After a couple of somnolent performance decades while it nerded out on hybrid hegemony, Toyota has awakened from its slumber. Formula One partnership with Haas, GR86 sportscar, GR Corolla hot hatch. Huzzah.

The latest espresso shot is the 2026 Corolla Hatchback FX Editon burning a hole in my driveway.

You can see it from space. Orange paint, white wheels, giant aerofoil hanging off the rear hatchback. The FX Edition hatch follows on the limited-edition FX sedan introduced last year and is a more direct homage to the 1986-88 Corolla FX16 hot hatch from a hot decade of ‘80s culture: Top Gun, DeLorean DMC-12, ZZ Top, Audi Quattro, Pac-Man, Ferrari F40. But whereas FX16 was a sleeper hellion to take on the Volkswagen Golf GTI, FX Edition flips the script with its gym bod, and ... standard 169-horse Corolla 2-liter under the muscle shirt.

DROOOOOONE! Went the continuously variable transmission when I put my foot into it on Lone Pine Road. And, unlike FX16 of yore, the FX doesn’t option a manual.

I miss the ‘80s.

But with steering-mounted paddle shifters, compact chassis, and sport-tweaked suspension, the FX Edition is still plenty fun to drive.

Diving into rural Michigan twisties, I downshifted from 5th (the manual CVT simulates 10 gears) to 3rd — VROOM-VROOM-VROOM — and rotated through a series of ess curves before getting back on the throttle. VROOM-VROOM-VROOM bask up through the sim-gears.

It’s a black-and-white experience compared to the hulking Toyota Sequioa TRD SPORT that I drove earlier this spring — a truck-based tank that is as comfortable off-road as on. The two Toyotas would make a nice garage pair depending on your mood.

FX models (last year a sedan, this year a hatchback. Only 1,600 of the latter will be made) also pair nicely with the Corolla lineup.

Starting at just $27,985, the front-wheel-drive Corolla FX is a sporty bridge between the standard $24,320 Corolla and the performance-focused, all-wheel-drive, 300-horsepower, $41,115 GR Corolla. FX’s exterior and interior bring upscale swagger to compete against class leaders like the Kia K4, VW Hyundai Elantra, Mazda3 and King Civic.

The latter is a particularly high bar given its loooong head start on performance models in recent decades while Toyota slept.

My orange tester (white, blue wardrobes also on offer) and white-wheel tester is loaded with standard features, something now expected in this ferociously competive segment: adaptive cruise control, blind-spot assist, wireless charger, wireless Android Auto/Apple CarPlay, digital instrument/infotainment screens, USB-C ports, push-button start.

I jumped into the Corolla, and ... what’s this? Comfortable leather and Alcantara seats cradled me like a living room chair. My bony elbows found a soft, leather door arm rest, orange stitching accented the door liners and seats. This is a sub-$30K Corolla?

Long press on the voice command button.

“Navigate to Beau’s Grillery,” I barked.

Google navigation did its thing on the 10-inch display as Android Auto took over.

I fielded a couple of text messages on the screen, then tuned into my Sirius XM app subscription and listened to the news as I drove.

Entering Telegraph Road, I glanced in the mirror for the blind-spot assist warning. Seeing none, I eased into the middle lane, pressed the ACC button on the steering wheel and cruised easily in traffic while maintaining a healthy gap to the traffic in front of me.

When Mrs. Payne joined me, she would toggle the seat heater switch on the console — similar to her Subaru Impreza RS. The comparable Impreza RS (complete with blackout wheels and mirrors for sporty flair) weighs in at $30,690 while leaning into Subaru’s all-season vibe with all-wheel drive. No shift paddles, no sport-tuned suspension.

Corolla also offers an all-wheel-drive model off its hybrid line with 134 horsepower and a focus on (40 mpg) fuel economy to take on FWD hybrids from Civic and Elantra..

Did I mention competition in this segment is ferocious?

Corolla FX Edition is best compared to other performance models such as the Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, Kia K4 and Mazda.

The three do cabin ergonomics better than Corolla. While Toyota has finally discovered the rocker switch for ACC on its trucks, the Corolla still uses flat buttons for ACC and volume that you have to hunt for with your thumbs (and that are even more difficult to locate at night).

Its competitors, meanwhile, use rocker switches for ACC and volume, making for easy adjustment without taking your eyes off the wheel. Honda/Hyundai/Kia/Mazda consoles are also better equipped for phone charging/storage than Corolla. They are more modern, for that matter, with classy, horizontal layout (hoodless screens in the case of the Koreans) that wouldn’t be out of place in premium vehicles.

Rear seat and cargo room? No contest with Honda/Hyundai/Kia offering comfortable rear seats (37-38 inches compared to 30 for Corolla) and more expansive cargo hatches (22-25 cubic feet vs. 18 for Corollas than the Corolla hatchback (and tight Mazda3).

Where King Civic really exerts its authority is in offering two performance hatchback performance options in the “tweener” space between its standard $25K Civic and apex-flattening, $44K Type R. The Civic Sport hatchback sports attractive black trim and wheels for $29,090 while the iconic $32,690 Civic Si sedan bumps up the power to 200 ponies with stiffened suspension and one of the best manual gearboxes this side of Porsche (credit Mazda3 for offering automatic and manual options for its Sport trim).

Surprisingly, Corolla’s vaunted quality trails in the compact sedan pool. Its average 79 JD Power rating trails, say, Civic’s 82, Elantra’s 88 and Impreza's 83. Resale value? A healthy 82, but Civic sits at 88, Elantra 86 and Subie 87.

Credit Toyota, however, for stepping up its performance game in the compact cars. With once accessible sporsters like the Ford Mustang and Dodge Charger increasingly out of range to budget shoppers, the compact car space offers a range of options for under $35K, while also offering welcome utility for car buyers that only have the budget (or apartment garage space) for one car.

I loaded our luggage into the back of the Corolla FX Edition hatch on a chilly March morning and asked Google maps to take us to the airport. Done.

Approaching an ess turn on the way to the interstate, I selected SPORT with the engine mode toggle button (a toggle button!) on the console and the Corolla flawlessly executed the left-right.

“Slow down!” murmured my better half from the right-hand seat. Done.

From F1 to FX, it’s nice to have Toyota in the performance game.

2026 Toyota Corolla Hatchback FX Edition

Vehicle type: Front-engine, front-wheel-drive, five-passenger sedan

Price: $27,975, including $1,195 destination fee ($29,088 as tested)

Powerplant: 2.0-liter inline-4 cylinder

Power: 169 horsepower, 151 pound-feet of torque

Transmission: Continuously variable automatic with paddle shifters

Performance: 0-60 mph, 8.2 seconds (Car and Driver)

Weight: 3,095 pounds

Fuel economy: EPA, 30 mpg city/38 highway/33 combined

Report card

Highs: Racy looks; fun to drive

Lows: Poor steering wheel ergonomics; CVT drone

Overall: 3 stars

____

©2026 www.detroitnews.com. Visit at detroitnews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.