Autoliv Supplies New Seatbelt technology to Mercedes’ Next S-class

(Stockholm, January 16, 2013) – – – Autoliv is further expanding its safety system offering for passengers in the rear seats with the Bag-in-belt. As the name suggests, the Bag-in-belt is a combination of a seatbelt and an airbag to further reduce the load on the occupant's ribcage in a frontal collision. This new seatbelt is developed in cooperation with Daimler and is first offered on their new flagship Mercedes S-class.

When the vehicle crash sensors detect a frontal impact, the airbag control unit triggers the deployment of the Bag-in-belt. Similar to an airbag deployment, a gasgenerator inflates the multi-layered webbing forcing the integrated stitched seams to rip apart. This results in a three times larger surface area that better distributes the crash force on the occupant to reduce the risk of injury.

The Bag-in-belt is used in exactly the same way as a conventional seatbelt and received praise in practical trials by Mercedes for being extremely comfortable to wear and for its extra-soft belt strap edge.

Inquiries:

Henrik Kaar, Director, Corporate Communications                                  + 46 8 587 20 614  

About Autoliv

Autoliv Inc., the worldwide leader in automotive safety systems, develops and manufactures automotive safety systems for all major automotive manufacturers in the world. Together with its joint ventures, Autoliv has approximately 80 facilities with more than 50,000 employees in 29 countries. In addition, the Company has ten technical centers in nine countries around the world, with 21 test tracks, more than any other automotive safety supplier. Sales in 2011 grew by 15% to US $8.2 billion. The Company's shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: ALV) and its Swedish Depository Receipts on the OMX Nordic Exchange in Stockholm (ALIV sdb). For more information about Autoliv, please visit our company website at http://www.autoliv.com/