2023 Subaru REX plays twinning game with Toyota Raize    

Multiple rebadges of the same vehicle are not unheard of in the industry, and Subaru’s latest take on the concept is the REX subcompact crossover. If the model looks familiar, that’s because this is a rebadge of the current Toyota Raize sold in our market. 

You might be tempted to ask who wore the design better 

Both vehicles owe their existence in turn to the A200 series Daihatsu Rocky, completing the subcompact SUV triplets shared by all three automakers (four if you count the Perodua Ativa of Malaysia). Technically, this is a resurrection of the Subaru Rex (note the lower-case spelling), a Kei car sold from 1972 to 1992. 

Being yet another rebadge, the new REX retains the tall and blocky proportions of both the Raize and Rocky by virtue of the Daihatsu New Global Architecture (DNGA-A) that underpins all three. There are still a few visible differences, such as the Forester-derived grille and vertically oriented daytime running lights on the fascia along with revised fog lamps and a more overt faux skid plate, all riding on 17-inch alloys.           

Remove the badging and you'll immediately mistake this for the Raize 

Inside, the REX offers the same room for up to five occupants as that found on the Raize, albeit with sporty red accents on the seat piping and door handles. These are accompanied by white trim on the seat material and steering wheel contrast stitching. 

Tech amenities include automatic climate control, a 7-inch TFT digital instrument cluster, and a 9-inch floating-type touchscreen display that brings Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. As a Subaru-branded model, the REX comes with a host of safety features under the Smart Assist banner such as blind-spot monitoring, collision mitigation braking, adaptive cruise control, and even automatic parking. 

The interior has sporty touches for the occupants

The REX is powered by the same 1.2-liter WA-VE gasoline engine found on lower-spec trims of the Raize, rated at 87 horsepower and 113 Nm of torque. A continuously variable transmission channels the output to the front wheels. This is one of the notable differences it has with the Raize, which comes with a 1.0-liter turbo engine on the top-spec variant and a 5-speed manual gearbox on the base unit. 

The Subaru REX runs on the same 1.2-liter inline-3 powering the Raize

Prices for the 2023 Subaru REX start at 1,654,545 yen (Php 670,000) for the G variant and 1,973,727 yen (Php 799,000) for the higher-spec Z trim. Production for the REX has been capped at 150 units per month for Japanese customers.

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