6:02 pm, July 3, 2024
Suzuki has scaled the Car Dealer Power rankings and been named as Manufacturer of the Year 2024.
The Japanese carmaker rose three places on last year’s position, pushing 2023’s winner, Toyota, into second place. BMW held steady and remained in third.
Suzuki’s dealers gave it very high scores for finance offers, warranty, aftersales, forward planning and manufacturer requirements.
Chinese-owned British brand MG finished rock bottom – 25th out of 25 brands ranked in the survey.
Car Dealer Power asks dealers across the UK to rank their manufacturer partners in 13 categories that cover all areas of the franchise. The scores for the individual categories are then taken to create the overall score.
The full results, brand by brand, are revealed further on in this story.
Suzuki was naturally delighted at the result, with boss Dale Wyatt putting the win down to its close relationships the company has with its partners, and its no-nonsense approach to the way it operates.
‘I’m really grateful for this award – and it’s an award that’s for everybody here at Suzuki,’ he told Car Dealer.
‘I’m proud of our dealers and proud of our employees. My job is to create an environment to enable the team to perform – and the team are the people that do it. I couldn’t be more pleased.’
Wyatt added: ‘We try to keep things simple. We try not to ask dealers to do things that add don’t value to the customer. We try to put our ego in our pocket and work on what actually matters.
‘Our dealers are very pleased with our communications, the new Swift and the consistency of our approach. They’re also particularly pleased at how we didn’t adopt the agency model. We said very early on that we were committed to the network, and I think this has played a part in this result.
‘My view is that the dealer is the physical embodiment of the brand, and it’s the dealer that delivers on our promise. As a manufacturer, what you want is that first contact between salesperson or service advisors to be a positive one, and the best way you can do that is through the traditional dealer model.’
Despite having an impressive period of growth over the past few years and an ever-improving model range, MG fell down the order this year.
It finished 25th out of 25 brands – down 12 places on last year’s position.
Its dealers told us that they weren’t impressed with the firm’s aftersales programme and accessibility to senior management.
In this story, you can view all the manufacturers that received the minimum number of responses (10) to be included in the survey.
Manufacturers that did not receive the minimum number of responses are not included.
Scores in each category are taken into account to give manufacturers their overall rating to one decimal point. The manufacturer’s rise or fall in position is included in brackets.
Car Dealer Power 2024: Where did your manufacturer rank?
1. Suzuki (+3) 90.8%
Jumping up three places on its 2023’s finishing place, Suzuki has shown that it really looks after its dealers – and they’re loving what the company is doing. It scored very well, particularly for aftersales, brand awareness and accessibility. It got top marks for requirements, while dealers felt Suzuki offers outstanding return-on-investment – the firm received the highest mark in this category.
2. Toyota (-1) 89.8%
Toyota may have lost its crown this year, but it should still be very proud of this result. Aftersales, accessibility, new car supply and forward planning are all areas Toyota is doing a great job in, while for its warranty activities it got the highest mark. Interestingly, for warranty, the top mark was shared equally with Hyundai. Toyota’s dealers seem happy with the firm’s recent overhaul of its corporate image for showrooms, and the brand’s multi-fuel product strategy – petrol, hybrid and EV.
3. BMW (no change) 88.2%
BMW held firm this year, remaining in third place – the same position it achieved in 2023. This will be pleasing news for the Munich-based carmaker as in 2022 it dropped out of the top three; finishing third two years on the trot shows the firm is doing a great job in the eyes of its dealers – and 2024’s percentage score is higher than 2023’s, too. It scored top in marketing, and achieved the same score for finance as Suzuki. A good, consistent performance for BMW.
4. Kia (-2) 87.5%
Kia continues its slow move down the Car Dealer Power rankings. Last year it dropped to second after three years sitting at the top – now it slumps to fourth. It still scored highly in the nineties for its warranty and aftersales, which is good, but it would seem as though its dealers are cooling towards the brand judging by its lower scores than in recent years.
5. Hyundai (+12) 85.8%
Hyundai takes the unofficial gong for highest riser in Power 2024, after it jumped up the rankings by a whopping 12 places. In past years, dealers have criticised the company in a number of areas, including accessibility to senior management, but it would seem as though Hyundai is listening. Its warranty scored well and, impressively, its brand awareness was the highest in the whole survey. This is a very impressive performance by Hyundai and it should be proud.
6. Mini (+5) 85.4%
Mini was a new entrant last year, and now rising by five places to sixth will be warmly received by senior management no doubt. It scored top for brand and website, with dealers loving these areas of focus by the company, and very highly for marketing and bonus structure. Across the board, Mini dealers seem very satisfied.
7. Renault (+9) 82.6%
Renault was the biggest faller last year in Car Dealer Power 2023, but, along with Land Rover, it was the second highest riser this year – no doubt a welcome relief for the French firm. It had the highest score for used cars and the second highest for finance. Dealers were a bit miffed about return-on-investment, but overall this was a very strong showing for Renault.
8. Mazda (no change) 81.9%
No change for Mazda this year, and with a placing in the top 10 it’s a good result. Mazda may have hoped for a slightly better result though, especially with new models arriving, which include a novel rotary-engined range-extender. Apart from return-on-investment, dealers scored in the mid- to high-eighties in all categories, showing that they are a happy bunch. Its highest score was in the website/internet category.
9. Audi (-2) 78.7%
Audi is the first firm in the top 10 to slip into the seventies, and falls two places on last year’s ranking. Its dealers are mostly happy, although a score of 60 for requirements will likely cause the panic alarm to ring at Audi HQ – that’s the type of score the bottom brands achieved. The German brand can take some comfort in the brand category as it was the third highest for this.
10. Nissan (-5) 78.2%
Nissan will likely be disappointed with this result, as last year it rolled in at fifth with a strong score of 79.8% – it may only be a 1.6% drop on last year, but that equated to a five place drop, showing how competitive this year’s survey was. Its highest score was for its finance provision and support, with all other categories following closely behind.
11. Mercedes-Benz (+8) 77.5%
A very strong performance here by Mercedes-Benz, and one that nearly bagged it a space in the top 10. The German brand rose a mightily impressive eight places on last year, showing dealers are feeling far happier 12 months on. In 2023, the company switched to selling new cars exclusively through agency agreements, and it would seem as though, in terms of operations, dealers aren’t fazed. New car supply was in the high eighties, too.
12. Land Rover (+9) 76.7%
Along with Renault, Land Rover takes home the unofficial award for being the second highest riser in this year’s survey. In 2023, the brand was clobbered with middling scores across all categories, but things have picked up 12 months on. Dealers across the board seem satisfied, with only aftersales and used cars seeming to be areas where Land Rover dropped the ball. Sister firm Jaguar, after two years of being at the bottom, didn’t pass the minimum number of responses threshold so wasn’t ranked in 2024, so a mixed picture for JLR.
13. Ford (-3) 75.8%
The Blue Oval will likely feel a little disappointed at this result. You might expect one of the car world’s biggest brands to have a happier network, but it would seem its dealers are only just generally satisfied. Ford slipped three places on last year’s performance – which in itself was a strong showing, representing an eight-place rise in the top 10. It was a strong showing in finance, warranty, aftersales, brand, and online, but less so in accessibility and requirements.
14. Honda (-8) 74.5%
A disappointing result here from Honda, which put in a very good showing in 2023. Last year the Japanese carmaker finished in sixth place, but fell eight spots 12 months on. Warranty and aftersales were very strong, but forward planning was blasted by its dealer network; although return on investment was higher than quite a few of the manufacturers that finished above Honda.
15. BYD (NEW) 73.2%
It was only a matter of time when BYD would enter the Car Dealer Power survey. The Chinese carmaker has erupted on the scene in the past 12 months, and is busy developing a high quality and loyal dealer network. Dealers tell us they are happy with the franchise, so 15th might be considered a bit low. Regardless, for a new entrant, average scores across the board is nothing to be sniffed at – it’s a great platform for future growth.
16. Citroen (+6) 72.0%
Citroen slipped into the last three last year – in fact, it was second from the bottom – but the Stellantis-owned French brand has really turned things around in 2024. A standout score was for its website, with Citroen scoring more points than many of the brands above it in the table. It was average scores in all other categories, but this represented a huge improvement on last year’s dismal 22nd placing.
17. Skoda (-2) 71.9%
Skoda is continuing to trickle downwards in Car Dealer Power, and alarm bells should start ringing at its Milton Keynes-based UK headquarters. After falling three places last year, it dropped another two in 2024. It had average scores in most categories, which is nothing to be sniffed at, but it was in the bonus structure where Skoda really took its eye off the ball, according to its dealers. Even a very high 93% score in warranty didn’t save the day.
18. Subaru (+2) 71.8%
For a small carmaker (in the UK) like Subaru, a two-place rise in Car Dealer Power is something to be celebrated. Last year the brand moved out of 2022’s bottom three ranking, and this year’s performance shows Subaru is steadily improving things. It achieved a mightily impressive score of 91% for requirements, but dropped the ball when it came to marketing – something which any small car firm suffers with. Despite the positivity, Subaru is still the lowest ranking Japanese carmaker, though.
19. Seat (NEW) 70.5%
Spanish brand Seat makes a welcome return to Car Dealer Power, but bosses will likely be feeling a little deflated at its 18th place finish. Dealers had a lot of feedback and showed they’re not that impressed with its brand awareness – hardly surprising when the VW Group has been favouring Seat’s Cupra performance sister brand over the past few years. In other areas it was a relatively average showing, but impressively Seat finished higher overall than its Volkswagen mother brand.
20. Peugeot (-11) 70.0%
There’s sure to be some long faces at Peugeot HQ with this result. Not only is 19th place nothing to crow about, but the charismatic French brand was the second biggest faller, plummeting 11 places on last year’s ranking. Requirements was the lowest score for the firm, but across the board it was a pretty average performance. There was one small crumb of comfort – return-on-investment was a little higher than quite a few brands sitting above Peugeot.
21. Volkswagen (-9) 69.4%
A pretty dismal performance for a large carmaker such as Volkswagen. Car Dealer Power 2024 showed dealers are feeling pretty lukewarm about nearly all areas of the Volkswagen dealer business, particularly when it comes to bonus structure and return-on-investment. Warranty fared better for Volkswagen, while, with a score of 90%, its brand awareness was among the highest in the whole survey. VW will be hoping to improve on this performance in 2025.
22. Fiat (NEW) 66.9%
Fiat is back in Car Dealer Power, but with a 22nd place finish it’s hardly something executives will be keen to shout about. Bizarrely, considering its overall ranking, Fiat had the highest score for finance with a very impressive 95%, but it dropped the ball then it came to return-on-investment, marketing and forward planning. But it wasn’t the lowest ranking Stellantis brand…
23. Volvo (-9) 63.9%
The first of the bottom three is a surprise as Volvo traditionally ranks pretty well with dealers, but not so this year. It slumped nine places on last year’s position, and it got very middle of the road scores for accessibility, dealer requirements and bonus structure, while return on investment was a pretty poor 48%. There’s much to improve on for next year.
24. Vauxhall (-6) 62.9%
Sadly, Vauxhall is the worst performing Stellantis brand to be ranked in Car Dealer Power this year. The British brand fared pretty well in finance, warranty, new car supply and used cars – the latter two being difficult to balance – but dealers gave it a kicking when it came to forward planning, requirements and return on investment. Vauxhall is doing a lot to help new car buyers switch to electric cars in an affordable way, and we’d hope with the firm’s recent revitalised image it’ll improve on this performance next year.
25. MG (-12) 52.6%
A hugely surprising performance here from MG. The brand has seemed almost untouchable in recent years with a band of traditional, long-serving dealers, well priced products and the sense of a clear strategy from management. This dismal result will likely be a difficult one for bosses to swallow as it shows dealers are seriously unhappy – the brand plummeted 12 places on last year’s finishing position, a performance which means MG is the biggest faller in 2024. It was the only manufacturer to score under 60% overall, while average scores in finance, marketing and brand awareness could do nothing to cancel out dreadful scores in accessibility and aftersales. The only small crumb of comfort is that return-on-investment was higher than Volvo.
Manufacturers not listed here did not reach the minimum threshold of responses in our survey to be included. In 2023, 23 manufacturers were included in the Car Dealer Power survey.
