Cadillac STS and HUMMER H3 Win Auto Interiors Awards

DETROIT, May 18, 2005; Two of General Motors newest vehicles, the 2005 Cadillac STS and the 2006 HUMMER H3, garnered honors in their respective car and truck categories for automotive "Interior of the Year."

Nominated by Ward's Auto World magazine, the Cadillac STS won "industry- at-large, premium priced car. The HUMMER H3, which begins shipping to dealers later this month, won the "industry-at-large, popular priced truck."

The 2005 STS marks the return of rear-wheel-drive for the model after nearly 25 years as a front drive model. The interior choices of the Cadillac include aluminum trim on both console and instrument panel on V6 models and two color choices for wood trim that is standard on V8 models. Other exclusive features of the STS interior include Tuscany leather seats that are available with heating and cooling functions, Bose 5.1 audio system and four- color, adjustable navigation screen.

"Our goal with the STS interior, in keeping with the philosophy of the entire vehicle, was to strike just the right balance between luxury and performance attributes," said David Leone, vehicle chief engineer for Cadillac. "We incorporated a number of high-technology features in an interior design that is both contemporary and inviting. This award, as well as the reaction of the media and customers to the STS, tells us that we were successful in achieving that balance."

The 2006 HUMMER H3 interior represents the future design theme for the brand. As a mid-size SUV, the H3 is more likely to be a primary vehicle in a household than previous HUMMERS. This fact influenced the design strongly, making comfort and intuitive function the key design objectives. "The goal was to make the interior more refined, purposeful, comfortable and well- crafted," according to Jon Albert, interior design manager for the H3. The interior features bright trim accents and more use of color than any previous HUMMER. Six interior color combinations are available -- three for the standard cloth seats and three for the available leather.

The center stack, flush fit to the instrument panel, is finished in a material called Nissha. This new material carries a metallic finish for a premium look, but is resistant to light reflection and smudges for excellent wear. An emerging material for automobiles, Nissha has previously been used mostly in the electronics industry. This material also is used as the main component in the gauge cluster.

More than eighty journalists and 900 industry at-large executives made the winning selections. Thirteen cars and 10 trucks were nominated for Interior of the Year awards.

The Auto Interiors Show is the largest annual industry event in the world dedicated exclusively to interiors professionals, and is attended by several thousand interiors professionals who come to see the latest in vehicle interior products, components and technologies.

Cadillac and HUMMER are divisions of General Motors. More information on Cadillac or HUMMER can be found at http://media.gm.com . General Motors, the world's largest vehicle manufacturer, designs, builds and markets cars and trucks worldwide, and has been the global automotive sales leader since 1931.