Late last week Subaru introduced a new model to their domestic range.
The Subaru Dex is based on the same platform as both the Toyota bB and the Daihatsu Coo with Subaru clearly benefitting from Toyota’s 25% stake in them.
All three versions of the car look about 10% different from each other with only the front grille and other smaller aesthetic changes apparent but these alterations do succeed in changing the character of each model some what.
Mechanically they are identical although interestingly Subaru has decided to offer only the smaller 92ps 1300cc engine while Toyota and Daihatsu both offer two engine choices including a slightly more powerful 1500cc unit.
Frankly the Toyota bB is very urban cool and fits the intended young 20 something driver bill perfectly with its mean face, prevalent sound system and blue lit interior. Problems start to become evident if you’re over 40 and male you might look like a sex predator driving one, trying to ensnare a few young lovely lovelys in your pimp mobile, young at heart transport.
Daihatsu’s Coo with its inexplicable gaping mouth front grille is the softer version of the above designed for girls, gay blokes and people who are scared of the bB’s demeanour. Still an interesting choice though.
Subaru’s contribution is the most conservative and least confident design of the three and can be bought by anyone including the over 40’s man. The pitfalls are that if you’re young and take this over the Toyota or Daihatsu, others will think you boring and crap but at least you’re honest and that will serve you well later when you’re over 40 (when you should have bought the car) and you meet a divorcee who will appreciate being with a dull but stable man. For the older buyer the consequences are less severe but know that no-one will ever understand why you didn’t get the bB to avoid looking like a sex pest although if you had bought the Toyota that is exactly what they would have thought.
Pricing for the subaru Dex starts at 1,438,500 JPY.
Toyota bB
Daihatsu Coo
Subaru Dex
