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AutoPacific’s Ideal Vehicle Award (IVA) recognizes the vehicle that best hits the target its buyers demand.  Winning an IVA shows the product planners, engineers and designers of the manufacturer understand what their target customers want and have created the vehicle to best meet their demands.

Leaf Edges Chevrolet Volt for IVA Win: The 2012 Nissan Leaf comes closest to the ideal of any Alternative Fuel Car.  The all-electric Leaf edges out the second place Chevrolet Volt by 4 rating points to win in this class that is getting more and more competitive.   Having eighty-percent or more of owners rating a characteristic ideal is outstanding.  Achieving a score of ninety-percent is even more impressive.  The one attribute that over 90% of Leaf owners rate as ideal is ease of getting in and out.  Eighty-percent or more of Leaf owners find these additional characteristics ideal:  exterior size, interior lighting, passenger roominess, wheels, driver’s seat comfort, ride and handling, power and acceleration, tires and safety features.

A Few Shortfalls – Some Minor, Some Basic: About 38% of Leaf owners want better driver’s seat visibility.  About 32% want more cargo space.  About 31% of Leaf owners want more infotainment technology.  About 24% of Leaf owners want more daring exterior styling.  About 34% want more interior storage compartments.

You can find an Autobytel review of this IVA award winner at  http://www.autobytel.com/auto-news/awards/consumer-s-ideal-cars-revealed-in-2012-iva-awards-112116/

For a complete summary of all AutoPacific 2012 Ideal Vehicle Award results contact karin.turner@vehiclevoice.com and title your email “IVA Results”.  A copy of the results will be emailed to you within 48-hours.