We savour the Symbioz E-Tech – the latest addition to Renault’s growing SUV line-up…
Slotting between the Captur and Austral crossovers in the Renault range, the full hybrid Symbioz effectively replaces the Kadjar.
Competitively-priced from £29,295, it has its work cut out because it’s up against some of the UK’s most popular family cars, including the Nissan Qashqai, Kia Sportage. Hyundai Tucson and Skoda Karoq.
The attractive Symbioz is about the same size as a Qashqai and shares styling cues with the latest Captur.
Inside, it certainly has a Renault look and feel with a portrait-orientated 10.4-inch infotainment display in the middle of the dashboard, a 10.3-inch driver’s digital display and a large steering wheel. Under the touchscreen, there’s a row of climate control buttons and space to store your phone.
The infotainment system uses Google software, so Google Maps, Google Assistant and Google Play are all available. If you prefer Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, both connect wirelessly.
Overall, the dash is well laid out and intuitive, but maybe lacks the wow factor of some rivals.
The cabin as a whole is nicely put together and the quality of the materials used is good, with plenty of soft-touch surfaces higher up.
There’s an impressive amount of space too, so adults can sit comfortably in the rear seats. It also has a sliding rear bench to help maximise boot space, so it’s possible to free up 624 litres (492 litres normally), rising to a useful 1,582 litres with the 60:40 rear seats folded down.
Renault also says it has 24.7 litres of storage space inside the cabin, including seven litres in the glovebox alone.
Under the bonnet, the Symbioz uses the same ‘145’ hybrid set-up as its SUV siblings – the Captur and Arkana.
In other words, there’s a 94bhp 1.6-litre petrol engine working in conjunction with two electric motors, a small 1.2kWh battery and a six-speed automatic transmission (actually a four-speed gearbox and additional ratios courtesy of the dual electric motors).
In total, the full hybrid system (no plugging in) produces a decent 143bhp and power is sent to the front wheels (there’s no all-wheel drive option).
Renault claims a 0-62mph time of 10.6 seconds, economy of up to 60.1mpg, low CO2 emissions of 107g/km and a potential range of 630 miles on a full tank.
Interestingly, it uses a predictive hybrid driving function, which maximises use of electric boost over combustion power for lower fuel consumption
As you’d expect, the seating position is on the commanding side and there’s plenty of adjustment. Front and side visibility is good, but it’s a bit more restricted to the year. That said, a rear-view camera is standard, upgraded to 360-degree view camera on the top trim level – Iconic Esprit Alpine (the two others are Techno and Techno Esprit Alpine).
The Symbioz always starts in electric mode and it will toddle along like this for a short while before the petrol engine kicks in fairly seamlessly. It will also briefly drop into EV mode at lower speeds.
Push on, especially in Sport mode, and the engine will make itself known. What’s more, the gearing is long and it has a tendency to hold a gear for longer than necessary, and sometimes there’s a hesitancy on kickdown.
On the whole, it works well and it is an improvement on CVT hybrids where uncomfortably high revs are triggered if you do anything other than potter about.
The Symbioz feels a little faster than the official figures suggest, especially off the line, while the steering is light and precise, and the brakes are unusually progressive for a hybrid.
It also scores well when it comes to handling. The suspension is on the hard side, yet it deals with the lumps and ruts well, the tyres offer plenty of grip and it delivers tidy body control.
So, there is some fun to be had, but it is at its best cruising along on faster roads, and nipping around town.
Ultimately, the well-equipped Symbioz has a lot going for it – even if the lines are blurred between it and the its similar-sized SUV hybrid siblings.
Verdict: If you’re looking for a cool, frugal full hybrid that’s easy to drive, practical and can deliver a real-world 60mpg on long runs, plus value for money, the Renault Symbioz should definitely be on your shortlist.
