Japan: Subaru Dex

Except that, beneath the skin, the Dex is not actually that new at all. It's essentially a Subaru version of Toyota's bB, a compact box wagon launched in Japan way back in 2005. The front end has been restyled with new headlights, grille, hood and fender treatment. The sole 1.3-liter engine links to a four-speed automatic transmission and offers the promise of efficient, if not exactly sparkling, performance.

Daihatsu, a Toyota affiliate, is also involved because it builds both the bB and the Dex and markets its own versions of the car as the Coo or Materia, depending on the market. Toyota and Daihatsu have worked together for a long time. In April, the two announced an expanded three-way model-sharing partnership with Subaru. In the Subaru camp, the Dex is the latest result of that deal. If it were to come to the U.S., it would go head to head with the Scion xB.

The Subaru Dex comes in three trim levels, priced at the equivalent of $14,811 to $19,438.

Inside Line says: Wouldn't the Dex go a long way toward adding hipness to the Subaru name in the U.S.? — Peter Nunn, Correspondent