Review: Renault Symbioz

While you’re not short for quality talent in the competitive family SUV sector, you’d be hard-pressed to find one that combines the all-round strengths of the Renault Symbioz with such a dash of kerbside panache.

Slotting in between the Captur and Austral as part of a diverse Renault SUV line-up that also includes the Renault 4, Scenic and Rafale, the Symbioz is pitched as the easy-to-live with, family-friendly choice.

At the core of its appeal is a self-charging hybrid powertrain which delivers excellent fuel economy, reduced emissions and lower running costs in a package that’ll seat five adults and swallow their luggage with room to spare.

If it’s a frugal, roomy and well-equipped family vehicle you’re in the market for, the Renault Symbioz might well be all the car you’ll ever need…

Renault Symbioz Styling

The last couple of years has seen Renault busily overhauling its entire range to reflect its latest design direction, steering away from the bulbous looks of old in favour of a sharper, more sophisticated signature.

As one of the more recent additions to Renault’s range, the Symbioz has therefore been styled from the outset to reflect this cosmetic shift and the result is an SUV that while understated, is handsomely desirable.

From the front, the assertively chunky front-end echoes what can also be seen on the Captur and Scenic with its brooding inverted grille and winged daytime-running LED lights.

A strong shoulder line emphasises the Symbioz’s muscular proportions and leads into a sharply raked C-pillar and sculpted rear-end.

Stylised, multi-tone alloy wheels complete a look that gives the Symbioz real presence on the road and helps it cut through to stand out among more conservative family SUV rivals.

Renault Symbioz Interior

Inside, the Symbioz’s interior will be very familiar to anyone that has driven a Captur recently, not that this is a bad thing.

The fascia is dominated by a 10.4-inch central infotainment screen in portrait orientation which houses much of the interior controls, including navigational information.

The Symbioz gets the latest iteration of Renault’s OpenR Link infotainment function, which is based on Google’s Android Automotive operating system.

Styled to mimic familiar Google menus, it means the graphics and apps are easy-to-locate and easy-to-select, while it is possible to download apps like Waze and Spotify direct to the car.

That’s not to say all functions have been delegated to the central screen – an action that can prove fiddly when driving – with climate controls available via physical dials on the dashboard or on the steering wheel.

Elsewhere, it is worth noting that upper trim models come with a single-piece glass roof, known as Solarbay.

Better still, not only does the large panel flood the interior with light when in use, it eschews the traditional blind in favour of technology that turns the glass opaque at the touch of a button.

Space Inside the Renault Symbioz

The Symbioz is similar in size to the Nissan Qashqai in terms of dimensions and promises to seat five adults in comfort with plenty of head and legroom.

Moreover, the Symbioz comes with the nifty trick of having a sliding rear bench as standard across all trims. By pulling a handle located underneath the middle seat, the rear bench can be pushed 16cms.

This is great news if you happen to carry larger passengers in the rear, but it’s also useful for pushing the rear bench forward to increase luggage room too.

The boot itself offers 492-litres of space with the seats up, but this will swell to 1582-litres with the seats down.

Elsewhere, there are plenty of storage spots – worth 25-litres - dotted around the cabin, while passengers will appreciate the USB-C charging points in the rear. Front passengers, meanwhile, get a wireless charging pad.

Behind the Wheel of the Renault Symbioz

At the heart of the Symbioz’s family-friendly appeal is its full hybrid powertrain – available at the top of the range - which combines a punchy 1.8-litre petrol engine with a 1.4kWh battery that feeds two electric motors generating 68bhp together.

It gives the Symbioz E-Tech a total power output 160bhp, which delivers keen acceleration to 62mph (100km) in 9.1secs.

More importantly, the hybrid set-up allows the Symbioz to spend more time – particularly at lower speeds – in pure electric mode, which significantly saves fuel and reduces total emissions output too.

It means the Symbioz 1.8 E-Tech FHEV can return more than 65mpg, while CO2 emissions are limited to 100g/km. In all, Renault claims the Symbioz has a total range (petrol and electric) of 675-miles.

Moreover, it’s a fully self-charging hybrid system, which removes any dilemmas about depleting batteries or finding a facility to recharge, while still enjoying good performance and vastly improved fuel economy.

The 1.8-litre E-Tech FHEV is one of two engines available with the Symbioz, the other being a mild-hybrid 1.3-litre TCe engine generating 140hp

Renault Symbioz Trims

Vertu’s Verdict on the Renault Symbioz

As the manufacturer that gave the world ground-breaking models like Espace and Scenic, it’s no surprise that Renault puts family first when it comes to the Symbioz.

While multi-purpose vehicles of the 90s and 00s have evolved into SUVs today, the Symbioz still exhibits the core fundamentals that make Renault such a go-to for countless families the world over.

Indeed, the Symbioz is spacious, flexible and filled with clever kit – such as the Solarbay panoramic sunroof and sliding rear bench – while its self-charging hybrid technology cracks the code for combining punchy performance with frugal fuel savings.

That it also cuts a dash with its handsome looks ensures the Renault Symbioz offers genuinely enticing all-rounder appeal.

Who is the Renault Symbioz Best Suited To?

• Families seeking flexible practicality for five
• Those who want affordable running costs without switching to electric
• Tech-savvy people to appreciate the Solarbay sunroof, high-end audio and Google functionality
• Drivers travelling longer distances looking for comfort and refinement

Renault Symbioz Technical Specifications