Re-stickering turned into art
Subaru is launching a new compact crossover for which it is mothballing an old model name. Meet the Subaru Rex, which, like its name, is less new than you might expect.
Subaru enthusiasts may know the model name Rex from the distant ancestors of Vivio, who died years ago. The Mini Jumbos, among others, went through life in Japan as Rex, but with the disappearance of the last generation Mini Jumbo/Rex in the early 1990s, the curtain also fell for the Rex model name. Thirty years after Subaru last used ‘Rex’, there is a brand new Rex.
In fact, the Subaru Rex is little more than a Daihatsu Rocky with Subaru badges.
Although, brand new. The Subaru Rex that has now been unveiled is actually not entirely new. In fact, we are dealing with a twin brother of the Daihatsu Rocky presented in 2019. It already exists elsewhere in the world as Toyota Raize and Perodua Ativa and is now also available with Subaru badges. It is somewhat striking that the Rex in 2022 is a compact crossover and not a Kei car like the previous models with that name.
Subaru supplies the Rex – of which it will build 150 units per month – with one power source for the time being. That is an atmospheric 1.2 three-cylinder that delivers just under 90 hp and 115 Nm. For the time being, the Subaru Rex is only available with front-wheel drive and with a CVT transmission. The Daihatsu Rocky and the Toyota Raize are also for sale with a hybrid powertrain.
As you probably expected by now, the Subaru Rex is not coming to the Netherlands. Can Subaru use a compact crossover like the Rex in Europe? And would a (hybrid) version of it have your attention? We are curious about your opinion!
.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl