Renault Symbioz – new crossover for families and companies

Fill the gap with a full hybrid
Renault Symbioz – new crossover for families and companies

The compact class, also known as the C segment, accounts for around 39 percent of car sales in the EU. That's why Renault is now expanding its offering: With the new Symbioz, the French car manufacturer is targeting families and fleet customers.

There is space in the smallest gap: Between Captur (4.23 meters), Austral (4.51 meters) and Arkana (4.57 meters), Renault will be pushing the 4.41 meter long Symbioz from September 2024. The crossover, which in the current brand design is almost like an extended Captur, relies on practical intelligence: It combines good space and family-friendly variability with fresh infotainment and safety technology and an economical full hybrid drive. And he also wants to serve fleet operators who keep a close eye on the issue of maintenance costs.

At first glance, the moderate, 1.58 meter high Symbioz seems to be up to these challenges. It looks chic and modern without exaggerating; the long, clearly structured side line and the long overhang at the rear indicate a more than decent amount of space. At the front, the designers not only placed the recently modernized Renault logo centrally on the radiator grille, but also used it in vertical sections for the light signature and a three-dimensional pattern on the radiator grille – an eye-catcher. Depending on the equipment version (Techno, Esprit Alpine and Iconic), there are also new wheels in 18 or 19 inch format and taillights in an “ice cube design”.

A little more space than usual in the class

The interior, like the trunk, offers a little more than just the usual space for this class. Sitting in the front is quite comfortable, the rear bench seat can be moved lengthways by 16 centimeters. If it is at the front, the front passengers should not adjust their seats too far back, otherwise it will be very tight for the knees in row two.

Renault specifies the trunk volume with full seating as between 492 and 624 liters, depending on the position of the back seat; as a two-seater, the Symbioz should swallow up to 1582 liters. For comparison: According to the manufacturer, 422 to 1275 liters fit into the smaller Captur and 430 to 1455 liters fit into the longer Austral. So the newcomer can hold his own here.

This also applies to the current version of the OpenR Link multimedia system already used in the Mégane E-Tech Electric. This can boast Google functions based on Android Automotive 12 and enables wired and wireless smartphone integration via Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The whole thing is operated via voice control or via the 10.4-inch touchscreen, which is supplemented by a 10.3-inch central display behind the steering wheel.

Plenty of driver assistance systems

The new Symbioz has up to 29 driver assistance systems to offer, all of which are included in the highest equipment level, Iconic. Renault sees itself “on a par with the best competitors” and specifically points to the Active Driver Assist for level two autonomous driving and the intelligent adaptive cruise control.

The safety coach is a matter of taste and is intended to contribute to greater safety and efficiency by evaluating the driving style on a scale from 0 to 100 and, in cases of doubt, pointing out potential for improvement. My Safety Switch is less educational than pleasantly practical. It helps against the tinkling and ringing of the assistance systems, which many drivers consider annoying, by muting up to six of them at the push of a button after starting. If you like to enjoy a clear view upwards, you can order the Solarbay glass roof, which switches between transparent and shaded in several stages at the push of a button.

When it launches in autumn 2024, the Symbioz will initially only be powered by the well-known E-Tech 145 hybrid drive with the same amount of horsepower. It consists of a 36 kW/49 hp electric motor and a high-voltage starter generator (HSG), which produces another 18 kW/25 hp. They are combined with a 69 kW/94 hp 1.6-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine and a clutchless multi-mode transmission.

There is also a 1.2 kWh battery, thanks to which, according to Renault, the Symbioz can cover up to 80 percent of the distances in the city electrically. Because of this and because of the base weight of less than 1.5 tons, the French promise ranges of up to 1000 kilometers.

Renault has announced that orders for the Symbioz will start in June, but they have not yet commented on the prices. But you don't have to be a math genius to guess a classification between Captur and Austral – around 35,000 euros.