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Aito leads 2026 J.D. Power smart car rankings
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1 min read
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Briefly Editorial Team

Aito leads 2026 J.D. Power smart car rankings

TL;DR

  • •Aito tops with 815 TXI points
  • •Mercedes-Benz outperforms luxury ICE rivals
  • •Smart feature implementation quality dropped by 4%

Why it matters

The TXI ranking highlights automotive industry trends where AI integration and digital assistant capabilities become key competitive factors. Declining implementation quality signals technical challenges in mass-market tech adoption.

Context and research methodology

J.D. Power China conducted a large-scale study analyzing 32,813 new car owners who purchased vehicles between May 2025 and February 2026. The research included 255 models across 81 Chinese cities. The Tech Experience Index (TXI) measures the effectiveness of smart feature implementation, including voice assistants, navigation systems, and mobile device integration.

Ranking results

  • Aito (815 points) - Top performer, 9 points ahead of second place
  • Denza (806) and Zeekr (794) secured second and third positions
  • In the premium ICE segment, Mercedes-Benz (703) outperformed BMW (683) and Porsche (680)
  • Mass-market ICE brands led by Tank (668), surpassing GAC (637) and Changan (635)

Impact on the automotive industry

  1. Tech race: Chinese brands dominate the ranking, confirming their leadership in AI assistant and digital solution implementation.
  2. Stability issues: Despite TXI rising to 658 average points, users report unstable assistant performance - a critical issue for mass markets.
  3. Segmentation: Premium brands (Mercedes, BMW) show lower TXI scores than Chinese newcomers, indicating different digitalization approaches.

Image: Mercedes-Benz