TRW Automotive Safety Products Help 2004 Saturn Ion Earn Five Stars in NHTSA's Frontal Impact Crash Test

LIVONIA, Mich., June 21 -- TRW Automotive Holdings Corp. today announced that the state-of-the-art inflatable restraint system supplied by its TRW Vehicle Safety Systems Inc. subsidiary for the 2004 Saturn Ion recently helped the compact car achieve a five-star rating in the federal government's frontal impact crash test for both the driver and passenger side.

In the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) test, which is officially known as the New Car Assessment Program (NCAP), vehicles are rated on the level of protection that is provided to occupants who are properly restrained by their seat belt in a frontal collision.

TRW Automotive provides Saturn with the driver and passenger air bags, which use the latest in air bag design and inflator technology. Engineers from TRW Automotive and General Motors (GM) used computer modeling to create the passenger airbag's innovative shape which is designed to tailor the proper airbag deployment across a range of different body types.

TRW's P6.8 heated gas inflator (HGI) is used to deploy the bag. This is the first application for the inflator, which is considered to be among the cleanest airbag inflators in the world. The P6.8 HGI uses hydrogen and oxygen for its combustion process, resulting in a clean air deployment that does not require any filters.

TRW also supplies the steering wheel for the vehicle, which was developed with crash performance, durability, energy absorption and environmental requirements in mind.

Through the team approach between GM and TRW Automotive, an optimal safety system environment was developed for the Saturn Ion, helping it to earn the highest rating possible.

"As a leader in occupant safety systems, we are able to offer our customers a competitive advantage in today's marketplace by providing them with real-world, safety-driven technologies," said Doug P. Campbell, vice president of engineering for the occupant safety systems business of TRW Automotive. "We look forward to helping our customers in the future achieve exceptional crash test ratings and making tomorrow's vehicles the safest yet."

About TRW

With sales of $11.3 billion in 2003, TRW Automotive Holdings Corp. ranks among the top 10 suppliers in the world. Headquartered in Livonia, Michigan, USA, the company, through its subsidiaries, employs approximately 61,000 people in 22 countries. TRW products include integrated vehicle control and driver assist systems, braking systems, steering systems, suspension systems, occupant safety systems (seat belts and airbags), electronics, engine components, fastening systems and aftermarket replacement parts and services. All references to "TRW Automotive," "TRW" or the "Company" in this press release refer to TRW Automotive Holdings Corp. and its subsidiaries, unless otherwise indicated. TRW Automotive news is available on the Internet at http://www.trwauto.com/ / http://www.trwauto.de/ .