2023 Subaru REX is a Toyota Raize in disguise
After the Daihatsu Rocky and Toyota Raize, Subaru joins the small crossover market with the REX
No, your eyes are not deceiving you. The Toyota Raize/Daihatsu Rocky crossover is now available in Japan under Subaru and they call it the REX. Now serving as the automaker's smallest crossover in the range, the 2023 REX is exactly what you'd expect, a Raize/Rocky crossover wearing Subaru badges both inside and out.
From the LED headlights to the alloy wheels, as well as the distinct LED combination taillights and body cladding, the all-new REX looks just like its Toyota and Daihatsu siblings. The only clear difference the Subaru has over the rest is that it has a Forester-like grille which gives it a more upscale look. It even gets the option of having a black roof which is also available in high-grade variants of the PH-spec Raize.
Open the doors and you'll see the familiar dashboard we already got to see several times before. High-end models are available with the digital instrument cluster, push-button start, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, free-standing touchscreen infotainment with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a digital automatic climate control, and a host of USB charging ports.
Giving the REX a sportier aesthetic comes courtesy of red and white accents. The sporty red finish can be seen on the piping of the fabric seats and door handle trim. Meanwhile, the bright white accents can are present on the door handles, contrast stitching on the steering wheel and shift gaiter, as well as on the seat material itself.
Powering the Subaru REX is a 1.2-liter three-cylinder engine dubbed the WA-VE. If the name and displacement sound familiar, that's because it's the same motor that propels the 1.2 G and 1.2 E models of the Raize in the Philippines. It makes a humble 88 PS with 113 Nm of torque and is connected to a CVT that drives the front wheels.
A host of intelligent driver aids are equipped in the Subaru REX. But instead of calling it EyeSight, Subaru has dubbed them Smart Assist for the humble REX. This gives the crossover smart safety features like blind-spot monitoring, collision mitigation braking system, traffic sign recognition, high-beam assist, adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, lane departure warning, road departure mitigation, and rear-cross traffic alert.
Other safety systems present include front/rear parking sensors, a panoramic view monitor, and smart panoramic parking assist that can automatically park the vehicle for you.
With the all-new REX now available in Japan, will Subaru distributor Motor Image Pilipinas (MIP) actually bring it here? Since the REX is geared towards the Japanese market only (right-hand drive too), there's little to no chance of it arriving here. Besides, Toyota is already selling it in the Philippines as the Raize.
What could happen, however, is that exterior parts and badges of the Subaru REX might make their way here which would allow some customers to make their vehicles look like the REX in Japan. If you had the option would you do that on your personal Raize? Let us know in the comments.
