction – vehicle performance, entering and exiting the vehicle and infotainment system—have increased year over year by 21 points, 17 points and 17 points respectively. Additionally, getting in and out of the vehicle and infotainment system also gain significant weight in the overall APEAL index, indicating that ICE vehicle owners are placing greater emphasis on intelligent interaction.

TROY, Mich.: 11 June 2026 — Awareness of fully automated, self-driving vehicles (AVs) continues to grow, but consumer confidence in the technology is not keeping pace, according to the JD Power 2026 U.S. Mobility Confidence Index (MCI) Study,SM released today. Consumer understanding of AVs improves in 2026, with 58% of consumers correctly identifying full automation, up from 43% in 2024. Despite this progress, fundamental concerns around safety, performance and trust continue to slow adoption—and in some cases, deepen hesitation.