A special cross-promotion between Toyota and Nintendo will give some customers of a recently unveiled SUV a Switch for free along with a copy of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. In Mario Kart 8, which debuted three Mercedes-Benz vehicles in 2014—the GLA, W 25 Silver Arrow, and 300 SL Roadster—Nintendo is now working with automakers for the second time.
In a few months, the most recent Mario Kart game will turn ten, but Nintendo is still supporting its 2017 Deluxe rerelease for the Switch because the Japanese corporation is in the process of releasing a massive 48-track expansion. The fourth round of DLC for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pack will debut in the spring, according to the most recent information.
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.
Industry observers predict the SUV will cost somewhere between a standard Highlander and the new Toyota Sequoia, which start at $36,000 and $58,000, respectively. The SUV has yet to get an official price tag. Spending $50,000 on a new car might be enough to get a free Switch and a copy of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, but Toyota’s announcement makes it clear that the latter’s Booster Course Pass DLC won’t be included in the deal.
Future recipients of a free copy of 2024 Grand Highlander will instead be able to purchase the popular expansion for $25 like everyone else. As an alternative, users can obtain MK8D’s Booster Course Pass “free” with a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription, which 12-month membership costs $49.99.
