Ativa’s Subaru Rex ‘Cousin’ Gains New Hybrid REEV/EREV Variants

The Japan market Subaru Rex has gained new EREV/REEV hybrid variants late last week.

Making its debut late last week in the Japanese market were new ‘hybrid’ variants of the Subaru Rex compact crossover.

If you can’t tell already from the images sprawled here, the Rex is essentially the Subaru-badged ‘twin’ – or ‘cousin’, if you prefer – to the Perodua Ativa, or more precisely, its Daihatsu Rocky/Toyota Raize twins.

Essentially, this is the Subaru-badged EREV/REEV hybrid guise of the Perodua Ativa/Daihatsu Rocky/Toyota Raize, which uses the Daihatsu brand's e-Smart hybrid system.

This latest change sees the Daihatsu-built and Subaru-badged Rex gain new G Hybrid and Z Hybrid variants. Both share the same electrified powertrain, which Daihatsu dubbed as its e-Smart Hybrid system.

Similar to rivals Nissan and its e-Power tech, the e-Smart Hybrid system employs a 1.2-litre 3-cyl petrol mill rated at 80 HP and 105 NM, but this does NOT drive any of the Rex’s wheel directly.

Instead, thill mill serves purely as a generator to charge up a compact 4.3 Ah battery pack. The latter then juices a e-motor mounted up front rated at 105 HP and 170 NM, which drives the front wheels.

This EREV/REEV powertrain boasts significantly high efficiency, with Daihatsu touting up to 28 KM/litre or 3.6 litres/100 KM.

If all this sounds familiar, you’d be right – it’s the same setup offered in the Perodua Ativa Hybrid. In short, this setup is best described as extended-range/range-extended hybrid (EREV/REEV).

Altogether, this setup promises ultra-high fuel efficiency figures – up to 28 KM/litre or the equivalent of 3.6 litres/100 KM are touted by Daihatsu.

Visually, new additions include variant-specific badges, variant-specific grille, and 16- (G) and 17-inch (Z) alloy wheels.

Visually, the new hybrid variants for the Subaru Rex gain a series of model-specific emblems, a new front grille mirroring what was seen in both the Rocky Hybrid and Ativa Hybrid as well as 16- (G Hybrid) and 17-iinch (Z Hybrid) rolling stock.

On board, this electrified variant also gain a hybrid-specific digital instrumentation display scheme, customary pedestrian warning sound system, as well as a 1.5 kW AC power outlet – that last bit being a typical Japanese market addition.

Perodua Ativa Hybrid pictured with the Daihatsu e-Smart Hybrid powertrain system.

As for price, the G Hybrid guise reportedly starts at ¥2,216,500 (approx. RM65,206) whilst the Z Hybrid is tagged at ¥2,608,100 (approx. RM76,727).

For reference, the non-hybrid Subaru Rex is priced lower at ¥1,910,700 (approx. RM56,210) for the G variant form, and at ¥2,274,500 (approx. RM66,913) in Z grade guise.