2026 Toyota Corolla Hatchback FX Nods at History
The automaker revived the FX moniker as an appearance package with the Corolla sedan in 2024.
The Corolla Hatchback FX is scheduled to arrive at dealers this fall.
Toyota is adding another Corolla FX model to its lineup for 2026. Like the Toyota Corolla FX sedan revealed in 2024, Toyota is adding the FX package to its hatchback counterpart. Toyota's latest FX variant adds a wing, a set of white wheels, and some nods to the original FX16.
Like the sedan, the '26 Toyota Corolla Hatchback FX is based on the SE grade. That means this Corolla packs the same 2.0-liter I4 under its hood, which pushes 169 hp and 151 lb-ft of torque through a continuously variable transmission to the front wheels.
Toyota says this combination is estimated to achieve 33 mpg combined.
While the powertrain might be the same as the Corolla SE, this FX package sets itself apart with style. The Corolla Hatchback FX adds a wing at the rear and a set of alloy wheels finished in gloss white and orange accents in the interior.
That interior also features a set of sport touring seats with suede inserts. There's also a nod to the FX16 with the special edition badge on this Corolla's hatch.
Toyota
Toyota says it will limit production of the Hatchback FX to 1,600 examples for the US market. These cars will be finished in either inferno, ice cap, or blue crush metallic, and are expected to arrive at dealers this fall.
Pricing is still to be determined, but this will probably be a couple thousand dollars more than the standard Corolla Hatchback SE's $24,915 starting price. You can probably expect it to start around $27,000. However, tariffs could push that price higher: The Corolla Hatchback is manufactured at Toyota's Tsutsumi Plant in Toyota, Aichi.
Do you think appearance packages like this make sense? Tell us your thoughts below.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Exclusive-Chinese consumer complaints show widespread padding of car sales figures
(Reuters) -A tactic used by Chinese automakers and dealers to inflate car sales has grown increasingly common in recent years in response to a bruising price war in the world's largest auto market, a Reuters analysis of consumer complaints has found. Earlier this month, Reuters reported EV brands Neta and Zeekr had arranged for cars to be insured before buyers purchased them, a scheme that effectively inflates sales numbers and gives the appearance the companies were hitting periodic targets. Switch Auto Insurance and Save Today! Great Rates and Award-Winning Service The Insurance Savings You Expect Affordable Auto Insurance, Customized for You But the controversial tactic was not limited to the two companies and was employed elsewhere in the industry, according to a Reuters review of 97 separate consumer complaints published on three widely used Chinese websites. In more than a dozen cases, buyers said they were informed by dealerships that the practice was specifically designed to meet sales targets. The allegations cover some of China's largest domestic and foreign brands by sales volume, including homegrown champion BYD and Toyota, Volkswagen and Buick. The three foreign brands operate their China businesses in partnerships with state-owned giants GAC and SAIC Motor Group. While the earliest complaints date back to 2021, the majority were published this year and last as a price war squeezed an industry crucial to China's export-driven economy. Reuters reviewed complaints posted on a third-party site used for consumer dispute resolutions, and two other similar sites. The platforms require owners to verify their identity and submit proof of their allegations. In most of the cases reviewed, the automakers responded publicly, saying they sought to resolve problems. Reuters was not able to independently verify the complaints or their resolutions. It is not clear what portion of China's car sales were inflated by the insurance scheme. SAIC, which is a China joint venture partner for Volkswagen and Buick-owner General Motors, said it is committed to providing users with high-quality and standardised sales services but did not elaborate. The practice effectively disguises how much inventory automakers actually held, said Yale Zhang, managing director at consultancy Automotive Foresight. "That could lead to a misjudgment of monthly demand within the industry and result in increased production scheduling," Zhang said. CONSUMER ANGER Between 2021 and 2025, 48 separate buyers said on that they purchased new cars only to later discover they were already insured by the dealer. Many of the buyers said they felt deceived by the dealerships, especially when they realised the insurance on their cars was registered in other names. Likewise, there were 26 separate complaints published between 2021 and 2025 on the 315 auto consumer complaint platform, run by the state-owned China Internet Information Center. Another 23 were posted between 2022 and 2025 on Black Cat, a widely used consumer complaint platform run by tech firm Sina. In 14 complaints on the three platforms, buyers of BYD-, Neta-, Toyota-, Buick- and Chevrolet-branded cars said they were told by dealers the practice was aimed at booking sales early to meet targets. One complaint, filed in December against a SAIC GM dealer on alleged the automaker required 60 cars to be insured without buyers to meet sales targets. Another complaint on filed in April alleged a BYD store in Shaanxi told a buyer it had 12 cars insured in a batch to inflate sales last July. Buyers of Li Auto, Changan, FAW-Volkswagen and Geely also reported cars being insured pre-purchase. A Volkswagen Group China spokesperson said it refused to boost sales figures through insurance and that complaints would be investigated. DEALER COMPLAINTS Separately, Reuters identified 29 official media reports from 2020 to 2025 that detailed complaints against dealers of major brands, including BYD and Changan and foreign brands Volkswagen, GM, Toyota, Nissan and Honda, run by their joint ventures with state-owned Chinese automakers. The media outlets, across 15 provinces and cities, are controlled and owned by the regional governments. In nine cases, dealers representing FAW Hongqi, SAIC Roewe, SAIC VW, Dongfeng Nissan, GAC Toyota, GAC Honda and SAIC GM told official media that insuring unsold vehicles was for booking purchases early to meet sales targets. A Honda spokesperson said that GAC Honda prohibits dealers from taking out compulsory insurance before selling new cars and that any dealers found doing so would be dealt with severely. FAW Hongqi said it does not use insurance plans to pre-confirm sales and any such activity was not official company action. GM China said it does not require wholesale vehicles to be insured pre-purchase and that it counts deliveries, not insurance, in its sales reports. BYD, GAC Toyota, Geely, Changan, Nissan and Li Auto did not respond to requests for comment. Reuters also identified five articles published by Chinese courts between March 2023 and March 2025 about consumers taking dealers to court for concealing pre-purchase car insurance. In three of those, the court ruled for the buyers who demanded compensation. Verdicts for the other two were not publicised. 'ZERO MILEAGE' Vehicles booked as sold before reaching buyers are called "zero-mileage used cars" in China. The practice emerged out of the cut-throat competition as the market deals with a years-long price war caused by chronic overcapacity. More than 100 car brands are competing intensely to survive consolidation, deepening pressure to bolster sales and take market share. Analysts and investors that track the industry use two sets of data. Wholesale figures reported by automakers to the industry association show sales from automakers to dealers, while retail data compiled from mandatory traffic insurance registrations show the number of sales to users. Accusations of selling cars with existing insurance policies date back to 2016 when a Cadillac buyer told a regional radio programme he found the car was insured before his purchase. The practice appears to have picked up after the price war started in early 2023, when several brands led by Li Auto started posting weekly sales rankings on social media based on insurance registrations. The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers has criticised such postings as unreliable and this month blamed them for intensifying "vicious" competition. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
NASCAR Issues Official Ruling On Bubba Wallace's Win
NASCAR Issues Official Ruling On Bubba Wallace's Win originally appeared on The Spun. NASCAR issued an official ruling on Bubba Wallace's win on Sunday evening. The 23XI Racing driver took home the checkered flag at the Cup Series race in Indianapolis on Sunday evening. Wallace, driving the No. 23 Toyota, bested a highly impressive field. Kyle Larson finished as the runner up, while Denny Hamlin, Ryan Preece and Brad Keselowski rounded out the top five. Wallace, who last won in Kansas in 2022 - then driving the No. 45 Toyota for 23XI Racing - is officially a champion on Sunday evening. NASCAR went through its official review process and declared that Wallace was the winner. Longtime NASCAR reporter Bob Pockrass issued the announcement on Sunday evening. "Cup tech complete. Bubba Wallace is the winner. No issues. Buescher and Bell cars to R&D," he wrote. Congratulations have been pouring in for the prominent NASCAR Cup Series driver on Sunday evening. The veteran NASCAR Cup Series driver officially clinched a playoff spot with his victory. Wallace, who missed the Cup Series Playoffs last season, was determined to make it this year. Wallace has officially accomplished his goal on Sunday evening - and now he'll have more work to do this fall. Congrats to Wallace on his big-time win. NASCAR Issues Official Ruling On Bubba Wallace's Win first appeared on The Spun on Jul 28, 2025 This story was originally reported by The Spun on Jul 28, 2025, where it first appeared.
CNBC
3 hours ago
- CNBC
Trump's tariff deal offers scant relief for Japan automakers as bigger threat looms
Japanese automakers may have sidestepped crushing U.S. tariffs, but the reprieve is offering little comfort as Chinese automakers erode their long-held global edge, complicated by persistent structural challenges at home. On July 22, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that auto tariffs on Japan-made vehicle imports to the U.S. were lowered to 15% from the current 25%. However, the light isn't at the end of the tunnel just yet, industry experts cautioned. "The trade deal struck with the U.S. is certainly a relief in that it offers some certainty that U.S. tariffs on Japan-made cars won't rise to punitive levels," said Stefan Angrick, head of Japan and Frontier market economics at Moody's Analytics. "But I'd hesitate to call it good news. A 15% U.S. import tariff is still significantly higher than where Japan started. And a 15% tariff is certainly a higher rate than most had expected." The larger challenge, analysts say, comes from China's meteoric rise in the global automotive industry. Once an important growth market for Japanese brands, China has transformed into a dominant competitor. A key challenge for Japanese producers is the intensifying competition from China, Angrick said. China's push into advanced manufacturing has transformed it into a formidable competitor just as domestic demand for Japan-made cars began to soften, he added. Seconding his view is Karl Brauer, executive analyst at iSeeCars, who noted that lower-cost Chinese vehicles remain the "single biggest threat" to Japan's auto industry and economic outlook. China is the world's largest car producer and exporter, particularly of electric vehicles. The country's growing dominance in critical components and EV innovation is increasingly squeezing foreign automakers. Chinese automakers have also been making significant inroads into Southeast Asia — a region long dominated by Japanese brands like Toyota, Honda, and Nissan — making it an uphill battle for Japanese automakers to maintain their once-unassailable global market share. According to a 2025 report by PwC, the market share of Japanese auto manufacturers in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam and Singapore, commonly referred to as ASEAN-6, fell from 68.2% in 2023 to 63.9% in 2024. "[China autos] are expanding into markets where Japanese firms used to have a strong foothold. Thailand is one example," said the Moody's Analytics' expert. Beyond Southeast Asia, Japan's second-largest car export market is also being contested by China: Australia. A recent study commissioned by the Australian Automotive Dealer Association predicts that China is poised to surpass other countries as Australia's leading source of vehicle imports within the next decade. By 2035, 43% of all imported vehicles in Australia are expected to be manufactured in China, up from the expected 17% in 2025, the report suggested. By contrast, Japanese imports are expected to fall from 32% in 2025 to 22% by 2035. Besides external competition, Japan's automotive sector is contending with domestic economic challenges, including high inflation and weak consumer spending — similar to other developed large automakers like Toyota continue to find success domestically, Nissan is especially vulnerable due to the growing threat from China's automotive industry, Brauer explained. Earlier missteps by the management and planned plant closures are compounding its woes. Nissan plans to shut down seven of its 17 plants by fiscal 2027 and reduce its global workforce by around 15% as part of a restructuring plan. "All in all, the outlook for Japan's car industry is very challenging," Moody's Angrick said. While Toyota's global scale and diversified manufacturing footprint give it a relative advantage in maneuvering said challenges, smaller automakers such as Subaru and Mazda are under more pressure, noted Mio Kato, founder of Lightstream Research. While Subaru and Mazda do face a "significantly higher burden," they do have an advantage in having strong ties to Toyota, said Kato. Mazada, for one, shares a joint plant with Toyota, while Subaru is teaming up with Toyota to manufacture a co-developed electric vehicle slated for a 2026 debut. In the long term, Kato believes that these partnerships could deepen, potentially leading to a more formal consolidation under Toyota's umbrella. "I wouldn't expect [a consolidation] to happen on a short-term timeframe. However, it is certainly something for them to consider when you start looking towards the end of the decade, perhaps," he said. Still, analysts acknowledge that Trump's finalized tariff rate brings at least one benefit: some predictability. While it is still too soon to fully infer the long-term impact of the new trade agreement between the U.S. and Japan, having a confirmed tariff agreement will allow Japanese automakers to know their pricing and cost structures going forward, experts echoed. However, it remains unclear what tariff rates other automakers will face. "I think the absolute case for Japan is now understood relatively well, but in terms of how their competitiveness shifts, versus say, autos manufactured in Korea and exported or from Mexico and Canada, that could still impact the profit outlook for Japanese auto companies," Kato said.
