High-quality interiors for new cult model, Fiat 500 * Italian small car with seating and door panels developed and produced by Johnson Controls

Burscheid (Germany) 6 March (PROTEXT/ots) - When the new Fiat 500 followsin the footsteps of its predecessor launched over 50 years ago bycelebrating European-wide success, it will be partially thanks to JohnsonControls. After all, the world’s leading supplier of automotive interiorsystems, electronics and batteries has developed with Fiat GroupAutomobiles the seating and door panels for the cult vehicle recently named"Car of the Year 2008." The newly designed seating impresses with itsattractive looks and solid construction. Furthermore, the combinedefficiency of a total of three manufacturing plants in Poland and Slovakiahas reduced the production times involved in supplying the Fiat plant inTychy.

Collaboration between Fiat Group Automobiles and Johnson Controls in thearea of seating and door panels goes back as far as 1998 and recentlyincluded the Grande Punto and Bravo series. Johnson Controls manufacturesthe seating for the current redesign of the Italian small car legend in itsBieruń plant in Poland, while the Námestovo plant in Slovakia isresponsible for producing the door panels. From there, the parts reach theFiat 500 plant in Tychy near Krakow on a "just-in-time" basis. In doing so,the increased verticalization of all production processes is beneficial forthe delivery of the seating and door panels. Due to the directmanufacturing of the metal frames by the Siemianowice plant in Poland and,for the first time, direct supply of the door panels to the Fiat 500production plant in Tychy, with no need for any subcontractors, JohnsonControls has been able to support Fiat Group Automobiles in streamliningproduction processes and supply channels. This has led to minimal deliverytimes.

The time frame for developing and designing the two interior components wastight. But thanks to the increased use of virtual design programs, JohnsonControls has succeeded in shortening the prototype phase for the doorpanels. In addition to the wide range of designs available, the benefits ofthis product include its scratch-resistant surface and soft-touch armrests.

High degree of personalization in the upholstery and built-in seat airbag

The high degree of personalization in the seating is also impressive.Consumers can choose from many different fabric and color combinations; inaddition, the seat covers are embossed with patterns that have theappearance of decorative stitching. These seats produced by JohnsonControls not only look smart but also come with added comfort and safetyfeatures. "The fact that the Fiat 500 earned the coveted "five-star" ratingin the Euro NCAP Test is due in no small part to its solid seating, whichcontributes significantly to the high degree of occupant safety," saidMarzio Raveggi, Vice President and General Manager of the Fiat CustomerBusiness Unit at Johnson Controls. Furthermore, the seats come with astandard airbag and seat occupancy sensor for the acoustic seat-beltreminder signal. The easy-entry function also gives passengers in thesecond row of seating easy access to their seats.

Digital photos are available at http://www.johnsoncontrols.com.

Further information is available from:

Johnson Controls GmbH

Automotive Experience

Industriestr. 20-30

51399 Burscheid

Germany

Astrid Schafmeister

Tel.: +49 2174 65-3189

Fax: +49 2174 65-3219

E-mail: astrid.schafmeister@jci.com

Ina Longwitz

Tel.: +49 2174 65-4343

E-mail: ina.longwitz@jci.com

Johnson Controls (NYSE: JCI) is the global leader that brings ingenuity tothe places where people live, work and travel. By integrating technologies,products and services, we create smart environments that redefine therelationships between people and their surroundings.

Our team of 140,000 employees creates a more comfortable, safe andsustainable world through our products and services for more than 200million vehicles, 12 million homes and one million commercial buildings.Our commitment to sustainability drives our environmental stewardship, goodcorporate citizenship in our workplaces and communities, and the productsand services we provide to customers. For additional information, pleasevisit http://www.johnsoncontrols.com.

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