Dodge breaks its own record of consecutive finishes atop the annual J.D. Power U.S. Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study ranking of mass-market brands with a first-place result in the 2023 edition.
Dodge claims first place in APEAL for the fourth straight year, after becoming the only brand to ever finish atop the mass-market rankings for three consecutive years in 2022.
Coming hard on the heels of a first-place finish among mass-market brands in this year’s J.D. Power U.S. Initial Quality Study (IQS), Dodge also repeats as the only domestic brand to top both mass-market standings in the same year.
Ram, which finished just behind Dodge in this year’s IQS, ranks second in APEAL for the fourth straight year.
Considering Ram’s first-place result in 2019, this marks the fifth consecutive year it has shared with Dodge the top two mass-market rankings in APEAL, which measures customer feedback on current-model attributes – from exterior styling to fuel efficiency – during the first three months of ownership.
“This outcome demonstrates that the pursuit of superior customer experience is firmly entrenched in our culture,” says Bill Kendell, who assumed leadership of Stellantis North America’s customer experience organization on July 1. “Our motto is, ‘Every Customer Counts; Every Journey Matters.’
“These are more than just words to us,” Kendell adds. “At Stellantis, customer experience is a vocation. Now we have to take this data and really dive deep.”
The performances by Dodge and Ram defy an industry trend in this year’s APEAL Study. Against a backdrop of overall decline, Dodge and Ram improved on their 2022 scores by five and 10 points, respectively.
Each brand also registers a podium finish among the APEAL Study’s segment results. The 2023 Dodge Challenger claims top honors in the midsize sporty car segment, while the 2023 Ram 1500 ranks second among large light-duty pickups
“Dodge didn’t win this award, we accepted it on behalf of the Brotherhood,” says Tim Kuniskis, Dodge brand and Ram brand CEO – Stellantis. “We have listened and learned from them. Those lessons will inform our product development as we redefine American muscle for the next era.”
As part of the Stellantis Dare Forward initiative, Dodge and Ram are each joining the company’s other brands by embarking on a strategic electrification push.
The first salvo from Dodge comes in the form of the all-new 2024 Hornet CUV, which includes the R/T plug-in hybrid – the brand’s first electrified performance vehicle.
Meanwhile, Ram forges ahead with a pair of BEVs that cover a wide range of duty cycles – the Ram Promaster electric van and the Ram 1500 REV full-size light-duty pickup.
