Daihatsu Rocky A200 and A250: The Compact Crossover Behind the Raize, Rex and Ativa

The Daihatsu Rocky is a subcompact crossover that Daihatsu unveiled at the 46th Tokyo Motor Show on 23 October 2019. It replaced the Be-go in Japan, and the same vehicle reached other markets as the Toyota Raize, the Subaru Rex and, in Malaysia, the Perodua Ativa.

Where did the Rocky come from?

Development began around 2017 under chief engineer Nobuhiko Ono. Ono turned down suggestions for a larger vehicle, because his team's expertise lay in kei cars. The Rocky rides on Daihatsu's DNGA platform and is classed as an A-segment vehicle, sitting below the Yaris Cross in Toyota's range.

Its look was previewed by the DN Trec concept of 2017. The Rocky nameplate had already appeared on two ladder-frame SUVs, the F300 and F70 series, and Daihatsu revived it after a 17-year break.

One compact crossover, three engines and four badges, from a Tokyo debut to Malaysian showrooms.

What makes the A250 different from the A200?

The A200 is sold only in Japan, while the A250 is the Indonesian-built version. The A250 has a more pronounced rear bumper, a metal tailgate instead of plastic and a body slightly wider than the A200. The Malaysian Perodua Ativa shares these changes.

Japanese-spec cars stay under 1.7 metres (66.9 in) wide. That keeps them within the government's dimension rules for compact cars, which reduce tax liability for their owners.

How did the Rocky sell in Japan?

At launch, Japanese buyers could choose L, X, G or Premium grades. Every grade used the 1KR-VET turbocharged engine and offered four-wheel drive. In November 2021 the G grade was removed, Premium became Premium G, and front-wheel drive versions switched to the WA-VE engine already used in Indonesia.

The e-Smart Hybrid arrived in the same month, in X and Premium G grades with no four-wheel drive option. It was set apart by a mesh grille, five-lug alloy wheels, blue accents on the Daihatsu badges and an e-Smart Hybrid badge on the tailgate.

What did Indonesian buyers get?

Daihatsu unveiled the Rocky in Indonesia alongside the Raize on 28 April 2021, and sales started on 30 April. The company put Rp 1.7 trillion of production tooling into its Karawang plant, which reached about 70 percent local parts. Indonesian cars come in M, X and R grades.

The M and X grades use the WA-VE engine, while the R uses the 1KR-VET. Buyers could pick a manual gearbox or a CVT. The Astra Daihatsu Styling package and the Advanced Safety Assist driver-assistance system were optional extras, and a 1.2-litre model followed in June 2021.

A hybrid reached Indonesia in July 2025, imported from Japan and offered only in X grade. A minor facelift in September 2025 brought a new mesh grille, a full black interior and a refreshed styling package.

What is the Toyota Raize?

The Toyota Raize is the Rocky with a Toyota front end. It is sold as the Raize in Japan and most international markets. The international A250-based car, aimed mainly at emerging markets, is built in Indonesia by Astra Daihatsu Motor.

Toyota says the name blends rise and raise, pointing to a lively car for everyday life. In Japan the Raize replaced the J200 series Rush. Its grades are X, X S, G and Z, and each one offers four-wheel drive. The hybrid also arrived for the G and Z grades.

Indonesia offers the Raize in G and GR Sport grades. The G uses either a WA-VE or a 1KR-VET engine with a manual or CVT, while the GR Sport pairs the 1KR-VET with a CVT only. The GR Sport was updated in January 2026, and Toyota Safety Sense is available as an option.

Exports reach Cambodia, Brunei, Vietnam, the UAE, Kuwait and Oman. The Philippines has sold the Raize since February 2022. Cambodia received the car in September 2021 as a fully imported model, with three grades that all use a 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol engine and a seven-speed CVT. Prices began at US$26,800 for the G CVT.

In Latin America, Mexico sells one Raize grade, XLE, with the 1KR-VET engine and either a five-speed manual or a CVT. Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Chile and Uruguay also take the model.

What is the Subaru Rex?

The Subaru Rex has been sold exclusively in Japan since 11 November 2022. It shares the Rocky's styling apart from the emblems, comes in G and Z grades, and uses the WA-VE engine with a CVT. Four-wheel drive, a common Subaru feature, is not offered on the Rex.

Production is capped at 150 units per month. As of 12 June 2025 the Rex became available with the WA-VEX hybrid engine, bringing its electrified option into line with the Rocky and Raize.

What is the Perodua Ativa?

The Perodua Ativa is the Malaysian version of the Rocky. Booking opened on 19 February 2021 and the car launched on 3 March 2021. It was Perodua's first model on the DNGA platform, its first turbocharged engine and its first CVT, and the company says 95 percent of its parts are made locally.

The name comes from the Portuguese word ativo, meaning active. The Ativa is 70 mm (2.8 in) longer, 20 mm (0.8 in) wider and 15 mm (0.6 in) taller than the Japanese Rocky and Raize, because it has its own bumpers and a higher, firmer suspension setup. It is offered in X, H and AV grades under the A270 model code.

The engine is made by Perodua Engine Manufacturing in Rawang, Selangor, and the CVT comes from Akashi Kikai in Sendayan, Negeri Sembilan. In September 2022 Perodua brought in 300 Japan-built Ativa Hybrids for a subscription programme. Those cars were never intended for retail sale.

What powertrains does the Rocky use?

The Rocky uses three engines. A turbocharged 1.0-litre three-cylinder makes 72 kW (97 hp; 98 PS), a naturally aspirated 1.2-litre WA-VE makes 64 to 65 kW, and a 1.2-litre hybrid engine makes 60 kW. The first two pair with a five-speed manual or Daihatsu's Dual-Mode CVT.

Torque is 140 N-m (100 lb-ft) for the turbo, 113 N-m (83 lb-ft) for the WA-VE and 105 N-m (77 lb-ft) for the hybrid engine. The hybrid's E1A electric motor produces 78 kW (105 hp; 106 PS) and 170 N-m (130 lb-ft).

The Dual-Mode CVT works as a belt-driven CVT at low and medium speeds. At higher speeds it moves into a split mode that brings in gear drive, which Daihatsu says reduces energy loss. The company also claimed it was the world's first split-gear CVT system.

The hybrid runs a series drivetrain, in which the WA-VEX engine generates power for the E1A motor that drives the wheels. Daihatsu calls the system e-Smart Hybrid, and Toyota calls it Hybrid Synergy Drive.

Has the Rocky been recalled?

Yes, several times. Daihatsu recalled 3,421 Japanese e-Smart Hybrids in January 2022 over a control unit fault. Indonesian Rockys and Raizes were recalled in March 2022 and June 2023, and Philippine Raizes in January 2024 and February 2025.

The January 2022 action covered Rocky e-Smart Hybrids produced from 1 November to 3 December 2021. A faulty control unit could stop the engine while the car was being driven, and the fix was a reprogrammed ECU.

The March 2022 recall covered 9,378 Rockys built from 28 April to 7 October 2021 and 14,777 Raizes built between November 2020 and October 2021. Improper welding on the front fender aprons could let them come loose on damaged or bumpy roads.

The June 2023 recall involved an airbag ECU capacitor that could malfunction. The January 2024 Philippine recall covered 4,345 Raizes built between 12 September and 7 December 2022, where a brake caliper assembly fault could let water into the slide pin boots.

The February 2025 recall covered 28,828 Philippine Raizes built from 1 December 2021 to 15 July 2024. Frequent braking at high altitude could leave the brake booster short of suction, making the pedal harder to press.

How well did the Rocky family sell?

The clearest sales measure comes from 2020, when the Raize became the second best-selling regular car model in Japan. Only the Yaris series sold more, and that family covers the Yaris hatchback, the GR Yaris and the Yaris Cross. The ranking covered non-kei models only.

Those numbers place the Raize among Japan's most popular regular cars. The range later spread to Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Cambodia and Mexico, with Indonesian production at the Karawang plant.

What are the Rocky specifications?