Gentex Shipping Auto-Dimming Mirrors for 2005 Kia Opirus

ZEELAND, Mich., May 5, 2005 -- Gentex Corporation, the leading supplier of automatic-dimming mirrors to the worldwide automotive industry, has begun shipping interior and exterior auto-dimming mirrors for the 2005 Kia Opirus, a luxury passenger car manufactured and sold in Korea. The vehicle features a three-mirror, automatic-dimming system in which the interior and two exterior rearview mirrors dim in response to glare.

Gentex auto-dimming mirrors automatically darken to reduce glare from the headlamps of vehicles approaching from the rear. The brighter the glare, the darker the mirrors become, making nighttime driving safer.

The three-mirror, automatic-dimming system comes standard on the Opirus' 350 trim level and is available as an option on the 270 and 300 trim levels.

"This is an important program for us because it represents our first exterior mirror program with Kia Motor Company," stated Gentex Executive Vice President Garth Deur. "The Opirus features a number of advanced safety features, including front, side and curtain airbags, electronic stability control, and ABS brakes. Add to that a three-mirror automatic-dimming system and the Opirus stands out for its safe, affordable luxury."

Founded in 1974, Gentex Corporation is an international company that provides high-quality products to the worldwide automotive industry and North American fire protection market. Based in Zeeland, Michigan, the Company develops, manufactures and markets interior and exterior automatic-dimming automotive rearview mirrors that utilize proprietary electrochromic technology to dim in proportion to the amount of headlight glare from trailing vehicle headlamps. Many of the mirrors are sold with advanced electronic features, and approximately 96 percent of the Company's revenues are derived from the sales of auto-dimming mirrors to nearly every major automaker in the world.