ARGN Gentherm, Inc. (MM)

NORTHVILLE, Mich., March 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Amerigon Incorporated (NASDAQ-GS: ARGN), the global market leader and a developer of innovative thermal management technologies, announced today that its proprietary Climate Control Seat® (CCS®) system is currently being offered as an option in the 2012 Kia K9 Cadenza, the company's flagship sedan sold in Korea.  The heated and cooled seat system option is offered for both the front and rear seats. 

Amerigon President and Chief Executive Officer Daniel R. Coker said, "The Kia K9 Cadenza is considered Kia's flagship luxury sedan in the Korean market, which makes it a very nice fit for our CCS actively heated and cooled seat system.  The K9 Cadenza is being marketed as 'all-new' so we believe it is significant that Kia included our thermal management technology.  We are pleased that Kia is expanding the availability of this comfort enhancing technology to more of its vehicles."

Another Kia vehicle that features CCS is the Kia Opirus/Amanti full-size sedan.  Kia vehicles featuring Amerigon's proprietary heated and ventilated seat system include the Kia Optima, Kia Sportage and Kia Mohave/Borrego.

About CCS

In the CCS system, which is built around Amerigon's highly-efficient, solid-state thermoelectric device, air is forced through the heat pump and thermally conditioned in response to electronic switch input from the seat occupant.  The conditioned air circulates by a specially designed fan through ducts in the seat cushion and seat back, resulting in a surface that can be heated or cooled.  Each seat has individual electronic controls to adjust the level of heating or cooling.  CCS substantially improves comfort compared with conventional air conditioners by focusing the cooling directly on the passenger through the seat, rather than waiting until ambient air cools the seat surface behind the passenger.

Amerigon is the largest supplier of thermoelectric systems for cars, with more than 8.8 million thermoelectric-based seat systems sold.

About Amerigon

Amerigon (NASDAQ-GS:ARGN) is a global developer and marketer of innovative thermal management technologies for a broad range of heating and cooling and temperature control applications. Automotive products based on technologies developed by Amerigon and its majority-owned subsidiary, W.E.T. Automotive Systems AG, include actively heated and cooled seat systems and cup holders, heated and ventilated seat systems, thermal storage bins, heated seat and steering wheel systems, cable systems and other electronic devices. Its advanced technology team is developing more efficient materials for thermoelectrics and systems for waste heat recovery and electrical power generation for the automotive market that may have far-reaching applications for consumer products as well as industrial and technology markets. Amerigon has more than 5,000 employees in facilities in the U.S., Germany, Mexico, China, Canada, Japan, England, Korea and the Ukraine.  For more information, go to www.amerigon.com.

Certain matters discussed in this release are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, and actual results may be different.  Important factors that could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from its expectations in this release are risks that sales may not significantly increase, additional financing, if necessary, may not be available, new competitors may arise and adverse conditions in the automotive industry may negatively affect its results.  The liquidity and trading price of its common stock may be negatively affected by these and other factors.  Please also refer to Amerigon's Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings and reports, including, but not limited to, its Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011; all of which are available free of charge on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Amerigon expressly disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

SOURCE Amerigon Incorporated