Delphi Showcases Revolutionary QUADRASTEER(TM) Four-Wheel Steering System At Annual Silverdome Camper, Travel & RV Show

    TROY, Mich., Jan. 24 Delphi Automotive Systems
will offer consumers a chance to drive a full-size truck equipped with a pre-
production QUADRASTEER(TM) Four Wheel Steering System at the 18th Annual
Pontiac Silverdome Camper, Travel and RV Show held January 24-28.
    QUADRASTEER, scheduled to debut on a 2002 GM full size pick up truck, is
an electronic four-wheel steering system that enables full-size vehicles
greater ease of maneuverability while driving or trailering at low speeds, and
improved stability, handling and control at higher speeds -- especially while
trailering.
    (Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20001019/DELPHIAS )
    "Delphi is the first to design a four wheel steering system for an
application that will truly benefit the consumer," explains Paul J. Tosch,
president, Delphi Saginaw Steering Systems and vice president, Delphi
Automotive Systems.  "And that benefit will be seen on a daily basis unlike
four wheel drive which may only be used four or five times a year."
    Current vehicles use the front two wheels to steer a vehicle.  The rear
wheels remain straight and actually can create some resistance.  With
QUADRASTEER, the rear wheels are electronically controlled according to the
speed of the vehicle.  At lower speeds, the rear wheels turn in the opposite
direction of the front wheels improving parking maneuvers.  At moderate
speeds, the rear wheels remain straight or neutral.  At higher speeds, the
rear wheels turn in the same direction as the front wheels improving vehicle
stability.
    While trailering at low speeds, four wheel steering enables the trailer to
follow the true vehicle path more closely than with two-wheel steering.  This
makes maneuvering in city traffic and parking lots easier.  Using the rear
wheels to steer also greatly improves the trailer response to steering inputs,
making it easier to back a trailer into position.
    While trailering at higher speeds, all four wheels steer in the same
direction greatly enhancing vehicle and trailer stability.  The vehicle and
trailer feel more like one unit with QUADRASTEER.  Benefits to the driver
include reduced trailer sway and less corrective steering requirements for
external disturbances such as wind gusts, semi-truck passing and irregular
road surfaces.
    Larry Tomczak, director of engineering at Delphi's Saginaw Steering
Systems division, adds, "QUADRASTEER also enhances stability at higher speeds
when there is no trailer.  Steering the rear wheels in the same direction as
the front wheels at higher speeds help reduce the vehicle yaw, or rotational
motion, required to accomplish a maneuver, thus helping to stabilize the
vehicle response during passing, lane change or evasive maneuvers even under
adverse road conditions."
    Delphi's unique system dramatically enhances a full-size vehicle's
maneuverability by helping shorten the turning radius, allowing the vehicle to
make tighter, more agile turns.  In fact, the smaller radius allows full-size
vehicles to maneuver as adeptly as compact cars -- a big plus for parking
ramps, crowded parking lots or any tight situation.
    Based on tests with full-size sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and pickup
trucks, QUADRASTEER reduces the minimum turning circle diameter by an average
of 20 percent.  One full-size pickup's turning circle diameter was reduced
from 46.2 feet (14.08 meters) to 37.4 feet (11.40 meters), making it
comparable to a Nissan Altima at 37.4 feet (11.40 meters) and a Saturn Coupe
at 37.1 feet (11.31 meters).
    Multi-national Delphi Automotive Systems, with headquarters in Troy,
Mich., USA, Paris, Tokyo and Sao Paulo, Brazil, is a world leader in mobile
electronics and transportation components and systems technology.  Delphi's
three business sectors -- Dynamics & Propulsion; Safety, Thermal & Electrical
Architecture; and Electronics & Mobile Communication -- provide comprehensive
product solutions to complex customer needs.  Delphi has approximately 211,000
employees and operates 190 wholly owned manufacturing sites, 44 joint
ventures, 53 customer centers and sales offices and 31 technical centers in 42
countries.  Delphi can be found on the Internet at http://www.delphiauto.com .