Toyota Rush: which version to buy
The Toyota Rush is a five-door SUV sold in two generations. If the job is to pick a version, the data splits the field into five catalogue entries: second-generation 1.5 MT and 1.5 AT (both 104 hp, RWD, from 2017), and first-generation 1.5 AT AWD (109 hp), 1.5 AT RWD (109 hp), and 1.5 MT AWD (109 hp), built from 1 January 2006 to 31 March 2016.
The Toyota Rush is a five-door SUV sold in two generations. If the job is to pick a version, the data splits the field into five catalogue entries: second-generation 1.5 MT and 1.5 AT (both 104 hp, RWD, from 2017), and first-generation 1.5 AT AWD (109 hp), 1.5 AT RWD (109 hp), and 1.5 MT AWD (109 hp), built from 1 January 2006 to 31 March 2016. Acceleration to 100 km/h, top speed, and fuel consumption are not measured on any of them, so the choice is engine output, gearbox, drive, weight, ground clearance, tank size, wheels, and chassis layout — not claimed speed or mpg.
Toyota Rush specs: what actually differs
Both generations use a naturally aspirated Gasoline inline-4 with 4 valves per cylinder, no boost, front longitudinal placement, distributed injection (multi-point), and 95-octane fuel. The second generation is only RWD. The first generation offers AWD on two of three versions. That is the main “which version” fork: current Rush = rear-wheel drive and 104 hp; previous Rush = 109 hp and, if you want it, AWD.
Arithmetic on the given numbers:
| Point | Gen 2 (2017–) | Gen 1 (2006–2016) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power | 104 hp (76 kW) at 6000 rpm | 109 hp (80 kW) at 6000 rpm | Gen 1 is 5 hp / 4 kW stronger |
| Torque | 136 Nm at 4200 rpm | 141 Nm at 4400 rpm | Gen 1 is 5 Nm stronger, peak 200 rpm later |
| Displacement | 1496 cc | 1495 cc | 1 cc |
| Compression | 10.5 | 10 | +0.5 on gen 2 |
| Bore × stroke | 72.5 × 90.6 | 72 × 91.8 | Gen 2 slightly larger bore, shorter stroke |
| Ground clearance | 220 mm | 200 mm | Gen 2 is 20 mm higher |
| Tank | 45 L | 50 L | Gen 1 holds 5 L more |
| Kerb weight | 1270 kg (both gen-2 versions) | 1150–1190 kg | Gen 2 is 80–120 kg heavier |
| Eco class | not measured | Euro 4 | Only gen 1 states a class |
| Wheels | 215/65 R16 or 215/60 R17 | not measured | Only gen 2 lists sizes |
Power per litre: second-generation 104 hp / 1.496 L ≈ 69.5 hp/L. First-generation 109 hp / 1.495 L ≈ 72.9 hp/L. Specific output is about 3.4 hp/L higher on the older engine.
Weight per horsepower:
- Gen 2 1.5 MT and 1.5 AT: 1270 / 104 ≈ 12.21 kg/hp
- Gen 1 1.5 AT RWD: 1150 / 109 ≈ 10.55 kg/hp
- Gen 1 1.5 MT AWD: 1180 / 109 ≈ 10.83 kg/hp
- Gen 1 1.5 AT AWD: 1190 / 109 ≈ 10.92 kg/hp
The lightest, strongest-feeling pairing on paper is first-generation 1.5 AT RWD. The heaviest per horsepower are both current versions.
Toyota Rush engine: 104 hp vs 109 hp
The second-generation engine is 1496 cc, 104 hp (76 kW) at 6000 rpm, 136 Nm at 4200 rpm, compression 10.5, bore and stroke 72.5 × 90.6. It is the same engine on 1.5 MT and 1.5 AT. Gearbox is the only mechanical split in generation 2.
The first-generation engine is 1495 cc, 109 hp (80 kW) at 6000 rpm, 141 Nm at 4400 rpm, compression 10, bore and stroke 72 × 91.8. It is the same engine on all three gen-1 versions. Drive and gearbox are the splits.
Horsepower and torque: if peak figures decide the buy, generation 1 wins by 5 hp and 5 Nm. If ride height and listed wheel sizes matter more, generation 2 wins by 20 mm of clearance and documented 16- or 17-inch tyres.
Engine oil capacity, oil type, and engine-number location are not measured in this dataset. Engine size in the catalogue is 1496 cc (gen 2) or 1495 cc (gen 1), not a rounded “1.5” invented beyond those cubic centimetres.
Generations: what changed from 1 to 2
2 generation (from 1 January 2017, no end date in the data). SUV 5-doors. Two versions, both RWD, both 1270 kg, both 220 mm clearance, both 45 L tank, independent spring suspension front and rear, ventilated disc front brakes, drum rear. Rear suspension is fully independent, unlike generation 1. AWD is gone. Power is 5 hp lower. Wheels are listed. Eco class is not measured.
1 generation (1 January 2006 – 31 March 2016). SUV 5-doors. Three versions. Independent spring front, semi-independent torsion rear. Front brakes are disc (not listed as ventilated). Rear brakes remain drum. Clearance 200 mm. Tank 50 L. Euro 4. AWD is available on 1.5 AT and 1.5 MT. RWD is only on the other 1.5 AT.
What generation 2 bought you, in numbers: +20 mm clearance, independent rear spring instead of torsion, ventilated front discs, listed 215/65 R16 or 215/60 R17 wheels, and a still-current production window. What it gave up: 5 hp, 5 Nm, 5 litres of tank, 80–120 kg of kerb weight (depending which gen-1 version you compare), AWD, Euro 4 labelling, and the lightest kerb figure in the line (1150 kg).
Toyota Rush specs table (all versions)
| Generation | Version (exact name) | Distinguisher | hp | Nm | cc | Fuel | Cylinders / layout | Boost | Gearbox | Drive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 (2017–) | 1.5 MT | 104 hp, RWD | 104 | 136 | 1496 | Gasoline | 4, Inline | No | Manual, 5 | RWD |
| 2 (2017–) | 1.5 AT | 104 hp, RWD | 104 | 136 | 1496 | Gasoline | 4, Inline | No | Automatic, 4 | RWD |
| 1 (2006–2016) | 1.5 AT | 109 hp, AWD, 1190 kg | 109 | 141 | 1495 | Gasoline | 4, Inline | No | Automatic, 4 | AWD |
| 1 (2006–2016) | 1.5 AT | 109 hp, RWD, 1150 kg | 109 | 141 | 1495 | Gasoline | 4, Inline | No | Automatic, 4 | RWD |
| 1 (2006–2016) | 1.5 MT | 109 hp, AWD, 1180 kg | 109 | 141 | 1495 | Gasoline | 4, Inline | No | Manual, 5 | AWD |
There is no first-generation RWD manual in this data. A five-speed Manual is either current RWD (1.5 MT, 104 hp) or previous AWD (1.5 MT, 109 hp). A four-speed Automatic is current RWD (1.5 AT, 104 hp) or previous AWD or RWD (both named 1.5 AT, both 109 hp — separate them by drive and by 1190 kg vs 1150 kg).
Performance, mpg, and economy: not measured
0–100 km/h: not measured on 1.5 MT and 1.5 AT of generation 2, and not measured on any generation-1 1.5 AT or 1.5 MT.
Top speed: not measured on all five versions.
City, highway, and combined consumption: not measured on all five. CO2: not measured on all five.
You cannot rank these Rush versions by mpg or by a 0–100 time from this catalogue. Weight-to-power is the only proxy: generation-1 1.5 AT RWD at 10.55 kg/hp is the lowest (least mass per horsepower); both generation-2 versions at 12.21 kg/hp are the highest. That is arithmetic, not a timed run.
Dimensions and weight (what is in the data)
Overall length, width, height, wheelbase, and any millimetre/inch/feet/metre body figures are not measured here. Ground clearance, kerb weight, tank, and wheels are.
Generation 2 — 1.5 MT and 1.5 AT**** (identical chassis numbers in the data): kerb 1270 kg, gross weight not measured, clearance 220 mm, tank 45 L, wheels 215/65 R16 or 215/60 R17.
Generation 1 — 1.5 AT AWD: kerb 1190 kg, gross not measured, clearance 200 mm, tank 50 L, wheels not measured.
Generation 1 — 1.5 AT RWD: kerb 1150 kg — lightest Rush in the file, 40 kg below the AWD automatic and 120 kg below either current version.
Generation 1 — 1.5 MT AWD: kerb 1180 kg, 10 kg below the AWD automatic, 30 kg above the RWD automatic.
AWD on generation 1 costs 40 kg versus RWD on the automatic pair (1190 − 1150). The manual AWD sits in between at 1180 kg. Generation 2 does not offer that trade: both current versions are 1270 kg RWD.
Which Toyota Rush version to choose
Buy second-generation 1.5 MT (104 hp, Manual 5, RWD) if you want the current body (from 2017, still listed without an end date), 220 mm clearance, independent spring rear, ventilated front discs, and a five-speed Manual. Versus current 1.5 AT, engine, weight, tank, drive, wheels, and brakes are the same; the only given difference is Manual 5 versus Automatic 4. Versus first-generation 1.5 MT, you lose 5 hp, 5 Nm, AWD, 5 L of tank, and 90 kg of lightness (1270 vs 1180), and you gain 20 mm clearance and an independent rear.
Buy second-generation 1.5 AT (104 hp, Automatic 4, RWD) if you want the current Rush with a four-speed Automatic. Same 104 hp, 136 Nm, 1496 cc, 1270 kg, 220 mm, 45 L as 1.5 MT. Compared with first-generation 1.5 AT RWD you add 120 kg and lose 5 hp — the largest weight penalty in the set versus a like-for-like RWD automatic. Compared with first-generation 1.5 AT AWD you add 80 kg, drop AWD, drop 5 hp, but add 20 mm of clearance.
Buy first-generation 1.5 AT RWD (109 hp, Automatic 4) if the numbers that matter are mass and specific output. It is the lightest (1150 kg), shares the stronger 109 hp / 141 Nm engine, and is the only RWD automatic of generation 1. You accept 200 mm clearance, torsion rear suspension, disc (not ventilated) fronts, a 50 L tank, Euro 4, production that ended 31 March 2016, and wheels not measured.
Buy first-generation 1.5 AT AWD (109 hp, Automatic 4) if AWD plus Automatic is the requirement. It is 40 kg heavier than the RWD 1.5 AT of the same generation and 10 kg heavier than 1.5 MT AWD. Power matches the other gen-1 cars (109 hp, 141 Nm). Versus current 1.5 AT you keep AWD and 5 hp and give up 20 mm of clearance.
Buy first-generation 1.5 MT (109 hp, Manual 5, AWD) if you want the only five-speed Manual that also has AWD. It is 10 kg lighter than gen-1 1.5 AT AWD and 90 kg lighter than current 1.5 MT, with 5 hp and 5 Nm more than the current manual. There is no current AWD Rush in this data, so this is the AWD-and-Manual cell of the whole catalogue.
If “7 seater” or interior layout decides the purchase: seating count is not measured. Body type for every version is SUV 5-doors only.
If price (Philippines, Costa Rica, South Africa, or 2025/2026 list price) decides it: prices are not in this dataset and are not ranked here.
Short ranking by the numbers we have
1. Lightest / best kg per hp: gen 1 1.5 AT RWD (1150 kg, 10.55 kg/hp). 2. AWD + Manual: only gen 1 1.5 MT. 3. AWD + Automatic: only gen 1 1.5 AT AWD (1190 kg). 4. Current production, highest clearance, independent rear: gen 2 1.5 MT or 1.5 AT (220 mm, 1270 kg) — pick Manual vs Automatic; the rest of the spec is the same. 5. Do not pick on 0–100, top speed, or mpg: those figures are not measured on any Rush version in this file.