Kathmandu, December 27 India’s leading utility vehicle manufacturer Mahindra & Mahindra’s XUV500 ranks highest in JD Power 2015 India Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study. It’s overall APEAL score stood at 874 out of 1,000. With a score of 872, Toyota Innova ranks second. The India APEAL Study measures how gratifying a new vehicle is to own and drive based on owner evaluations during the first two to six months of ownership. For the fourth consecutive year, exterior styling gains importance in vehicle appeal, positively impacting customer satisfaction. The importance of vehicle exterior has increased in the small car, midsize and utility vehicle super segments and is among the top three categories driving the overall APEAL score. Increasingly, buyers of new models cite attractive vehicle styling as the most influential reason for purchase compared with buyers of carry-over models. Fitment rates of several features in Audio/ Entertainment/ Navigation (AEN) and safety and driving convenience have increased in 2015. One in two vehicles in India has USB connectivity, and one in three vehicles has steering wheel mounted controls.