KIRCHHEIM UNTER TECK, Germany, June 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Recaro Automotive Seating is worldwide seating supplier for the new sporty subcompact from Ford.
The numbers speak for themselves: With its 180-horsepower engine and its ability to accelerate to 100 km per hour in a mere 6.9 seconds, the new Ford Fiesta ST leads its competitors in the sporty subcompact class. To ensure dynamic performance and maximum driving enjoyment, Ford has complemented the highly sophisticated design of the Fiesta ST's chassis with the famed expertise of Recaro Automotive Seating. As a result, the new Fiesta ST models sold around the world will be standard-equipped with Recaro seats, which will be specially designed and manufactured for these models at the main site of Recaro Automotive Seating in Kirchheim/Teck, Germany, as well as at the company's plant in Lerma, Mexico.
At Ford, the ST designation is worn by the indisputable sport stars in its lineup, namely the particularly performance-oriented versions of its Focus and Fiesta models. Similarly, it also serves as an indicator of on-board Recaro technology. After all, as with its big brother, the Ford Focus ST, the brand-new Fiesta ST will come standard-equipped with seats that have been specifically designed by the engineers of the renowned automotive seating brand. These dynamically styled ST seats with befittingly excellent lateral support demonstrate how committed Ford is to delivering an optimally sporty driving experience.
Yet, in order to preclude any compromise to occupant comfort, the seating specialists at Recaro Automotive Seating have also invested all of their ergonomics know-how into developing these new seats for Ford. The seats' sophisticated contouring replete with highly effective lumbar support will make this immediately evident to ST drivers. Additionally, the seats of the new Fiesta ST feature the same first-class finish as those of the Focus ST. Also identical will be their high-grade coverings, which have been acclaimed in numerous rounds of comparative testing.
Moreover, since this ST version of the Fiesta has been developed as a 'world car,' the fans of sporty cars around the globe will now be able to enjoy the benefits of Recaro seats. "With this new seat for the Fiesta ST, we're now, for the first time, a standard-equipment supplier for a high-volume subcompact model to be sold in Europe, North America and Asia. This is a very important step for us," explains Dr. Christian Debus, Global Vice President at Recaro Car Seating, who is in charge of the company's worldwide passenger car business.
European production of the Fiesta ST in Cologne will be supplied with the seats by the main Recaro factory in Kirchheim/Teck. Meanwhile, the Recaro seats for the Mexican based production of Fiesta ST models to be sold in North America and Asia will be manufactured close to the Ford plant in Lerma, Mexico, where a new Recaro 'plant-in-plant' production facility has been established. This facility began operating at the end of May, 2013, according to schedule. The renowned German brand's production activities there will be supported by the infrastructure and logistics of Johnson Controls, its parent company. Accordingly, seats for standard versions of the Fiesta along with the premium RECARO sport seats for the ST version will be manufacturing at the same site, allowing Ford's current supply needs to be immediately and efficiently met. As Debus explains, it is a win-win situation for all parties: "Supplying the Mexican plant from Germany would not have made sense in terms of profitability, so 'plant-in-plant' production is an excellent solution. Our production in Mexico therefore absolutely lives up to our high standards as a brand-name manufacturer."
About RECARO Automotive Seating
Recaro Automotive Seating is a product business unit of Johnson Controls. At seven locations in Germany, Poland, Slovakia, Japan, Mexico and the USA we design, manufacture and market complete seats representative of our core competencies design, ergonomics, craftsmanship, robustness, lightweight construction and high-class workmanship under the brand name Recaro. Recaro Automotive Seating consists of two units: While Recaro Car Seating offers passenger car seats for OEMs and the aftermarket, Recaro Commercial Vehicle Seating focuses on commercial vehicle seats in the OEM and aftermarket segments.
Contact:
Tilman Schäfer
Tel.: +49-7021-93-5445
Fax: +49-7021-93-5566