Toyota Tops the Awards in the Automotive Environmental Award Competition

TORRANCE, Calif., May 22, 2003 -- For the third year in a row, Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., has topped the Automotive Market Environmental Superiority (AMES) Awards with 11 winners. Polk Automotive Intelligence, an authority on vehicle environmental performance, announced the AMES awards.

The awards were created in order to encourage consumers to purchase an AMES awarded vehicle to help assist in the reduction of fuel consumption and the emission of greenhouse gases. The AMES awards criteria is based upon emissions, fuel economy and use of innovative technology to develop a vehicle's total environmental superiority rating.

The top Toyota winners for the AMES awards this year included the Toyota Corolla and Prius electric-gas hybrid in the subcompact car category. The mid-size car category was won by the Toyota Camry for the fourth consecutive year. In the premium and luxury car categories, the favorites were the Lexus ES 300 and the LS 430, respectively. In the sport car class Toyota has two champions, the Lexus SC 430 and the Toyota MR2.

Toyota was the victor in the full-size pickup category with the Toyota Tundra. Winners in the sport utility vehicle (SUV) category include the Toyota RAV4 in the compact SUV class, and the Toyota Highlander in the mid-size SUV category. The Lexus GX 470 topped the full-size luxury SUV segment.

In 2004, Toyota will introduce an all-new second-generation Prius that is sure to be an award contender. When the 2004 Prius arrives in dealerships this fall, it will mark the debut of the Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive system, a major breakthrough in global-friendly powertrain technology. The 2004 Prius will be bigger and better in every metric of comparison and will usher in a new era of electric-gas hybrid technology. The new Prius will feature increased interior space, moving from a compact to the midsize class. Its new Hybrid Synergy Drive system will supply significantly more power and performance, best-in-class fuel economy, and best-in-market emissions performance.