This is the 2025 Toyota Corolla FX special edition, a new trim with a sportier nature for the compact sedan that harkens back to the Corolla FX16 from 1987.
Toyota added the Corolla FX special edition to the line-up for 2025. The FX slots in above the LE and SE trim levels, but beneath the top-of-the-line XSE. That brings the trim count of non-hybrid Corollas up to four. Of course, if you go hybrid, Toyota offers another five trims: LE, LE AWD, SE, SE AWD, and XLE. Or grab a hatchback back and choose from the yet another three trims. And, no, that doesn’t count the GR Corolla.
Several styling and tuning tweaks make the FX stand out. You get a lower ride height and 18-inch alloy wheels to start. As well as a rear spoiler and several black accents sprinkled throughout the exterior, the roof, sideview mirror caps, taillights, and badging.
Inside, Toyota installed fabric seats with heavier amounts of bolstering, both upper and lower. That, perhaps, more than any other change shows the true FX special edition’s intentions. Nice! Toyota says the steering feels sporty too. TBD. You also get a 10.5-inch center display with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
powertrain
The FX Special Edition non-hybrid sedan makes use of the same 2.0-liter inline-four-cylinder engine as the LE, SE, and XSE. It delivers 169 horsepower and 151 lb.-ft of torque. That beats the updated, 2025 Honda Civic non-hybrid 2.0-liter, which makes do with 150 horsepower and 134 lb.-ft of torque.
Also like the rest of the line-up, that power channels through a continuously variable transmission before heading to the front wheels. But this transmission includes one real gear, a first gear to get the car moving before switching to the traditional CVT mechanism. Novel. In my experience, the Toyota CVT delivers innocuous performance, high praise for that type of gearbox.
Like the rest of the Corolla line-up, the FX comes standard with Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, which includes adaptive cruise control, lane centering, road sign assist, auto high beams, and a bunch more.
The 2025 Toyota Corolla FX Special Edition starts at $27,635, including the $1135 destination charge. That’s $4325 above the base LE Corolla, and $1390 less than the top XSE trim.
While I wish we got another option than the CVT. But I’m quite happy to see lowered springs installed and the more supportive seats—could be fun. I look forward to finding out soon with a review to tell you how it drives.
