On the Dash: Nearly a third of premium SUV owners defected to mainstream brands in H1 2026, according to a new JD Power survey. The premium-to-mainstream satisfaction gap shrank to 29 points, down from 66 in 2008. Premium brands now spend 7.3% of MSRP on incentives, versus mainstream’s roughly 6%. Premium brands are losing ground to mainstream SUVs, according to a new JD Power Automotive OEM Intelligence Report. According to the report, nearly a third of buyers who traded in a midsize premium SUV chose a non-luxury brand during the first half of 2026. Where premium SUV owners are landing Premium vehicles, excluding direct-to-consumer brands, made up 13.3% of new-vehicle…
