The third-gen Rex's four-cylinder engine was a kei-class rarity — the first since the Mazda Carol, in a segment almost entirely built around two-cylinder engines.
Median 63 hp across 179 similar cars
Lead trim: 544 cc EK23 two-valve (30 PS) · up to 60 hp
Subaru Rex third generation KG/KN/KHKG/KN/KH · 1986–1992
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Subaru Rex third generation KG/KN/KH yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactThe third-gen Rex's four-cylinder engine was a kei-class rarity — the first since the Mazda Carol, in a segment almost entirely built around two-cylinder engines.
Presented in November 1986 as the commercial Rex Combi (KG1, KG2 with 4WD), the passenger "Rex" (KN1 FF, KN2 4WD) following a month later, with a 30 PS SOHC two-valve engine or a three-valve (two intake, one exhaust) 36 PS, a two-speed automatic and part-time 4WD; "Twin Viscous" full-time 4WD arrived in February 1987, and the ECVT in June 1987. A supercharged, intercooled, fuel-injected 55 PS engine (March 1988) answered the Alto Works and Mira TR-XX. June 1989 brought the four-cylinder EN05 "Clover 4" (38 PS, or 61 PS supercharged), the first kei four since the Mazda Carol. A March 1990 facelift moved to the 660 cc EN07 with a rounder nose (KH3, KH4, KP3, KP4). The export M80 (Europe), Ace (New Zealand) and Fiori (Australia) used the 758 cc EN08 (42 PS at 6,000 rpm). It ended in March 1992, replaced by the Vivio; 1,902,811 Rexes were built in all, and it is now a cult car in Japan, popular in front-drive drifting.
Collectors Spotted in the Subaru Rex Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Subaru Rex yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
7 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 544 cc EK23 supercharged (55 PS) | 1988–1989 | 0.5 L Inline-2 | 54 hp | — | — | — | — | — |
| 544 cc EK23 three-valve (36 PS) | 1986–1989 | 0.5 L Inline-2 | 36 hp | — | — | — | — | — |
| 544 cc EK23 two-valve (30 PS) | 1986–1989 | 0.5 L Inline-2 | 30 hp | — | — | — | — | — |
| 547 cc EN05A four-cylinder (38 PS) | 1989–1990 | 0.5 L Inline-4 | 37 hp | 33 lb-ft | — | — | — | — |
| 547 cc EN05Z supercharged four (61 PS) | 1989–1990 | 0.5 L Inline-4 | 60 hp | 55 lb-ft | — | — | — | — |
| 658 cc EN07 four-cylinder | 1990–1992 | 0.7 L Inline-4 | 37 hp | — | — | — | — | — |
| 758 cc EN08 export (42 PS) | 1989–1992 | 0.8 L Inline-4 | 41 hp | 44 lb-ft | — | — | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
The third-gen Rex's four-cylinder engine was a kei-class rarity — the first since the Mazda Carol, in a segment almost entirely built around two-cylinder engines.
Subaru's own line on this redesign: the only parts carried over from the old rear-engined Rex were "two connecting rods and an ashtray."
When Subaru replaced this rear-engined Rex in 1981 with a front-wheel-drive redesign, engineers joked only two parts carried over: two connecting rods and an ashtray.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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