The Hyundai Genesis ranked 689 on J.D. Power's 1,000-point scale, with the Ford F-150 2nd at 673 points and the at 663. At the bottom end, the Pontiac Vibe racked up 504 points, the Dodge Ram light-duty pickup 459, and the Toyota Matrix was the lowest scorer at 439 points. All were 2009 models. The industry average was 582 points, J.D. Power said.
Vehicles eligible for the inaugural index were 2008 and 2009 model-year vehicles, either all new or "major redesigns" that first sold between January and October 2008, J.D. Power said. At least 5,000 units needed to be sold during that period of time to make the model eligible.
The index studies such items as dealer gross profit, incentive spending, residual value and other financial factors to rank new-model launches. Key elements J.D. Power says it is looking for are whether "optimal vehicle price and volume levels are established" ahead of the launch, whether inventory levels and turn rates are planned and managed effectively, whether supply and demand are viewed realistically and balanced effectively, whether incentive support is handled well by the manufacturer and whether high initial quality is present at launch.
J.D. Power says it estimates there will be 205 new-model launches in the U.S. between 2009 and 2012, including 52 all-new models, 80 new entrants on the U.S. market and 73 redesigns of existing models.
Inside Line says: Automakers will be taking notice of this new evaluation tool. — Laura Sky Brown, Correspondent
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