2009 Hyundai Genesis ranks highest in launch performance
By Andrew C., 30 Aug, 2010. 0 Comments
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With the huge amount of money that carmakers are throwing to support the launch of a new vehicle, a winner has to come out, right? In 2009, the most successfully launched was deemed to be the new Hyundai Genesis. Global marketing services company J.D. Power and Associates, uses several elements to determine what a "successful" launch is, including the automaker's ability to set the optimal vehicle price and volume level prior to launch, the model's initial quality, and dealers' ability to manage inventory levels.
Only 2008 and 2009 model-year vehicles that were all-new or had major redesigns were considered for ranking. In an interview with Automotive News, J.D. Power's Senior vice president Gary Dilts said that the 2009 Hyundai Genesis ranked the highest of 27 models tested with a score of 689 on a 1000-point scale. The 2009 Ford F-150 came in second with 673 points and the 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan was third with 663 points.
Toyota's recent launches, the 2009 Toyota Corolla and 2009 Toyota Matrix, ranked last and sixth-to-last in the VLI index ratings. The 2009 Dodge Ram pickup and the 2009 Pontiac Vibe were also near the bottom of the list. J.D. Power projects that automakers will introduce 205 new models in the U.S. in the next four years, spending about $50 billion to do so.
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