Telematics: ATX Launches New Toyota, Lexus Connected Vehicle Program

DALLAS, Aug. 5, 2009 -- ATX Group, a leading provider of connected vehicle (telematics) services to global automobile manufacturers, announced today the launch this week of the new Toyota/Lexus Safety Connect(TM) program on select Model Year 2010 Toyota and Lexus models in the U.S. The program marks the introduction of location-based safety and security services to Toyota's vehicle line and an enhanced suite of services for its premium Lexus line.

ATX will provide both Lexus and Toyota with GPS satellite, location-based Automatic Collision Notification (ACN), designated in-vehicle Emergency Assistance (SOS) button, Roadside Assistance and Stolen Vehicle Location service, each entailing a connection from Toyota and Lexus vehicles to ATX's specialized Response Center and between the ATX center and local 9-1-1 or emergency dispatch centers.

Also launching will be Lexus Enform(TM), available only on navigation-equipped vehicles, which includes all of the Safety Connect features and builds upon them with the premium services of Destination Assist and eDestination. Destination Assist agents are available via the on-board cellular equipment and can help drivers find a specific address, a business by name, or a type of business (e.g., gas station, movie theater, etc.), and even Zagat -rated restaurants, and then send the coordinates to the navigation system for routing. With eDestination, drivers can go online via LexusDrivers.com to save and sort destinations in up to 20 folders, each holding as many as 10 destinations. Then drivers can send the locations - up to 200 at a time - to their vehicle, where they will be available for download into the navigation system. Online, drivers can create personalized location names (e.g., "Favorite sushi," "1 PM Appt," "Kids' doctor," etc.) and even list notes about their saved locations, all helping them see exactly the information they choose in the vehicle.

Toyota Safety Connect(TM) and Lexus Enform with Safety Connect(TM) will be delivered as embedded, factory-installed hardware with a complimentary one-year trial subscription included for new vehicle purchasers.

ABOUT ATX:

With operations in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, and Dusseldorf, Germany, ATX is one of the world's leading providers of customized telematics services to global automobile manufacturers. ATX services, among the first to be launched in the consumer vehicle market back in 1996, are provided to vehicle owners through the brand names of its customers: Toyota, Lexus, BMW, PSA Peugeot Citro n, Mercedes-Benz, Maybach, and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.

Services by ATX provide enhanced safety, security and driving convenience to vehicle owners, and include location-specific emergency and roadside assistance, automatic collision notification, stolen vehicle recovery, remote diagnostics, and real-time traffic and navigation assistance. ATX also customizes services to help automobile manufacturers and their affiliated dealerships use telematics data and multiple customer contact channels to reduce costs, enhance vehicle servicing, and more closely manage customer relationships and contacts with the vehicle through its lifetime. ATX is a division of Cross Country Automotive Services (www.crosscountry-auto.com), a leading provider of location-based automotive services.

  For more information, visit www.atxg.com.

  ABOUT TOYOTA:

Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc. is the marketing, sales, distribution and customer service arm of Toyota, Lexus and Scion in the United States, marketing products and services through a network of 1,422 Toyota, Lexus and Scion dealers in 49 states. Established in 1957, TMS and its subsidiaries also are involved in distribution logistics and motorsports. The company's main Web site is http://www.toyota.com/.