Siemens VDO Supplies Navigation System for the New BMW 7 Series

    FRANKFURT, Germany, Sept. 12 Siemens VDO Automotive's
innovative iDrive driver information system being featured in the new BMW 7
Series is setting new standards in ergonomics and ease of operation.

    With a new focus on the human-machine interface, iDrive redefines driver-
oriented ergonomics in the new BMW 7 Series.  More than 700 possible system
operating functions have been structured into three intuitive levels,
prioritized on importance and frequency of use.  Siemens VDO has made a major
contribution toward the holistic concept of iDrive with regard to the
navigation system and instrument cluster design.

    In its second decade as a supplier of navigation systems to BMW, Siemens
VDO's contribution to iDrive has resulted in high-precision specified
destination guidance combined with optimized ease of use for destination input
and selection.

    In the new 7 Series, the innovative navigation system is the first to be
linked to the new BMW Internet gateway.  Travelers now can check the weather
at the driver's destination and call up addresses of destinations using
Wireless Access Protocol (WAP).  Points of interest, such as hotels or
restaurants, can be transferred to the navigation system and selected as a
destination at the push of a button.

    Equally key to the successful implementation of iDrive is the Siemens VDO-
developed instrument cluster, which combines the aesthetics of analog
instrumentation with the presentation possibilities offered by new LCD display
technology.  Vehicle speed and engine revolutions are displayed in classic
round instruments with gauge and pointer designs.  Included in the cluster
design is a display on which information from the navigation system or
adaptive cruise control can be shown.  Individual displays of the on-board
computer also can be configured so the most important information is in the
driver's sphere of vision in an effort to minimize distraction.

    Additional Siemens VDO technologies included on the new BMW 7 Series
include: airbag electronic control units, engine management control
electronics for the six-cylinder engines; electric window lift motors; the
central locking system and sensors for the ABS and drive-by-wire actuators.

    The new vehicle also features the Siemens VDO antenna tuner with direct
digital link through the optical (MOST) bus for outstanding audio quality for
radio reception.

    Siemens VDO Automotive is one of the world's leading suppliers of
electronics, electrical and mechatronic technologies to the automotive
industry.  As a development partner in the automotive industry, the company
manufactures products for powertrain, engine control electronics and fuel
injection technology which improve engine performance and reduce emissions.
The company is a market leader in information and car communication systems
with instrumentation, audio and navigation systems, telematics and multimedia
applications, through to complete cockpits.  Siemens VDO Automotive products
for chassis and carbody contribute to greater vehicle safety and security.
These products include ABS and fuel tank systems and access control systems.
A separate Trading/After Market division markets products for retrofitting in
cars and commercial vehicles.  The company was created in April 2001 as a
result of the merger between Siemens Automotive and Mannesmann VDO.

    The company's parent organization, Siemens AG, is headquartered in Berlin
and Munich and is a leading global electronics and engineering company,
employing over 447,000 people in 193 countries, with worldwide sales in excess
of $74 billion in fiscal 2000 (10/1/99 - 9/30/00).  The United States is
Siemens' largest market, where it employs over 73,000 and recorded sales of
more than $17 billion in fiscal 2000.