Kia has emerged as the top brand in the UK for dealers achieving the highest rating in the just-published National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) Dealer Attitude Survey.
Dealers were asked to rate their manufacturer overall on a scale of 1 to 10. Kit got the top score of 9.5, followed by Lexus (9.2), and MINI (9.0).
Vauxhall (2.4), Jeep (2.3), and DS (1.5) received the lowest ratings. Audi improved the most with a 26% increase in rating from the previous survey.
The survey also looked at profitability. Dealer satisfaction levels for profit returns has fallen on average from six months prior, from 6.7 in Winter 2022 edition, to 6.2 in the current Summer 2023 edition equating to a -7.5% change.
The highest returning scores came from Kia (9.1), BMW (8.3) and MINI (8.2). The lowest returning scores from Vauxhall (2.4), Citroen (2.2) and DS (1.2).
The highest returning scores from the survey revolve around used car satisfaction. Dealers were most satisfied with their respective manufacturers’ used car standards, returning the highest average score of 7.1 out of 10.
This was followed by total margins made from used cars, returning an average of 7 out of 10. Lexus (9), Kia (8.9) and Suzuki (8.4) were the front runners, followed by Citroen (4.4), Jeep (4.4) and DS (3.9).
The NFDA Dealer Attitude Survey Summer 2023 was conducted in September 2023. It attracted 2,531 responses from 32 franchised networks, equating to a joint record response rate of 68%.
The 2023 Summer Survey showed a general downward trend across most questions with 47 out of 55 questions showing a decline versus the winter edition.
Paul Philpott, president and CEO of Kia UK, said: “We are truly delighted to again be named the overall winner in the NFDA Dealer Attitude Survey.”
NFD CEO Sue Robinson said “It is extremely positive to see the NFDA Dealer Attitude Survey has once again returned the record response rate, demonstrating the automotive industry’s unwavering commitment to sharing its valuable insights and attitudes that are shaping the retailing sector.”