All-New Texas-Built Tacoma, i-Road Three-Wheeled Electric Vehicle, FC Dallas Player Appearances among the Experiences for 2016 Fair Visitors

DALLAS — (BUSINESS WIRE) — September 24, 2015 — State Fair of Texas visitors will have a wide range of experiences from Toyota at this year’s fair, Sept. 25 to Oct. 18. While teens and parents can test their skills at the TeenDrive365 distracted driving simulator, others can get a possible glimpse into the future of mobility with the i-Road and FV2 concepts, and everyone can meet stars from the play-off bound FC Dallas soccer club.

With more than 61,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor exhibit space, Toyota will display 69 vehicles. Joining the all-new, San Antonio-built 2016 Toyota Tacoma will be the Texas debut of the dynamic Scion duo – the versatile 2016 Scion iM and 2016 Scion iA – with a combination of practicality, desired technology and unique style for today’s young drivers. All three vehicles just recently arrived at dealerships and are ready to go wherever drivers dream.

“Our customers have been anticipating the all-new Tacoma all year, and the State Fair will give them a chance to see it up close,” said Bill Fay, group vice president and general manager, Toyota. “These Texas-built trucks are made for the outdoors enthusiast, and feature a factory-installed GoPro camera mount so drivers can capture their adventures and share them with their friends.”

In 2016, the popular RAV4 compact crossover SUV will be receiving a hybrid powertrain option and is making its Texas debut at the State Fair before going on sale later this fall. Other vehicles on display include the iconic redesigned 2016 Toyota Land Cruiser, and sporty Camry and Corolla special editions. The highly acclaimed, off-road eating Tundra and 4Runner TRD Pro models also make an appearance in the at the outdoor truck area.

Also at the State Fair is the all new TeenDrive365 distracted driving simulator, which uses Oculus Rift to bring the dangers of distracted driving to life. This is the first time the next generation virtual reality technology is being used to educate people – teens and parents alike – about the dangers of distracted driving. The new simulator with Oculus Rift will be available free of charge to the public at the State Fair of Texas. The safety exhibit also includes active safety education using a Camry to feature tutorial videos on the functions of several technologies including Blind Spot Monitor and Land Departure Alert.

Toyota will also be showing several concept vehicles that hint at the future of mobility. The FV2 is operated by the driver shifting his or her body to intuitively move the vehicle in any direction. It uses intelligent transport system technology to connect with other vehicles in the area and the traffic infrastructure to enable safe driving.

The Toyota i-ROAD is an innovative, fun-to-drive three-wheel personal electric vehicle equipped with revolutionary Active Lean technology that emulates the movements of a skier. The i-ROAD is as agile as a scooter with the enclosed-canopy comfort of a car. It is currently on the roads of Grenoble, France, in a car-sharing program, which provides rental of the vehicle for 15-minute increments, in an effort to integrate personal mobility with public transportation systems.

Toyota is a strong supporter of both professional and collegiate sports in Texas, including unique experiences and scheduled appearances of FC Dallas players throughout the Fair. On select Saturday afternoons, Sept. 26 and Oct. 3, fairgoers can experience the FC Dallas Tour presented by Toyota, hear the FC Dallas Drumline, and meet the FC Dallas girls along with Hooper, the official FC Dallas mascot. Additionally, on Saturday, Oct. 3 at 3 p.m., visitors have the opportunity to meet several FC Dallas players, with a special autograph session planned.

“Toyota's exhibit at the State Fair of Texas showcases the brand's breadth and depth with unique displays at the outdoor Truck Zone and inside the Centennial Building,” said Brent Hillyer, vice president of marketing, Gulf States Toyota. “Visitors to the annual fair will see how Toyota continues to produce exemplary cars and trucks for every segment while engaging with the present and future of Toyota.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE: TM), 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 more than 40,000 people (more than 32,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (1,500 in the U.S.) sold more than 2.5 million cars and trucks (more than 2.2 million in the U.S.) in 2013 – 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. For more information about Toyota, visit  www.toyotanewsroom.com .