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Buick GL8 Named China's Highest Quality Vehicle

FOR RELEASE: December 4, 2001

Buick From Shanghai GM Tops J.D. Power Customer Survey Buick GL8 Named Highest Quality Vehicle

Shanghai, China - Shanghai General Motors (Shanghai GM) came out on top of two surveys of Chinese vehicle owners conducted by J.D. Power and Associates, a global automotive industry authority.

  • The Buick brand from Shanghai GM was first in J.D. Power's Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI), which ranked both domestic and foreign vehicle brands sold in China.

  • The Buick GL8 executive wagon from Shanghai GM was deemed the highest quality vehicle in J.D. Power's Initial Quality Study (IQS) of all domestically manufactured and imported vehicles in China. Four of the top six vehicles in the IQS were Buicks.

The surveys, which were carried out between March and July 2001, factored in product quality and overall service.

"We are very pleased with the results," said Philip Murtaugh, Chairman and CEO of GM China. "Shanghai GM has been focused on quality from day one. As the J.D. Power surveys show, we are building products that are equal to or better than other globally manufactured products."

The CSI surveyed vehicle owners nationwide who had owned their product for a period of between 12 and 18 months. Buick shared the top spot, with a rating of 819 of a maximum 1,000. This was far above the industry average of 783.

The IQS was carried out by J.D. Power in 12 major Chinese cities among those who had purchased a vehicle within the past six months. It included a total of 17 brands. The Buick GL8 had a score of 152 problems per hundred (PP100). This was the lowest among all vehicles surveyed and well below the industry average of 350 PP100. Overall, Buick products had an outstanding IQS score of 196 PP100.

"A key factor behind Shanghai GM's success is its utilization of proven GM processes such as the Global Manufacturing System and Continuous Improvement Process," said Murtaugh. "By maintaining its emphasis on both quality and the needs of the customer, Shanghai GM is setting the standard among automakers in China."

J.D. Power and Associates, a global marketing information services firm, was established in the US state of California in 1968. It carries out market research on several key industries, including the automotive industry, worldwide. This is the second year that it has surveyed vehicles in China.

Shanghai GM is a 50-50 joint venture between General Motors and Shanghai Automotive Industry (Group) Corporation (SAIC), with total investment of $1.5 billion. In addition to the Buick GL8, Shanghai GM also manufactures and distributes a family of Buick mid-size sedans and the Buick Sail compact car. Last year, Shanghai GM sold about 30,000 vehicles.

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