As prepared for:
Jack Hollis
Group Vice President and General Manager, Toyota Division
2019 Chicago Auto Show
McCormick Place
Chicago

Good morning, Chicago! Now how is everyone doing this morning?
 
We’re in the middle of Auto Show season … and we’ve had some
pretty phenomenal news so far.
 
In LA … we doubled down on our commitment to passenger cars by unveiling the Corolla Hybrid … the Prius AWD … and the Camry and Avalon TRD sedans.
 
In Detroit … we kind of feel like we stole the show with the return of the long-awaited Toyota Supra.
 
Here in Chicago … we’ve got some great truck and SUV news … and by the time we’re done … since November …we’ll have unveiled changes to nearly two-thirds of our lineup.
 
So while it might be cold out … I am pretty fired up… about as fired up
as the Pizza Hut oven in the back of our hydrogen-powered Tundra Pie Pro.
 
You could say we’ve got a loaded pie with all the fixings today. We recently shared news about the new Land Cruiser Heritage Edition… A special edition of one of the most beloved vehicles to ever wear a Toyota badge.
 
The Land Cruiser may be a global vehicle … but the Heritage Edition is only available in the U.S. market … as it pays tribute to Land Cruiser’s 60+ year history here. 
 
Heritage Edition ditches the running boards… third-row seating and side molding in favor of darkened accents, a BBS bronze
forged-aluminum wheel and a Vintage Land Cruiser logo … just to name a few.
 
Heritage Edition will go on sale later this summer …and will only be offered in very limited quantities. Pricing will be announced closer to launch.
 
With Land Cruiser benchmarking our progress over the last six decades … clearly Toyota is no stranger to creating exceptional off-road SUVs.
 
And for 2020 … we’ll be completing our TRD Pro lineup. Check this out…
 
That’s right … the 2020 Sequoia can go even more places thanks to its TRD Pro upgrades.That includes the same Fox internal bypass shocks found on the rest of our TRD Pro vehicles.
 
Paired with TRD-tuned springs … these Fox shocks offer next-level performance that’s equally impressive on or off the highway.
 
Sequoia TRD Pro also includes a host of exterior upgrades, unique black badging and TRD-engineered parts.
 
Black aluminum running boards come standard … and they are just as helpful for getting in and out of the vehicle as they are for loading cargo on the new TRD roof rack.
 
Inside … Sequoia TRD Pro will be fitted with leather-trimmed seats that feature red stitching and TRD Pro logos stitched onto the front headrests.
 
Sequoia and all TRD Pros will be available in Midnight Black Metallic, Super White, Magnetic Gray Metallic and the TRD Pro-exclusive Army Green.
 
Sequoia also leads the way for new features across the TRD Pro family for 2020… as each model adds upgraded multimedia systems that include Android Auto!
 
In fact all Sequoia, Tundra and 4Runners will also have Apple Carplay and Amazon Alexa compatibility.
 
For 2020, all grades of Sequoia will feature Smart Key with push-button start. Tundra and 4Runner will also receive this upgrade on select grades.
 
Tundra TRD Pro will now go beyond CrewMax … as Double Cab will get added to the mix next model year.
 
Tundra CrewMax and Sequoia TRD Pros get standard premium JBL Audio with subwoofer and integrated navigation like 4Runner received last year.
 
4Runner TRD Pro and all 2020 4Runners will now come standard
with Toyota Safety Sense.
 
To complement the change, every 4Runner is fitted with a new instrument panel.
 
That means we now offer active safety systems STANDARD every single grade of our trucks and SUVs. What other full-line manufacturer can make that claim? 
 
Now, you might have noticed I left an important vehicle out of the TRD Pro discussion … but don’t worry folks, Tacoma is still the king of the hill!
 
There is a lot of excitement right now around mid-size trucks … and we’re actually thrilled to see that. We believe strongly in this segment … so much so that even when others fled… … we stayed the course.
 
Last year, Tacoma sales were up by nearly 50-thousand. Our 14-year streak of class-leading sales speaks for itself. And we plan to do that again for the 15^th year!
So in the spirit of Kaizen, or continuous improvement … we’re always exploring ways to enhance our products.
 
And on that note … I’d like to introduce you to the 2020 Toyota Tacoma.
 
The Tacoma gets key interior and exterior updates across the board for 2020. Depending upon the grade, LED headlights will be standard.
 
There’s a new grille and wheel design on nearly every model …
 
And there’s new infotainment that features Android Auto … Apple CarPlay … Amazon Alexa …and on most grades a larger 8-inch touchscreen comes standard.
 
All that is great … but at 6-foot-2, my favorite feature is the new 10-way power adjustable driver seat found on all grades from SR5 and up.
 
Tacoma also gets some exciting technology only previously found on
Land Cruiser…such as an available Panoramic View Monitor
and Multi-Terrain Monitor, providing an improved view of objects and terrain around the truck.
 
As for Tacoma TRD Pro … it is equipped with new lighter wheels, sequential LED/DRL headlamps and black tail lamps.
 
All grades of the new Tacoma will be available later this summer.
 
Now there’s one more slice of news left … and it’s a big piece.
 
We just unveiled the amazing new 2019 RAV4 and we simply can’t make them fast enough for our dealers. And our 2018s went out on a high note.
 
Even after announcing the next generation RAV4, the outgoing model
still sold more than ever.
 
RAV4 was the number-one-selling vehicle in the Toyota lineup and the best-selling vehicle in the industry … excluding pickup trucks. And we’re not resting one bit.
 
We have another addition to the family… the 2020 RAV4 TRD Off-Road.
 
The new RAV4 TRD Off-Road gives our best-selling vehicle even better off-highway performance. It will come standard with Dynamic Torque Vectoring All-Wheel Drive, Multi-Terrain Select … and a 3,500-pound
towing capacity.
 
It also features TRD-tuned suspension aimed at being equally adept navigating traffic on daily commutes …or rally-style driving on light-duty trails.
 
Our TRD engineers have had their hands all over this new suspension as they fine-tuned all the components to provide a big improvement to driving characteristics on bumpy terrain.
 
Speaking of the trail … the new TRD 18-inch black alloy wheels look awesome…and they are paired with all-terrain tires designed by Falken just for RAV4 to provide a sure-footed approach to surfaces paved and unpaved.
 
Outside, you’ll notice a number of darkened and black features to give TRD Off-Road its own unique place in the RAV4 lineup.  
 
Inside, TRD accents can be found all over the seats, dash, door trim
and even on the floor and cargo area. 
 
RAV4 TRD Off-Road will also come standard with a moonroof … and it will be on sale later this year.
 
Well … we hope you’ve all had your fill of truck and SUV news today. I know our TRD Pro-crew was out exploring the stomping grounds of sasquatch …
 
although they didn’t find him… if you hurry you might be able to find your very own Yeti on the way out that you can share on social media at #Toyota.
 
On behalf of Toyota …a sincere thank you to everyone for taking the time to join us here today. See you next time!