About two years back, when Tata Motors took over the Jaguar Land Rover brands from Ford Motors, eyebrows were raised, and everybody was concerned about the fate of a royal British brand in the hands of an Indian auto giant that is well known for making basic cars. But Tata Motors not only brought in new models to steer the demand, but also reintroduced the concept of profits in the JLR camp.

Now, there is another moment of pride for Tata Motors. According to J.D. Power and Associates 2010 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) StudySM released recently, Jaguar ranks 2nd among nameplates for the third year in row with a score of 854; and Land Rover has improved four positions from 2009 and now is placed at number five among nameplates with an overall score of 836.

The APEAL study takes into account design and performance attributes across 33 brand nameplates that make a new vehicle a pleasure to own and drive, and is based on owner’s ratings on more than 90 vehicle attributes.

“We are proud of our vehicle performance rankings,” says Gary Temple, president of Jaguar Land Rover North America. “Having Jaguar and Land Rover rank highly in this important owner satisfaction study highlights the fact that we are one premium automotive company with two luxury brands committed to providing our customers with high quality vehicles that deliver extraordinary performance, innovative technology, and superior styling.”

And the addition of the all-new 2011 model year Jaguar XJ, and the much hyped upcoming launch of the Range Rover Evoque next year, the two brands can hope for a future that is full of happy sunshine.

Being featured in the top 5 in J.D. Power Study has become a habit of sort for Jaguar, or so it seems. This is the third consecutive year when the brand has been placed at number 2 among nameplates. With an overall score of 854, Jaguar has surpassed the industry average 778 by 76 points. Sweet. With a score of 852, the Jaguar XF ranks 3rd among vehicles in the Premium Car segment, and is highly applauded in the engine/transmission category.

Land Rover has improved its standing this year. With a score of 836, Range Rover has climbed up by four ranking position, from 9th to 5th place. This is the fourth consecutive year when Land Rover has improved its scores.

Range Rover, with high scores in vehicle interior, vehicle exterior, driving dynamics and visibility and driving safety, is the award recipient for Large Premium Crossover/SUV.

This year, the average APEAL score, at 801 on a 1000 point scale, for all-new and redesigned models has gone 11 points higher than previous year. The J.D. Power and Associates APEAL Study follows a unique way of measuring owner satisfaction and how much a customer likes or dislikes virtually every aspect of their new vehicle provides a powerful tool to manufacturers to influence future product development.

The 2010 APEAL Study is based on responses gathered between November 2009 and February 2010 from more than 82,000 purchasers and lessees of new 2010 model-year cars and trucks who were surveyed after the first 90 days of ownership.