In this paper, we present a design procedure of composite nonlinear feedback control for general multivariable systems with actuator saturation. We consider both the state feedback case and the measurement feedback case without imposing any restrictive assumption on the given systems. The composite nonlinear feedback control consists of a linear feedback law and a nonlinear feedback law without any switching element. The linear feedback part is designed to yield a closed-loop system with faster rise time, while at the same time not exceeding the actuator limits for the desired command input levels. The nonlinear feedback law is used to reduce overshoot and undershoot caused by the linear part. As such, a highly desired tracking performance with faster settling time and smaller overshoot can be obtained. The result is illustrated by a numerical example, which shows that the proposed design method yields a very satisfactory performance. (c) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.