Delphi's Advanced Technology Helps Jaguar Win 'Diesel Car of the Year' Award

Delphi diesel common rail system propels Jaguar to prestigious recognition

COVENTRY, England, March 30 -- Delphi Corp.'s advanced technology has sent Jaguar's first diesel car straight to the top of its class. Surpassing strong competition, the X-TYPE Diesel was voted 'Diesel Car of the Year' in the prestigious Fleet Excellence Awards.

The award was presented by BBC Top Gear reporter Richard Hammond at a ceremony in London.

To help achieve this winning level of performance and refinement, Jaguar has used some of the most sophisticated technologies available. "The heart of a great diesel engine is its fuel injection system," said Jose Avila, managing director Delphi Energy & Chassis Systems (Europe). "Technologies like common rail and direct injection have revolutionized the quality of diesel engines, but there is still much more that can be done. Jaguar has grasped this and taken another big leap forward."

The X-TYPE uses Delphi's Multec injection system, which is the only technology in production that 'listens' to the quality of diesel combustion and automatically adjusts important engine control parameters throughout the vehicle's life. It also allows Jaguar engineers to program additional injections of very small volumes of fuel to provide a more gentle start to combustion, helping to give the X-TYPE Diesel its class-leading refinement.

In Western Europe, Avila expects around 45 percent of new passenger cars to be equipped with diesel engines by 2005. "Some markets have been adopting diesel powered vehicles quicker than others, however with new technologies such as common rail direct injection, drivers at all levels are more and more selecting diesel equipped models," said Delphi's Avila.

Delphi has consolidated its position as one of the world's largest suppliers of common rail diesel systems, one of the fastest growing areas of the European automotive industry. Delphi will be producing around 2.5 million systems per year by calendar year 2007. Delphi's Multec common rail diesel system is equipped on select models with Renault/Nissan, PSA Peugeot Citroen, Hyundai/Kia, SsangYong, and Ford's Premier Auto Group. With its expertise in diesel Engine Management Systems and emissions control and aftertreatment, Delphi is well positioned to bring clean diesel to all markets.