Aisin Group Announces Growth Results, New Product Technology

Double Digit Percentage, Leading Edge Technologies Point to Bright Future for Tier One Supplier

DETROIT, April 3 -- One of the world's leading Tier One automotive suppliers reported today that it expects its global consolidated sales for Fiscal Year 2005 to increase by 12 percent over the same period a year ago. The Aisin Group, a worldwide supplier of automotive components, said it anticipates sales to reach $18.9 billion. The announcement was made at the 2006 Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) World Congress in Detroit by Junichi Nishimura, president, Aisin World Corp. of America (AWA), an Aisin Group Company, headquartered in Plymouth, Mich.

"Our growth reflects our ongoing commitment to our traditional customers as well as our growing relationships with domestic manufacturers," said Nishimura.

In North America, Aisin Group sales performance is expected to reach $3.3 billion for Fiscal Year ending March 31, 2006, which represents a 33 percent increase over the same period a year ago. Key to this growth is the company's increase in business from General Motors Corporation, consisting of transmissions for the Pontiac Solstice, Pontiac Torrent, and Chevy Equinox, as well as an increase in sunroof systems for the automaker's large SUV platform including the Chevy Suburban and Tahoe, the GMC Yukon, and the Hummer H3.

Steady increases in business with other manufacturers, as well as Toyota - Aisin's largest customer - also represented a significant portion of the company's growth, specifically in components for the 2007 Toyota Camry.

To keep pace with this growth, the Aisin Group has constructed or expanded about 20 facilities in the last two years, including:

   -- Aisin Electronics Illinois, Inc.
   -- Aisin Chemical Indiana, LLC
   -- Aisin Automotive Casting Tennessee, Inc.
   -- FT Techno of America, LLC, Fowlerville, Mich.

Globally, Aisin Seiki, has established a significant presence in China, opening nine new manufacturing facilities, as well as a facility in Taiwan, Turkey and the Czech Republic.

On the technology front, Don Whitsitt, AWA executive vice president, said the company has been busy in product development.

"In this business there's no better place to unveil product news than SAE World Congress," said Whitsitt. "And, today, Aisin AW is excited to introduce the world's first Hybrid transmission for rear wheel drive passenger vehicles."

The Hybrid transmission was jointly developed with Toyota Motor Manufacturing, and has been installed in the Lexus GS-450h.

  In addition, Aisin also introduced its:
   -- new Driver Monitor System which, through face recognition technology,
      detects the correct and incorrect position of the driver's face within
      a vehicle;
   -- new compact six speed front wheel drive manual transmission;
   -- new DVD navigation system for North America, including Alaska and
      Puerto Rico;
   -- new electric active stabilizer actuator
   -- and a new electric oil pump and water pump for Hybrid applications.

Based in Plymouth, Mich., AWA is a subsidiary of the Aisin Group, headed by Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. with corporate offices in Kariya City, Aichi, Japan. The Aisin Group is a worldwide supplier of automotive components, such as brakes, transmissions, drive train, chassis, body and information-related systems and components, and engine-related parts. In North America, the Aisin Group has 26 manufacturing, R & D and sales centers, and approximately 8,500 employees.

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