Press Release
Purchase Experience Overtakes Brand in Vehicle Purchase Decisions, J.D. Power Finds
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.