7. General Motors
Climbing two places in this field, where every company is above average, is no small achievement, but the new GM will have to keep running just to remain in place. Top management has been distracted by the crisis at Opel, the auto market in once-hot China is cooling, and question marks about its viability still surround the much-publicized Chevrolet Volt. Key launches coming in 2012 include a new Cadillac and the Chevy Malibu, and 2013 brings GM's money machine, the new full-size pickups and SUVs. All will have to be flawless for GM to maintain momentum.
