Toyota's Washington Auto Show Exhibit Focuses on Causes Including Safety, Environment

WASHINGTON, Jan. 30, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.'s (TMS) 30,112 square-foot exhibit at this year's Washington Auto Show (WAS), nearly a quarter larger than last year's, will be a blend of new products bound for dealerships and concept vehicles that could pave the way for new production vehicles and promising technologies.

Among the headliners at the exhibit is a pair of vehicles: the new Avalon, which is designed, developed and manufactured in the U.S. with elegant and athletic styling hinting at the shape of Toyotas to come, and the new RAV4, a reinvention of the world's original crossover sport utility vehicle.

The 2013 RAV4 features bold and dynamic styling with improved aerodynamics, and a spacious, upgraded interior. The vehicle also boasts new technology and safety features along with the versatility and functionality consumers demand. Toyota's all-new flagship sedan, the 2013 Toyota Avalon, combines more emotional styling, improved dynamic performance and much greater capability. The Avalon is the first generation to be offered with a Hybrid Synergy Drive System that can deliver an EPA-rated 40-mpg combined city/highway driving.

Test drives of both the RAV4 and the Avalon, along with the 2013 model year Prius Plug-in, will be open to WAS attendees from Friday, Feb. 1, through Sunday, Feb. 10. Scion will also offer a Ride and Drive, featuring the 2013 model year FR-S, iQ and tC Coupe.

In conjunction with the Ride and Drives, Toyota will partner with three charities – American Red Cross, AMVETS and National Park Foundation – in the "Drive for a Cause" campaign.  Any WAS attendee participating in a test drive can choose one of these charities, to which Toyota will make a contribution on their behalf.

In addition to these new vehicles, the FT-Bh TMC futuristic hybrid concept, which brings fuel efficiency to a new level with a focus on maximum affordability, will be featured. The FT-Bh concept is an ultra-light, sub-1800-pound, full hybrid vehicle designed to lower fuel consumption and minimize emissions for an affordable, subcompact family car.

In keeping with Toyota's environmental focus, the best-selling Prius family of vehicles will also be on display along with the Toyota Touch-Wall featuring Prius v. In 2012, Toyota launched a production version of the RAV4 EV (Electric Vehicle), engineered and manufactured in North America.  To showcase this "green" marvel, there will be a full-scale "cut-away" on display, exhibiting the technical ingenuity behind Toyota's all-electric vehicle.

Aiming to engage visitors in exploring maximum vehicle safety, a second "cut-away" vehicle demonstrating safety principles will be on display, along with new safety games.

Additionally, to encourage greater safety for child passengers in particular, a safety video and child restraint information will inform show visitors as part of the Buckle Up for Life (or Abrochate a la Vida) program. Buckle Up for Life was created by Toyota and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center to address the disproportionately higher risks that African American and Hispanic children face in motor vehicle crashes. In recognition of the program's newest campaign on Causes.com/Toyota, Toyota will donate 10,000 child car seats to families in need.

The Toyota Tundra half-ton pickup truck that successfully aided in towing the space shuttle Endeavour to its new home at the California Science Center (CSC) on Oct. 12, 2012, will also be on-site, along with an extra-large video display featuring the historical event. Garrett Reisman, an engineer and former NASA astronaut who was aboard the orbiter when it traveled to the International Space Station in 2008 and again when it made its final voyage to the CSC, will be signing autographs for WAS visitors on Sunday, Feb. 3, from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. The Tundra's leg of the 12-mile tow, which included crossing a bridge spanning the nation's busiest freeway, was a result of a 20-year partnership between Toyota and the CSC to raise awareness of the space program and continue public education.

In all, Toyota will have 50 cars, trucks and SUVs on display at the auto show.  Product specialists will be available to demonstrate the features of Toyota's new Entune multimedia system, now available on many 2013 models.

"This year's exhibit is about our values as an automaker," said Ed Laukes, vice president of marketing communications and motorsports at Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. "Visitors will not only see our award-winning cars and trucks, but vehicles that show our leadership in the realms of environmental consciousness and safety."

About Toyota

Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc. is the marketing, sales, distribution and customer service arm of Toyota, Lexus and Scion. Established in 1957, TMS markets products and services through a network of nearly 1,500 Toyota, Lexus and Scion dealers which sold more than two million vehicles in 2012. Toyota directly employs nearly 30,000 people in the U.S. and its investment here is currently valued at more than $18 billion.

For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyota.com or www.toyotanewsroom.com.

Contact:

Katie Clark-AlSadder
SHIFT Communications
[email protected]
415-591-8421

SOURCE Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.