Toyota Delivers a Full-Size Pickup that Matches Detroit Rivals

LOS ANGELES (Business Wire EON/PRWEB ) December 18, 2007 -- Motor Trend (www.motortrend.com), the world's automotive authority and part of SOURCE INTERLINK MEDIA, today announced the selection of the all-new Toyota Tundra as its 2008 Truck of the Year™. The complete report on Motor Trend’s 2008 Truck of the Year™ will be published in the magazine’s February issue, available on newsstands January 1, 2008.

The question on everybody's mind was whether Toyota could use its manufacturing and marketing muscle to compete with the big boys on their home turf. The answer can be found in one of the biggest and most capable vehicles in the segment, and one that can compete with any American-made pickup truck, at any level.

“Toyota’s introduction of a full-size pickup truck in the U.S. was a seismic event and one of the most highly anticipated vehicle launches in recent years,” said Angus MacKenzie, editor in chief of Motor Trend. “The question on everybody’s mind was whether Toyota could use its manufacturing and marketing muscle to compete with the big boys on their home turf. The answer can be found in one of the biggest and most capable vehicles in the segment, and one that can compete with any American-made pickup truck, at any level.”

The Tundra’s three different powertrains, one V-6 version and two V-8s, include a 5.7-liter V-8 that MacKenzie called “a high-tech wonder and torque monster.” The Tundra won over the judges with its class leading performance, and excellent load carrying and towing capabilities, combined with its impressive smoothness and refinement.

“This is an ambitious truck that is suited for its primary market,” said MacKenzie. “That Toyota, right out of the gate, offers 44 different flavors of the Tundra with different bed sizes, wheelbases, cab configurations and trim packages, is impressive. With the arrival of the Tundra, we now have a Japanese truck whose dimensions and performance make it a serious rival to the F-150, Silverado and Ram.”

MacKenzie addressed the recent Tundra recall. “Recalls are inevitable in an industry producing complex pieces of machinery like cars and trucks. The problem noted by Toyota was tracked to a single component from an outside supplier in about 15,000 Tundras, and did not show up on the vehicles we tested. We are satisfied the company has moved fast to rectify the issue, and that it does not alter our view of the fundamental excellence of the vehicle.”

The 2008 Field of Contenders

The Toyota Tundra was one of four trucks eligible for the Truck of the Year title. The other contenders were the Chevrolet Silverado HD, GMC Sierra HD and the Ford F-Series Super Duty. To be eligible for Truck of the Year, a vehicle must be totally new or redesigned, and released in the 12 months prior to January 1, 2008 (vehicles with modifications such as new engines or that are variants of existing models are not eligible).

About the Testing and Evaluation Process

Motor Trend subjected all Truck of the Year contenders to a series of rigorous on- and off-road testing at the Yucca, Arizona proving grounds. Editors tested two versions of each contender, with different engines, transmissions and body configurations to better evaluate the breadth of capabilities in such diverse areas as towing power, dirt and gravel road handling and stop and go traffic.

Each year, the editorial staff of Motor Trend has evaluated eligible vehicles for its Truck of the Year based on three key categories: Significance, Superiority and Value. Significance refers to innovation in engineering, technology, design, safety and packaging. Superiority levels the playing field and looks for class-leading levels of vehicle dynamics and performance, build quality and execution, and how well the vehicle performs its intended function. Finally, the all-important Value question asks, “What does this vehicle deliver in relation to what the consumer has to pay to purchase and own it?”

High-resolution images of the winner are available upon request and at www.motortrend.com/media. Multimedia coverage of the testing and selection process will be broadcast on Motor Trend Radio, hosted by Bob Long.

About MOTOR TREND

Motor Trend, part of SOURCE INTERLINK MEDIA, was founded in 1949 and has a circulation of 1.1 million and a total readership of 7.1 million. Internationally recognized as one of the leading brands in automotive publishing, Motor Trend comprises Motor Trend Magazine; motortrend.com; Motor Trend Radio; Truck Trend; Motor Trend International Auto Shows; Motor Trend en Espanol; and the renowned Motor Trend Car, Sport/Utility and Truck of the Year Awards program. SOURCE INTERLINK MEDIA is a division of Source Interlink Companies, Inc., (NASDAQ: SORC), a media and marketing services company. Source Interlink (www.sourceinterlink.com) is one of the largest publishers of magazines and online content for enthusiast audiences and a leading distributor of home entertainment products, including DVDs, music CDs, magazines, games, books and related items.

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