Each year the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) runs tests for the top safety picks, and this year Toyota earned more awards than any other automaker.

“Safety is a core value that dates back to the foundation of our company. IIHS’ awards further recognize our commitment to helping protect drivers and passengers,” Steve St. Angelo, executive vice president of Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing North America, Inc. said, in a released statement.

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Earlier this week Toyota announced pricing for both the 2012 RAV4, which goes on sale today, and the Prius Liftback slated for dealers in January 2012.

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To begin this week, Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., Inc. launched Shareathon, a program that integrates social media with new leases or purchases during the year’s Toyotathon.

“This year Shareathon not only rewards shoppers for tweeting about their plans for a new Toyota, but is also a fun and unique way for us to engage their friends and followers,” said Kimberley Gardiner, national digital marketing and social media manager for Toyota in a released statement. “Last year’s Shareathon was such a huge success that we decided to add an incremental element to expand the social footprint and impact of the program.”

In late November, Scion introduced the 2013 FR-S compact rear-wheel drive sports car. The high-performance coupe is the fifth model in the Scion family and will be available in spring of 2012.

“Serving as a laboratory for Toyota, Scion is always experimenting with new things,” said Jack Hollis, Scion vice president in a released statement. “The brand is iconic with the xB, adrenalized by the tC, and groundbreaking with the iQ. The FR-S will no doubt serve as the halo car, expanding Scion into a new dimension of driving performance.”

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Recognition has come to the expansion of the 2012 Toyota Prius family as GreenCarReports.com named the four vehicles as its “Best Green Car to Buy.” The Prius Liftback, Prius v, Prius Plug-in and Prius c make up the family tree and all are top of the line in gas mileage.

“The Prius is more than just one car this year,” said Green Car Reports Editor John Voelcker in a released statement. “With a new Prius v and the Prius Plug-In Hybrid, it’s now a family of vehicles with some of the highest gas mileage on the market today, and the Prius name is likely to help encourage buyers to take the plunge into plug-in vehicles.”

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Kelley Blue Book named Toyota as the top brand in Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com 2012 Best Resale Value Awards. KBB recognizes current and future vehicles for their projected retained value through the first five years of ownership.

“Winning the top brand in the Kelley Blue Book Best Resale Value Awards is a very significant honor as it reflects Toyota’s commitment to quality, dependability and reliability, which ultimately adds up to great value,” said Bob Carter, group vice president and general manager, Toyota Division in a released statement. “Toyota will continue to deliver the finest cars and trucks consumers have come to expect for over half a century.”

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Refreshed and enhanced last year, the 2012 Toyota Corolla returns with upgrades to the base model and new standard audio equipment for the other offered models.

Listening to its customers, Toyota added new standards to the LE and S models. The audio upgrades include a head unit that features AM/FM/CD, a USB port and an auxiliary input jack. Auto-sound leveling changes the volume in response to ambient noise with audio control switches built into the steering wheel.

Toyota’s Star Safety System includes Vehicle Stability Control, Traction Control, Anti-lock Braking System, Electronic Brake-force Distribution and Brake Assist, as well as Smart Stop Technology, all standard on the 2012 Corolla. Also offered is the 25,000-mile Toyota Care complimentary maintenance plan.

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After a new styling for 2011, the Toyota Matrix comes to 2012 with two model grades and two powertrain offerings and available all-wheel drive. The 2012 Toyota Matrix seats five and mixes the utility of a small SUV with great fuel economy.

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Set to be sold in Spring of 2012, the Toyota Prius Plug-in earned Decisive magazine’s annual Urban Green Vehicle of the Year award in late October. The Prius Plug-in was featured in this blog post and the award was announced after selections by an independent panel of automotive journalists.

“We are pleased with the recognition of the 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in as a well-designed, smart and attainable vehicle, especially in an urban environment,” said Jim Colon, vice president of Toyota product communications at Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. in a released statement. “We’re confident that the Prius Plug-in’s extended electric range, selectable EV mode, expected 87 MPGe and quick home charging are among the features that helped Toyota secure this distinction.”

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“It’s Ready. Are You?” is the new slogan for the all-new 2012 Toyota Camry. According to Toyota, the campaign demonstrated how the seventh-generation model addresses consumers’ needs, expectations and driving habits. Look for Daytona Toyota’s Camry event!

“When building the best-selling car in America-a car with nearly seven million vehicles on the road today-you learn about what people want and expect from their cars,” said Bill Fay, group vice president of marketing for Toyota in a prepared statement. “We recognized the need to give Americans a smart, safe and worry-free vehicle they can rely on, and our marketing campaign communicates this message.”