National Press Release

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., Jan. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- In an effort to assist auto manufacturers in assessing the success of vehicle launches, J.D. Power and Associates announced the introduction of its Vehicle Launch Index today at the 2009 Automotive Roundtable in New Orleans, La.

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The Vehicle Launch Index provides automakers with information that quantifies how well new vehicle models perform during their launch years. Performance is measured against industry and segment benchmarks on a monthly basis. The index includes all vehicle launches in the U.S. since 2007 and is actively tracking all current and future vehicle launches.

"With the introduction of the Vehicle Launch Index, manufacturers are now able to gauge the marketplace success of their newly launched vehicles through an external, independent source," said Gary Dilts, senior vice president of global automotive at J.D. Power and Associates. "The Vehicle Launch Index provides a real-time, comprehensive view into marketplace activity, allowing manufacturers to quickly respond to ever-changing industry conditions."

Extensive research and modeling, combined with an industry-wide perspective and proprietary Power Information Network(R) (PIN) data, has resulted in the unique ability to assess multiple factors that are critical to launch success. The Vehicle Launch Index examines factors that include turn rate, credit quality, residual factor, dealer gross profit, vehicle price and incentive spend.

"In 2009, manufacturers are making multibillion-dollar investments in more than 50 major product launches in the U.S. alone," said Dilts. "Current market conditions demand a need for a third-party, syndicated assessment to ensure manufacturers maximize the return on their investment."

About J.D. Power and Associates

Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is a global marketing information services company operating in key business sectors including market research, forecasting, performance improvement, training and customer satisfaction. The company's quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually. For more information on car reviews and ratings, car insurance, health insurance, cell phone ratings, and more, please visit JDPower.com. J.D. Power and Associates is a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies.

About The McGraw-Hill Companies

Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP) is a leading global information services provider meeting worldwide needs in the financial services, education and business information markets through leading brands such as Standard & Poor's, McGraw-Hill Education, BusinessWeek and J.D. Power and Associates. The Corporation has more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Sales in 2007 were $6.8 billion. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com.

    J.D. Power and Associates Media Relations Contacts:
    John Tews; Troy, Mich.; (248) 321-5109; john.tews@jdpa.com
    Syvetril Perryman; Westlake Village, Calif.; (805) 418-8103;
    syvetril.perryman@jdpa.com

No advertising or other promotional use can be made of the information in this release without the express prior written consent of J.D. Power and Associates. www.jdpower.com/corporate

SOURCE J.D. Power and Associates