J.D. Power released the results of its Tech Experience Index study that measures “how much owners like [in-car] technologies and how many problems they experience with them.” The results are the product of responses from 110,827 owners of current model-year vehicles that J.D. Power surveyed after 90 days of ownership from February through July 2021. The study breaks out owner viewpoints on 36 technologies in the categories of convenience, emerging automation, energy and sustainability, and infotainment and connectivity.
We’re not clear on some of the results and we’ve asked the company for clarification, but the parts we’re clear on give the people at the Hyundai Group plenty of reason to pat themselves on the back. Genesis earned the highest ranking for tech innovation among all vehicle segments, followed by Cadillac, Volvo and BMW. Hyundai won the tech innovation award for mass-market brands, with Kia taking the mass-market tech second place, followed by Nissan and Subaru.
Among the study’s findings, automakers are loading vehicles with more software and digital experiences that owners claim they never learn how to use or decide they don’t need. In one example, the study found that 61% of owners claim never having used “in-vehicle digital market technology,” while 51% of respondents said they didn’t need it. We’re not sure what J.D. Power means by “in-vehicle digital market technology,” though — whether that’s exclusively an automaker’s in-house suite of apps and buyable content, or if it includes the ability to buy products through third-party app providers like parking apps and Pizza Hut.
For American owners, rear-view cameras and so-called “ground view” cameras were among the top three desired technologies. We assume that “ground view” is a surround-view or 360-degree camera system. The one-pedal driving possible in a number of EV’s with adjustable regen braking also scored very high marks and few claimed issues. At the other end, gesture controls got dinged for the second year in a row, owners giving that tech the lowest satisfaction score and citing it for five times more issues per 100 vehicles than one-pedal driving.
Individual awards in the premium category went to models like the Cadillac Escalade for its rear-view mirror tech, and the Lexus IS for its reverse automatic braking and its virtual assistant. On the mass-market side, the Ram 1500 nabbed a win for its rear-view camera tech, while the Hyundai Elantra won for its front cross traffic warning technology. The Kia K5 received laurels for its infotainment and connectivity. You can check out the full results at the J.D. Power site.