Siemens VDO Wins Automotive World Award for Piezo Diesel Solution

    AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Sept. 17 Siemens VDO Automotive's
Piezoceramic Commonrail Diesel Injection System has won Automotive World
magazine's 2001 Most Promising Technology award.

    The honor was presented to Johann Warga, Siemens VDO Automotive Director
of Diesel Systems, on Sept. 12 in conjunction with the IAA Frankfurt Auto
Show.

    "Winning the Automotive World 2001 award is a proud achievement for
Siemens VDO Automotive," said Warga.  "Our Piezo Common Rail is one of the
most innovative diesel systems available today and is the future and source of
Siemens VDO's competitive advantage.  This award reflects the kind of value
and technology we bring to our customers."

    The Most Promising Technology category recognizes technical development
with the greatest potential to improve the efficiency, safety, comfort,
environmental performance and cost structure of motor vehicles and their
associated services.

    Out of 28 nominations in the category, Siemens VDO was the only company to
win the Most Promising Technology Award.

    Siemens VDO's Piezo Diesel Injection System, which is based on highly
precise injection technology developed for ink jet printers, enables minimal
quantities of fuel to be metered with extreme accuracy and the start of
injection to be determined with even greater precision and at multiple times
during each engine stroke.

    The result is a diesel engine with fuel combustion nearly as quiet as a
conventional gasoline engine, more pulling power at the lower end of the speed
range and decreased fuel consumption and pollution.

    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.