Subaru Dex: which version to buy
The Subaru Dex was sold in one generation (November 2008–July 2012) as a Hatchback 5-door with two versions that share the same name in the catalogue: 1.3 AT. Both use the same 1328 cm³ Gasoline engine (94 hp / 69 kW at 6000 rpm, 123 Nm at 4400 rpm), the same 4-speed Automatic, and the same 5-door hatchback body. The buying choice is not engine vs engine.
The Subaru Dex was sold in one generation (November 2008–July 2012) as a Hatchback 5-door with two versions that share the same name in the catalogue: 1.3 AT. Both use the same 1328 cm³ Gasoline engine (94 hp / 69 kW at 6000 rpm, 123 Nm at 4400 rpm), the same 4-speed Automatic, and the same 5-door hatchback body. The buying choice is not engine vs engine. It is FWD 1.3 AT versus AWD 1.3 AT: 15 kg, 1.8 seconds to 100 km/h, 4 km/h of top speed, and a few tenths of a litre of fuel.
Subaru Dex specs: the two 1.3 AT versions side by side
| Version | hp | Nm | cm³ | Fuel | Cylinders | Layout | Boost | Gearbox | Drive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.3 AT (FWD) | 94 | 123 | 1328 | Gasoline (92) | 4 | Inline | No | Automatic 4 | FWD |
| 1.3 AT (AWD) | 94 | 123 | 1328 | Gasoline (92) | 4 | Inline | No | Automatic 4 | AWD |
Both versions: multi-point distributed injection, compression 9.5, bore × stroke 78 × 69.5, 4 valves per cylinder, no turbo. Engine layout in the bay is not measured. CO₂ and eco class are not measured. Wheel sizes are not measured.
Because the names collide, treat them as 1.3 AT 94 hp FWD and 1.3 AT 94 hp AWD. Power does not separate them (both 94 hp); drive does.
What the extra 15 kg buys: FWD vs AWD arithmetic
Kerb weight: 1.3 AT FWD 1060 kg; 1.3 AT AWD 1075 kg. Difference: +15 kg for AWD (+1.4%). Gross weight is identical: 1600 kg on both. Payload on paper is therefore 540 kg (FWD) vs 525 kg (AWD) — 15 kg less useful load on the all-wheel car for the same 1600 kg ceiling.
Power-to-weight:
- FWD 1.3 AT: 1060 kg / 94 hp = 11.28 kg per hp (88.7 hp per tonne)
- AWD 1.3 AT: 1075 kg / 94 hp = 11.44 kg per hp (87.4 hp per tonne)
The AWD car is 1.5% heavier per horsepower. That is the entire mechanical tax of AWD on this model: same 94 hp, same 123 Nm, same 4-speed Automatic.
0–100 km/h:
- FWD 1.3 AT: 11.9 s
- AWD 1.3 AT: 13.7 s
AWD is 1.8 s slower (15% longer). For a 94 hp hatchback that is the largest performance gap in the Dex line.
Top speed goes the other way:
- FWD: 164 km/h
- AWD: 168 km/h
AWD is 4 km/h faster at the top. That is unusual next to the 1.8 s slower sprint: the extra mass hurts launch, but the measured maximum is 2.4% higher on AWD. Do not invent a reason the data does not give; record the two numbers as they stand.
Specific output of the shared engine: 94 hp / 1.328 L = 70.8 hp per litre. Torque density: 123 Nm / 1.328 L = 92.6 Nm per litre. Both versions inherit those figures unchanged.
Subaru Dex mpg and fuel: city, highway, combined
Tank: 38 L on both. Fuel: 92.
| Version | City L/100 km | Highway L/100 km | Combined L/100 km |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.3 AT FWD | 9.0 | 6.3 | 7.3 |
| 1.3 AT AWD | 9.5 | 6.2 | 7.5 |
City: AWD uses +0.5 L/100 km (+5.6%). Highway: AWD uses −0.1 L/100 km (−1.6%) — slightly less than FWD on the open road. Combined: AWD +0.2 L/100 km (+2.7%).
Range on the 38 L tank at combined figures (arithmetic only):
- FWD: 38 / 7.3 × 100 ≈ 521 km
- AWD: 38 / 7.5 × 100 ≈ 507 km
Difference: about 14 km less combined range on AWD. City range: FWD ≈ 422 km, AWD ≈ 400 km (−22 km). Highway range: FWD ≈ 603 km, AWD ≈ 613 km (+10 km). If most of your kilometres are highway, the AWD 1.3 AT is not the thirstier car; if most are city, it is.
CO₂ is not measured for either version.
Dimensions, weight, ground clearance
Ground clearance: 150 mm on both. Tank: 38 L on both. Wheel sizes: not measured on either. Front suspension on both: Independent, spring. Rear on both: Semi-independent, torsion. Front brakes: Ventilated disc. Rear: Drum.
There is no generation-to-generation change in these figures because there is only 1 generation. Choosing “a later Dex” does not change clearance, tank, or brake type.
Kerb vs gross:
- FWD 1.3 AT: 1060 / 1600 = 66.3% of gross at kerb
- AWD 1.3 AT: 1075 / 1600 = 67.2% of gross at kerb
Both sit in the same Hatchback 5-door envelope. Body type does not split the range.
Generations: what changed (and what did not)
1 generation only, November 2008–July 2012, Hatchback 5-door, 2 versions. No second generation in the data. No restyling generation to compare. Every number below applies to that single window.
What is identical across the two 1.3 AT cars: years, body, 1328 cm³, 94 hp, 69 kW, 6000 rpm, 123 Nm, 4400 rpm, Gasoline, 4 Inline cylinders, 4 valves, No boost, 4-speed Automatic, 92 fuel, 9.5 compression, 78 × 69.5 bore × stroke, multi-point injection, 150 mm clearance, 38 L tank, 1600 kg gross, Independent spring front, Semi-independent torsion rear, Ventilated disc front, Drum rear.
What actually differs: drive (FWD vs AWD), 0–100 (11.9 vs 13.7 s), top speed (164 vs 168 km/h), city/highway/combined fuel (9.0 / 6.3 / 7.3 vs 9.5 / 6.2 / 7.5), kerb weight (1060 vs 1075 kg).
If you were hoping a later generation added power, a sixth gear, or measured wheels — the data does not contain that generation.
Which Subaru Dex version to choose
Choose FWD 1.3 AT if the numbers you care about are sprint, city fuel, and payload. It is the lighter car (1060 kg), the quicker 0–100 (11.9 s vs 13.7 s), the lower city and combined consumption (9.0 and 7.3 vs 9.5 and 7.5), and it carries 15 kg more before hitting the same 1600 kg gross. Power per tonne is 88.7 vs 87.4. For a 94 hp, 4-speed Automatic hatchback used as a city car, those are the figures that move.
Choose AWD 1.3 AT if drive is the requirement. You pay 15 kg, 1.8 s to 100 km/h, and 0.2 L/100 km combined. You gain AWD and a measured top speed 4 km/h higher (168 vs 164). Highway consumption is 0.1 L/100 km better than FWD (6.2 vs 6.3), so a motorway-heavy AWD buyer is not automatically buying worse economy. Ground clearance does not change (150 mm both), so AWD is not a lift; it is drivetrain only.
Do not choose by engine, gearbox, or generation. There is one engine (1328 cm³, 94 hp, 123 Nm, Gasoline, Inline 4, No boost), one gearbox (Automatic, 4), one generation (2008–2012), one body (Hatchback 5-door). There is no higher-output 1.3 AT, no diesel, no manual in this dataset.
Problems and reliability: not measured in this data. Do not treat silence as a verdict.
Wheels and eco class: not measured. Do not assume a size or a Euro rating.
Price: not in the data; “what the extra money buys” here means what the extra 15 kg and AWD buy in measured performance and fuel, not a sticker.
Short rule: same 94 hp 1.3 AT twice — pick FWD for 11.9 s, 7.3 L/100 km combined, and 1060 kg; pick AWD for all-wheel drive, accept 13.7 s, 7.5 L/100 km combined, and 1075 kg. Everything else in the Subaru Dex catalogue is shared.