Feature Vehicles

The interior of the BMW M5 brings together a combination of the driver-oriented cockpit design of a sports car, the spaciousness of a roomy living space, and the luxurious feel of a premium model. Faurecia has adapted the high-yield steel structure of the front sports seats (derived from the 7-Series, new 5-Series and 5-Series GT) to meet the automaker's requirements for this new sports model. Faurecia's seat structure ensures outstanding comfort and support worthy of a premium-class sedan. The aluminum decoration trim on the center console around the gearbox stick shift is developed by Faurecia Angell-Demmel, bringing the sporty touch expected from a performance car. The convex form of the trim is a design specific to the M5, featuring a finely polished soft touch, which blends in harmony with the rest of the aluminum interior decorative parts. Faurecia has developed and supplies complete front & rear bumpers including rocker panels reflecting the high-level of fit and finish for the M5 specific sports exterior parts. The main advantages of Faurecia's bumpers are perceived quality, better gap & fit management, precise color and gloss matching, and resistance to minor bumps.

Faurecia supports production for the Chevy Sonic from its Automotive Seating and Emissions Control Technologies business groups, supplying the vehicle's seat tracks as well as emissions control components for its exhaust system.

Faurecia, the preferred supplier of complete Ferrari exhaust systems, makes a key contribution to the 458 Spider's high-performance exhaust system. Faurecia supplies the complete sports exhaust line, from manifold to converter all the way to the triple tailpipes. The constraints on the exhaust line are massive: to withstand extreme variations resulting from high engine revolutions (up to 9,000 RPM), alleviate back pressure and offer the distinctive Ferrari V8 sound. For this purpose, Faurecia developed a pneumatically controlled exhaust valve to enable the typical Ferrari V8 sound with the valve open and optimized noise levels with it closed. Since the vehicle chassis is made of aluminum, the complete exhaust line had to be fully temperature-shielded to withstand a surface temperature of 250°C with exhaust gases at 850°C.

Faurecia also supplies exhaust systems for the following Ferrari cars: 612 Scaglietti, F599 GTB Fiorano, F599 GTO, California, 458 Italia as well as for the full range of Maserati vehicles and both Alfa Romeo 8C Coupé & Spider.

Building on the excitement of the new 2012 Fiat 500 (Cinquecento), the new Fiat 500 Abarth is designed for track-day enthusiasts and driving purists who want the ultimate high-performance small car with the pedigree of an exclusive Italian exotic. Faurecia produces the instrument panels, seat mechanisms and exhaust systems for this small but powerful vehicle.

Faurecia, which is a member of Ford's Aligned Business Framework (ABF), has contributed to the vehicle's success by producing its instrument panels, center consoles, door panel parts and hot-end emissions control components. This includes production of lightweight passenger airbag systems that are incorporated into the instrument panel with a seamless spacer fabric instead of a hard plastic cover. Called Reinforced Airbag Lid in Foam (RALF), the technology enables vehicle designers and stylists more design freedom around the instrument panel without compromising consumer comfort and safety. Faurecia sites in North and South America, Europe, Asia and South Africa all manufacture systems for the Focus, including the ST model and the 2012 "Green Car of the Year"-nominated Ford Focus Electric.

The M-Class features complete seats from Faurecia North America, assembled at Faurecia's just-in-time facility in Cottondale, Ala., just six miles from the Mercedes-Benz plant in Vance. At Cottondale, Faurecia produces as many as 18,000 different seat configurations, based on innovative features and options, including pneumatic seat comfort systems for adjusting seat functions and massage. Faurecia manufactures the high-quality seat covers from its Puebla, Mexico, plant, which has extensive experience with premium seat covers for a range of North America-based automakers. The leather-wrapped version of the instrument panel is assembled by Faurecia in Puebla, Mexico and Tuscaloosa, Ala., and adds an extra premium touch to the all new M-Class. Featuring fine decorative stitches, real and artificial leather harmonies are available covering both the entire upper and lower part of the instrument panel, as well as the glove box lid.

Having supplied seating systems on all previous MINI models since 2006, Faurecia is perpetuating its expertise in this field with the Coupé, with standard-fitted sports seats offering outstanding lateral support through quickly taken corners. Faurecia provides the complete seat just-in-time to the MINI plant in Oxford, England, and directly supplies the seat structure and frame, the full set of seat mechanisms (tracks, recliner and height adjuster), and headrests.

Faurecia, a supplier to the iconic vehicle since it was introduced, is helping to bring back the highly anticipated historic Beetle. Built in Volkswagen's Puebla, Mexico plant, the new Beetle features Faurecia instrument panels, seat frames and catalytic converters.

Faurecia has developed and manufactures the complete instrument panel, including the glove box, air vents and IP deco trims (paint, film). The so-called "Dash Pad" is a nod to the original Beetle without being retro. In Europe this dash pad is painted a high gloss black on the "Beetle" trim, in the car body color in the "Design" trim, whereas the high-end "Sport" trim features a very dynamic carbon fiber look (film). As in the original Beetle, the new Beetle boasts an extra glove box (the "Beetle" box) integrated into the dash pad on the passenger side. Its lid opens upward, while the standard glove box – situated in the lower part of the instrument panel – opens downward.

As part of the vehicle's redesign, Faurecia Emissions Control Technologies supplies catalytic converters for the Beetle's 2.5L gasoline five- cylinder, 2.0L TDI® Clean Diesel and 2.0L TSI® turbocharged gasoline engines. Faurecia's total production support for the vehicle involves four Faurecia plants, located in Mexico and Poland.