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Pros: Practical, comfortable, value for money
Cons: Noisy at speed, some rivals are plusher
Renault Symbioz Design
The Renault Symbioz slots into the range between the Renault Captur and the Renault Austral, and is quite a sharp-looking SUV. It shares much with the Captur, in fact it’s the same height and width but longer overall for more space and practicality inside. There’s plenty of angles and sculpting along the side and rear to give it more distinction. LED headlights and taillights also come as standard. There are a few trim levels with entry level Techno coming on 18-inch alloys. The Techno Esprit Alpine and Iconic Esprit Alpine have a little more style with additional front and rear skid plates, gloss black window surround and 19-inch alloys.
Renault Symbioz Interior
The cabin has a lot in common with the smaller Captur. It’s not as plush inside as the Austral, but still the technology on board is good. There’s a full digital driver display and portrait-style touchscreen with Google operating system standard across the range. Esprit Alpine versions also get nicer seats with part synthetic leather trim and blue stitching. There’s also a blue metallic finish to the dashboard and a fabric panel. The fit and finish is okay, but there were a few wobbly bits in our test car like the centre piece housing the gear selector.
Even the entry model is well-equipped with wireless smartphone charging, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, keyless entry and a parking camera. Moving up to the Esprit Alpine trims brings features like heated front seats with power adjustment, heated steering wheel, Harmon Kardon sound system and Renault’s ‘smart glass’ panoramic sunroof, which you can change the opacity of from the flick of a switch.
The Symbioz is no wider than the Captur in the back so will be more comfortable for two rather than three, but it does have a little extra legroom to make it a bit more family-friendly. There’s also Isofix on the two outer seats.
It also has a bigger boot of 492 litres, which is actually bigger than the Austral. Practicality is boosted by the low sill and height adjustable boot floor. There is the facility to slide the rear bench forward to create a bit more space, but that will leave rear legroom very cramped. Esprit Alpine models also come with a powered tailgate with motion sensor.
Renault Symbioz Performance & Drive
Renault has introduced more hybrids to its range over the last few years and the new Symbioz is available as a hybrid only. It uses the same hybrid as the Captur and the Arkana, and is based around a 1.6 litre petrol engine, a small capacity battery and two electric motors. It’s a standard hybrid so you don’t need to plug it in and charge a battery to get the best from it. It has a modest amount of power, 145hp, and an automatic transmission. Renault quote fuel consumption as low as 4.6 litres per 100 kilometres for the Symbioz, but during our test drive we averaged closer to 6.2 litres per 100 kilometres. That’s decent economy for a predominantly petrol driven SUVbut not as good as some of the best of its hybrid rivals.
The Symbioz is at its best around town where the suspension proves to be very soft and forgiving, and the hybrid system frequently dips into EV driving for a quiet, smooth drive. Out on bigger roads, there’s more wind and road noise apparent and the engine can get noisy when you’re accelerating quickly to join a motorway for instance. The light steering makes it smooth and easy to drive, and while it’s not a pin sharp handler, it’s competent all the same with plenty of grip through bends.
Renault Symbioz Pricing
The new Symbioz is available from €36,995 for the entry level Techno. Next up is the Techno Esprit Alpine from €39,395, rising to €41,395 for the top of the range Iconic Esprit Alpine.
Carzone Verdict
The Symbioz doesn’t do anything new or exciting in the Renault range – it uses a familiar hybrid from the Captur and Arkana, and the interior design and technology is carried over from other Renaults. But it all comes together really nicely to offer family buyers plenty of comfort and practicality in a stylish SUV at a good price.