TOYOTA Takes Philadelphia Auto Show Guests Beyond the Booth

PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 7, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- No one is surprised that it's cold in Philadelphia during February – but after this year's unforgiving polar vortex, people can't wait for winter to be over. Since the 2014 Philadelphia Auto Show will be crowded with attendees looking to get away from it all, Toyota is prepared to help them go places!

Beginning February 8 through February 16, teams of professional drivers and trained product specialists will take guests for a ride in a Toyota 4Runner, RAV4, or the all-new 2014 Highlander to four treasured East Coast vacation destinations:

• The ski slopes of Vermont, where guests can experience features such as Downhill Assist Control in the 4Runner and the Dynamic Torque Control AWD in the RAV4 and Highlander
• An amusement park in Ocean City with a "Fun House" tunnel that sets the vehicle rocking and rolling while highlighting the ground clearance and suspension settings on the Toyota SUVs
• The beach at the Jersey Shore, where TRAC and AWD Lock features will be used to get out of the deep sand
• A waterfall getaway in the Poconos, with a discussion of the Highlander, 4Runner, and RAV4's towing and cargo capabilities perfect for getting back to nature

Along the way, participants will learn about the updated features of each Toyota vehicle, all of which combine family-friendly cargo capacity with available all-wheel-drive for coping with wicked winter weather. Rounding out the cadre of family-friendly vehicles on display, show-goers will also be able to explore the Toyota Sienna and Venza vehicles onsite.

This year, Toyota Drive Center is partnering with three esteemed charities – the American Red Cross, AMVETS and FFA (also known as Future Farmers of America) – in the Drive for a Cause campaign. When customers participate in a test drive at Toyota Drive Center, they will choose one of the charities and Toyota will make a contribution to the charity on the customers' behalf.

"As the saying goes – it's not just the destination, it's the journey," said Andrew Gilleland, general manager of Central Atlantic Toyota. "This year we're taking our Philadelphia Auto Show guests on simulated East Coast adventures to highlight how Toyota vehicles will elevate their future journeys."

Win a 2014 Toyota Highlander
Did your quick Toyota get-away put you in the mood to take a trip of your own? The Tri-State Toyota Dealers are selling $10 tickets for a drawing to win a brand new Toyota Highlander at the show. All proceeds benefit the Philly Ad Club Education Foundation, which provides scholarships for local college students. The drawing will take place at 12 p.m. on Sunday, February 16 – stop by the Toyota booth to purchase tickets to win.

About Toyota
Toyota, the world's top automaker and creator of the Prius, is committed to building vehicles for the way people live through our Toyota, Lexus and Scion brands.  Over the past 50 years, we've built more than 25 million cars and trucks in North America, where we operate 14 manufacturing plants (10 in the U.S.) and directly employ nearly 40,000 people (more than 37,000 in the U.S.).  Our 1,800 North American dealerships sold more than 2.3 million cars and trucks in 2012 – and about 80 percent of all Toyota vehicles sold over the past 20 years are still on the road today. 

Toyota partners with philanthropic organizations across the country, with a focus on education, safety and the environment.  As part of this commitment, we share the company's extensive know-how garnered from building great cars and trucks to help community organizations and other nonprofits expand their ability to do good.  (NYSE: TM) 

For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyota.com or www.toyotanewsroom.com. Consumers interested in learning more about the Toyota Car of the Future can visit www.toyota.com/fuelcell.

Contact:
Wade Hoyt
Toyota Corporate Communications
[email protected]
212-644-3424

Sara Crumley
SHIFT Communications for Toyota
[email protected]
415-591-8427

SOURCE Toyota