GM NETS FIVE OF EDMUNDS.COM'S TOP 10 LAUNCH AWARDS

General Motors, Detroit - Led by the Chevrolet Camaro, General Motors had five of the 10 most-successful all-new or totally redesigned vehicle launches in 2009, based on an analysis by Edmunds.com leading to the automotive information firm's first Launch Breakthrough Award.

The Camaro has outsold its primary competitor for 11 of the last 13 months and continues to sell with practically no incentives.

"With its highly anticipated launch, the Camaro was the clear winner, commanding premium prices, spending little time on the dealership lots and becoming one of the bestselling vehicles in its segment," Edmunds.com senior analyst Jessica Cadlwell said.

The Chevrolet Equinox had the No. 3 launch breakthrough; the Cadillac SRX was No. 5; Buick LaCrosse was No. 7 and GMC Terrain was No. 10. The study included 54 eligible vehicles, each all new or totally redesigned in calendar year 2009 and launched before December 1, 2009. Qualifying vehicles had at least 100 sales per month.

The Chevrolet Equinox has maintained one of the industry's lowest inventories, and three separate actions have been announced to increase Equinox capacity since the start of production last year. About half of Equinox sales come from non-GM trade-ins.

The Cadillac SRX, meanwhile, cemented a top-five launch breakthrough finish, complementing its sales increases. SRX has led its segment in the past year in increases for both sales and projected resale value. June was the fifth-best sales month ever for SRX and second-best retail sales month on record.

Critically acclaimed, the Buick LaCrosse finished seventh among the launch breakthrough vehicles and the GMC Terrain finished tenth.

The other top vehicle launches of the year were the Porsche Panamera (2); Ford Fusion Hybrid (4); Lexus RX 350 (6); Toyota Prius (8) and Mercury Milan Hybrid (9).

"According to our analysis, seven of the top ten launches of the year were domestic vehicles, and many of those new cars are still selling at an impressive rate," said Edmunds.com senior analyst Ray Zhou.

The Edmunds.com Launch Breakthrough Award is based on an analysis of 18 factors associated with a launch of a new vehicle, including pricing, sales, market share, dealer profit margins, incentives, consumer consideration, consumer ratings, inventory levels and residual values for all eligible vehicles.