Mazda Got Toyota’s Hybrid System, Now Toyota Gets Mazda’s Legendary ‘Soul Red’ Paint

For ages now, the car industry has frequently been one of partnership. Think Ford and Multimatic, Mercedes-McLaren, and DaimlerChrysler. Alright, so not all partnerships work out, but some really do. For years now, Mazda has partnered with Toyota, and the latest development on the Mazda side of that partnership is the use of Toyota’s hybrid system in the CX-50 crossover. However, just as Mazda is borrowing one of Toyota’s greatest assets, it’d only be fair for Toyota to borrow one of Mazda’s. No, it’s not the entire MX-5, but it is something important to Mazda’s brand identity.

Indeed, Toyota lays it out in the press release for the 2025 Corolla Cross. Now, we normally wouldn’t report on minor model changes that don’t involve new styling or powertrains, mostly because we prefer to write about diesel particulate filters that look like butts and other, more interesting bits of trivia, but something jumped off the page here. In the words of Toyota:

Available on the gas LE and XLE, and Hybrid SE and XSE grades, Soul Red Crystal is exclusive to the Corolla Cross model in the Toyota lineup. On the Corolla Cross Hybrid SE, XSE, and Nightshade models, Soul Red Crystal can be paired with a Jet Black Roof for a stylish two-tone combination.

Wait a second. Soul Red Crystal is a popular Mazda color, and one of the best shades of red currently offered in the industry. Since the Toyota Corolla Cross and Mazda CX-50 roll out of the same plant in Alabama, are we actually talking about the exact same shade that’s Mazda’s signature?

Actually, yes. A Toyota spokesperson has confirmed that it is indeed the exact same color. As per Toyota’s official statement, “Adding Soul Red Crystal to the color pallet gives us this opportunity due to our partnership with Mazda at our joint plant, Mazda Toyota Manufacturing (MTM) in Huntsville, AL.” Seems like it was more or less a case of bringing a color from one assembly line onto another.

Compared to most other factory colors, Soul Red Crystal is a bit complicated. Evolved out of the previous Soul Red iteration, it features a basecoat, a translucent tintcoat, and a top clearcoat. As Mazda stated when the color launched in 2016:

The new paint’s translucent layer features a newly developed highly saturated red pigment for a richer red. In addition to high-brilliance, extremely thin aluminum flakes, the reflective coat features light-absorbing flakes that intensify shaded areas and make it possible to achieve a depth of color that previously required two layers.

We’re talking about Mazda’s calling card here, a proprietary color that just about every new Mazda of the past eight years debuted in, now being rolled out across the Toyota Corolla Cross lineup. It seems like the sort of thing that’s hard to give up, but with new shades like Polymetallic Gray and Artisan Red, Mazda seems more willing to share the joy.

It’s safe to say that this will make the Corolla Cross’ color palette more vibrant, and it isn’t the first time a color has been shared across manufacturers. It actually happens more often than you’d think, except you likely wouldn’t know about it if you weren’t a nerd.

For example, Porsche has this program called Paint To Sample where, for the price of your firstborn, you can choose from an extended palette of colors, so long as you can get an allocation. Where does Porsche pluck all those shades from? Well, while some of them are heritage colors, some are essentially borrowed from other brands. Take Grigio Campovolo, for example. It’s a take on a historic Fiat color. Likewise, Carbon Black Metallic is a BMW color, as is San Marino Blue.

On the other side of the court, BMW’s Individual program lets in-the-know customers choose from a huge number of colors. How about Porsche’s Miami Blue, or Porsche’s Ruby Star, or even Ferrari’s Rosso Corsa, why not? So long as you have money to blow, the world is your oyster when it comes to paint.

However, Toyota offering Soul Red Crystal on the Corolla Cross is noteworthy, because this doesn’t normally happen with mainstream manufacturers on standard-order colors. So now, if you see a Soul Red Crystal 2025 Corolla Cross in the wild, you’ll be able to share some interesting trivia with whoever’s around.

(Photo credits: Toyota, Porsche, BMW)

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