Delphi, Peugeot's Partner For The Innovative Motorized Power Sliding Doors On The New 1007

Latest technology brings power sliding door to volume markets

PARIS, Sept. 24 -- Flexible design and a close relationship with the customer has helped Delphi Corp. introduce a compact power sliding door for a new class of small vehicles. The Peugeot 1007, shown for the first time at the 2004 Paris Autoshow (Mondial de l'Automobile), will be the first small car to have a single motorized door on both sides, power- assisted throughout the operating range.

The contract strengthens Delphi's position as a leading supplier of power closure products worldwide. By 2006, Delphi will be supplying more than 340,000 units a year for European applications ranging from city cars to light commercial and multi-purpose vehicles, with significant growth expected into the next decade.

Power sliding doors allow vehicle users to open and close each door at the touch of a button, providing easy access if the user has their hands full. On the 1007, sliding doors also help Peugeot provide very large openings, making access to the front and rear seats easier than with a classic hinged door layout.

Each door has a dedicated cable drive unit mounted under the rear floor, controlled by a shared Electronic Control Unit mounted under a front seat. In previous generation systems the cable pulls the middle of the door, but to achieve Peugeot's packaging requirements Delphi modified its design to pull the base of each door.

"Our goal was to provide PSA Peugeot Citroen with the best packaging, mass, cost, reliability and performance possible," said Lon Offenbacher, Delphi business line executive, integrated closure systems, cockpits & interior systems. "Our engineering team worked very closely with PSA Peugeot Citroen to fit the drive units into the allocated space under the rear passenger floor, taking full advantage of the flexibility of our technology and the high level of system integration that our considerable experience with power products allows."

Drive units will be manufactured at Delphi's Ponte de Sor site in Portugal, and supplied as ready-to-fit modules. The electronic control unit, which also provides electronic system diagnostics and anti-pinch control, is manufactured at Saint Aubin du Cormier in Brittany, near Rennes.

In Europe, Delphi also supplies power sliding doors for Citroen, Fiat and Lancia. "The 1007 is a great vehicle that adds something new and fresh to the city car sector," says Volker Barth, president of Delphi Europe, Africa and Middle East and vice president Delphi Corporation. "Consumers have really taken to power sliding doors, valuing the increase in convenience they bring. I am sure the future will bring many new and exciting applications across a wide range of vehicle segments."

In 2002, Citroen, Fiat, Lancia and Peugeot became the first European manufacturers to offer mass production vehicles fitted with an electric power sliding door when Delphi's latest system was offered on the Peugeot 807, Citroen C8, Fiat Ulysse and Lancia Phedra.

Delphi's portfolio of power products also includes power liftgates, power trunk (boot), lids and power tonneau covers. Manufacturing facilities for these products are in Columbus and Vandalia, Ohio, USA and Ponte de Sor, Portugal.