Magna Develops Comfort+ Door Latch to Improve Door

• Reduces effort needed to open and close a car door by 40-60 percent
• Allows increased sealing to create a quieter cabin – a key factor in driver satisfaction ratings
• Will enter the market on future models with a European automaker

AURORA, Ontario, May 23, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- For automakers, two key customer satisfaction considerations are the feel of a car’s door when opening and closing and the quietness of the cabin. Magna recently developed the Comfort+ ^TM door latch to address both concerns and has secured its first production contract to supply the new type of latch to a European automaker.

Comfort+ turns sliding friction into rolling friction within the mechanics of the door latch, which significantly reduces the efforts required to open and close a car door and results in a smooth, consistent feel. Compared to traditional latches, opening efforts are reduced by an average of 40 to 60 percent, dramatically improving the consumer experience when entering and exiting a vehicle.

The “plus” in Comfort+: the reduced opening and closing efforts allow automakers to increase sealing around the door, which helps create a quieter cabin.

Performance is also improved with the Comfort+ latch. After 100,000 door slams, traditional door latches typically require more effort to open – on average up to 35 percent more than when new. After more than 1 million slams in testing by engineers at Magna, the Comfort+ latch maintained a consistent level of performance.

TAGS Door latch, quiet cabin, new car satisfaction ratings

INVESTOR CONTACT Louis Tonelli, Vice-President, Investor Relations louis.tonelli@magna.com , 905.726.7035

MEDIA CONTACT Tracy Fuerst, Global Director of Corporate Communications & PR tracy.fuerst@magna.com , 248.631.5396

ABOUT MAGNA We have more than 172,000 entrepreneurial-minded employees dedicated to delivering mobility solutions. We are a mobility technology company and one of the world's largest automotive suppliers with 340 manufacturing operations and 93 product development, engineering and sales centres in 28 countries. Our competitive capabilities include body exteriors and structures, power and vision technologies, seating systems and complete vehicle solutions. Our common shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange (MG) and the New York Stock Exchange (MGA). For further information about Magna, visit www.magna.com . 

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