National Press Release

ASCHAFFENBURG, Germany, May 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- TRW Automotive Holdings Corp. (NYSE: TRW) has introduced a range of steering wheels to enhance driver comfort and provide customers with a more personalised vehicle interior. The new range includes heated steering wheels, coloured wheels and seamless leather steering wheels.

Jaime Fernandez, director product planning, TRW Global Occupant Safety Systems explained: "Steering wheels are becoming more and more a multi-functional design object where attractive appearance, feel and, moreover, comfort are increasingly important. Having been able to choose only the colour of your vehicle previously, TRW now allows you to customize the inside as well."

To improve driver comfort, TRW has introduced heated wooden steering wheels in addition to its existing heated leather range. The wheels are activated by a switch which quickly heats the rim of the wheel to provide a pleasant level of warmth. The electric energy is conducted by means of thin metal heating wires placed directly beneath the wheel surface. These heating wires are arranged so that they are not felt by the driver and will not disturb the leather or wooden surfaces. A thermo sensor in combination with a controller results in a constant temperature on the wheel surface.

"The steering wheel rims can be heated within approximately five minutes from -20 degrees C to +25 degrees C (-4 degrees F to 68 degrees F). Several heating circuits inside the wheel provide a homogeneous temperature distribution," continued Fernandez.

TRW's heated steering wheels are now in production with a number of global vehicle manufacturers.

TRW has developed bi coloured steering wheels -- a new addition to its current range of coloured steering wheel options. Both two-tone and one-tone variations use coatings and colour pastes to match the polyurethane steering wheel to the colour of the passenger compartment. Coloured steering wheels also provide vehicle manufacturers with a more affordable solution as they use foam instead of leather to significantly reduce costs.

TRW has also developed seam-free leather steering wheels that are unblemished by stitching and offer the driver a smoother feel. The leather is fixed to the steering wheel through a groove on the back of the wheel.

Fernandez added: "In addition to enhancing driver comfort, seam-free steering wheels help to drive down costs as the manual labour required for the leather stitching is replaced by a single automatic process."

TRW's seam-free steering wheels are due to start production at the end of this year with a major global vehicle manufacturer.

About TRW

With 2008 sales of $15.0 billion, TRW Automotive ranks among the world's leading automotive suppliers. Headquartered in Livonia, Michigan, USA, the Company, through its subsidiaries, operates in 26 countries and employs approximately 65,000 people worldwide. TRW Automotive 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 www.trw.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains statements that are not statements of historical fact, but instead are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We caution readers not to place undue reliance on these statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. All forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties which can cause our actual results to differ materially from those suggested by the forward-looking statements, including those set forth in our Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2008 (our "Form 10-K"), such as: any prolonged contraction in automotive sales and production adversely affecting our results, liquidity and the viability of our supply base; the financial condition of OEMs, particularly the Detroit Three, adversely affecting us and the viability of our supply base; disruptions in the financial markets adversely impacting the availability and cost of credit negatively affecting our business; our substantial debt and resulting vulnerability to an economic or industry downturn and to rising interest rates; escalating pricing pressures from our customers; commodity inflationary pressures adversely affecting our profitability and supply base; our dependence on our largest customers; costs of product liability, warranty and recall claims and efforts by customers to alter terms and conditions concerning warranty and recall participation; strengthening of the U.S. dollar and other foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations impacting our results; any increase in the expense and funding requirements of our pension and other postretirement benefits; risks associated with non-U.S. operations, including economic uncertainty in some regions; work stoppages or other labor issues at our facilities or at the facilities of our customers or suppliers; assertions by or against us relating to intellectual property rights; the possibility that our largest shareholder's interests will conflict with ours; and other risks and uncertainties set forth in our Form 10-K and in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We do not undertake any obligation to release publicly any revision to any of these forward-looking statements.

SOURCE TRW Automotive Holdings Corp.