The Tiger entertainment system is an example of China's potential to develop more sophisticated systems, not just low-tech parts.

 

Visteon Asia Pacific Inc. launched what is now a top-selling product in August 2007. The Tiger was created completely in Shanghai. Versions now can be found in the Roewe 750 and Mazda J64 in China, the Ford Focus in Brazil and the Ford Transit Connect van in Turkey.

 

Visteon wanted an inexpensive system suitable for a small or compact budget car. But it still wanted capability for a video player, TV and other functions. The Tiger is most viable for developing markets, especially China.

 

"The Tiger fits well into some 80 percent of vehicles sold in China," says Dean Miles, who leads Visteon Asia Pacific's infotainment electronics division. "In America, the proportion would be more like 20 percent. If someone spends $30,000 to $40,000 on a pickup truck, they expect to pay for a system with much higher tuning and sound performance."

 

Besides having the highest demand, China was the best place to develop the Tiger for another reason. The country has a highly developed consumer electronics industry with plenty of expertise in creating low-cost gadgets, such as $30 DVD players for Wal-Mart.

 

In 2005, Visteon acquired a big chunk of this know-how when it took over Jiangsu Toppower Automotive Electronics Co. Ltd. At the time, Toppower was making inexpensive car video and audio units for the aftermarket and for automakers such as Great Wall Automobile Co.

 

Many of the engineers who worked on the Tiger came from Toppower, including the architect responsible for its software.

 

"They brought with them their Chinese approach of quick product cycles and attention to cost," Miles says. "We added to this by training them in the things we're good at: processes, standardization and global production platforms."

 

The original version of the Tiger was developed from scratch. Visteon wanted Bluetooth wireless communication, an iPod input and a USB socket for flash memory, along with a standard radio-CD player.

 

Visteon has sold 17 versions of the Tiger for car models in the developing world. Last year the supplier signed a deal to adapt the Tiger for Daimler's Smart brand.

 

In October Visteon added a DVD player and satellite navigation for a version of Tiger appearing in the redesigned Ford Mondeo sedan. Digital TV is in the works.

 

"A lot of suppliers have been slow to dive in and give full responsibility to their China engineering centers," Miles says. "My message is: Just do it. This product has been a great hit."