Meanwhile, Toyota used the most recent Chicago Auto Show to reveal an odd alliance with Nintendo designed to publicise the debut of the 2024 Grand Highlander, which arrives on sale in summer 2023. 500 future owners of the high-end SUV will each receive a free OLED Switch and a physical copy of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe to commemorate the event. Toyota even brought a special Grand Highlander with a vinyl cover honouring the Switch to the 2023 Chicago Motor Show to mark the company’s second partnership with Nintendo following the Pikachu “Pi!car!” venture. At the automaker’s CAS booth, visitors can view the one-of-a-kind vehicle until February 19, when the expo is set to close.
The relationship, according to Toyota Marketing Vice President Lisa Materazzo, is designed to highlight how the new Grand Highlander and Nintendo Switch are “the great pair for families and road trips.” What is still unknown is if this cross-promotion will be a contest or if Toyota will just deliver the free gaming package to the first 500 purchasers of the 2024 Grand Highlander. In either case, the promotion is exclusively open to buyers in the United States.
