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Family-friendly mid-size SUV aims to take ease of use, efficiency and refinement in its stride

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The Renault Symbioz is proof of just how much Renault is investing in hybrid technology, with brand CEO Fabrice Cambolive telling us how crucial it is in easing the transition of customers to EVs and achieving a low-emissions line-up. 

The French firm's combustion range is split between mild hybrid, plug-in hybrid and full hybrid, but the big emphasis is on full hybrid. It's the only drivetrain present in every combustion-based production Renault model – and this will continue well into the future.

The Symbioz wants to be a car that blends into your life imperceptibly. It's sort of trying to be the Golf of mid-sized SUVs.

As such, the Symbioz - the smaller sibling of the Austral – has just received a powertrain overhaul, getting the same E-Tech 160 full-hybrid system that we've already seen in the Dacia Duster and a new mild-hybrid powertrain at the entry-level.

As is the C-segment way, rivals are flooding in from all corners of the globe, from the Hyundai Kona and Nissan Qashqai to the Peugeot 2008 and Kia Niro, which means this car has to be more refined, efficient, practical and generally competitive than ever before.

Described by the design chief of Renault's small cars as "more rational and less emotional", it has purely been conceived for families and fleets, with upright, boxy proportions, decent interior space and hybrid power. But does it live up to these credentials while truly differentiating itself from talented competition?

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The Renault Symbioz line-up at a glance

There are three specifications of Symbioz: Techno, Techno Esprit Alpine and Iconic Esprit Alpine. All cars get 18in alloys, a 10.4in infotainment display running Google's automotive software, a 10.25in instrument display and a six-speaker stereo system. Stepping up beyond entry-level Techno grants you larger alloys, racier trim pieces, a better stereo system and an electric bootlid. But our recommended specification is Techno, which has all you really need.

The engine line-up is also pretty simple: you can have a mild hybrid or a full hybrid. Mild-hybrid cars come in Techno trim only and use a 1.3-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol engine with a gearbox-mounted electric motor. The full hybrid, meanwhile, comes with a 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol engine (naturally aspirated) and two electric motors (a 48bhp drive motor and a 20bhp integrated starter-generator, or ISG). In total, the system develops 158bhp and 276lb ft for a top speed of 105mph and a 0-62mph time of 9.1sec.

DESIGN & STYLING

Renault Symbioz review side tracking

This is a 4.4m-long crossover that takes Renault’s CMF-B supermini platform (the same one used by the Clio and Captur) as its mechanical foundation. It’s only moderately high-rise in its profile, its roof height having been kept to around 1.6m to ensure a sensible frontal area and good aerodynamic efficiency. 

There’s quite a Germanic, sharply drawn ‘technical’ flavour to its styling. It could almost be a Volkswagen Golf Plus redesigned for 2025 from some angles. To us, that rather seems to typify Renault’s philosophical move towards the middle ground of the volume car market – the emphasis it has put on quality, rationality, digital technology and neat if conventional design. 

The Symbioz doesn't sport the most imaginative design, but it's clearly been drawn with a sharp pencil.

“We’ve tried quirky,” the executives say, “and it didn’t sell nearly so well.” Fair enough. The Symbioz is certainly handsome, attractively detailed and well proportioned, and there’s a smartness and maturity about its look that’s likely to make it a desirable choice for those moving up from supermini-sized crossovers.

INTERIOR

Renault Symbioz review interior

Renault makes much of the Symbioz's family-friendly interior versatility, and while it is a spacious car, it disappoints in some respects.

Second-row passenger space is just about appropriate for full-size adults but is no great selling point in itself. The Skoda Kamiq offers just as much while the Skoda Karoq, with its optional removable back seats, knocks the Symbioz for six on outright carrying space.

The interior's reliance on buttons, its Google-based infotainment system, easy-to-neuter ADAS and adjustable rear bench speak volumes of its general usability.

What's more, if the car is fitted with Renault's optional Solarbay panoramic roof, which uses electrically charged liquid crystals to block out the sun as and when needed, six-footers will struggle for head room.

Renault does at least include a sliding back seat to boost boot space, but it moves only as one fixed bench, so it’s a bit awkward to heave fore and aft. 

With the seats slid all the way back, you create 492 litres of boot space, which is 12 litres less than in the Qashqai and nearly 100 litres less than in the Sportage. If you slide the bench forwards, however, capacity is increased to a class-leading 624 litres. With the rear bench folded down, space stands at a generous 1582 litres.

The boot itself is usefully large and deep by class standards, with an adjustable-height floor, but it doesn't possess any notable features aside from this. Items like a 12V socket are absent.

Up front, the driver’s seat is comfortable enough (although it lacks cushion-adjustment options) and the control layout and displays are simple and sensible.

However, because of the thick A-, B- and C-pillars, visibility is poor with regard to blindspots and the small rear window means you have to rely on the low-definition reversing camera when manoeuvring.

It's easy to find your way round Renault’s Google-based Open R portrait-style infotainment system, with lots of app-based functionality  for those with Android-based smartphones. Renault claims the system can download more than 50 apps.

The digital driver's display, meanwhile, is clear and easy to read and has a decent amount of configurability, but switching between displays prompts a needlessly complex animation that can begin to lag after a while.

It does at least have a row of physical controls for the HVAC functions, which feel reassuringly sturdy, and the audio volume can be adjusted with a handy steering wheel-mounted stalk.

The car’s ADAS (it offers up to 24 systems, Renault says, between speed limit buzzers, lane keeping assistants, intelligent cruise control etc) are mercifully easy to neuter via a fixed physical shortcut button adjacent to the steering wheel.

ENGINES & PERFORMANCE

Renault Symbioz review side static

Thanks to an update, the Symbioz’s 158bhp full-hybrid system gets more power and performance than its rather lacklustre predecessor. It now covers 0-62mph in 9.1sec and there is a noticeable difference in performance - and general urgency - from pretty much any speed.

Make no mistake: it isn’t ever assertively quick - and nor was it designed to be. But it's now much more comfortable in its skin than before and is easily brisk enough to mix it with the Qashqai or Niro hybrid.

Renault’s hybrid system does have an E-Save mode, but it’s nothing to do with electric-only running. Rather, you press it if you want to prep the car for intensive use: motorway driving, maybe, or climbing a steep mountain road.

It isn't an involving powertrain in the typical sense – there is no option to change the ratios on the four-speed automatic gearbox yourself – but it will appeal to those who just like to select ‘D’ and then turn up the radio. If you let it settle into an unremarkable, unhurried, everyday kind of travelling pace, the powertrain just fades into the background. Even when the engine is roused, it stays quiet and smooth, and the transition between electric and combustion power is seamless. The brakes are nicely progressive and the pedal feels natural to modulate.

Despite the increase in power, the full-hybrid unit produces less CO2, at 97g/km, which means it gets a 25% benefit-in-kind tax rating - 1% lower than before. 

The combustion engine itself is paired with two electric motors, which draw their power from a 1.4kWh battery that is 0.14kWh larger than the old one, so you can run on electricity for longer periods. This makes journeys quieter and more economical, particularly at town speeds; Renault claims the engine uses 5% less fuel than before.

If you want it to run on electricity for a prolonged and uninterrupted period, pressing 'E-save' on the dashboard will conserve up to 40% of the battery for use at a time of your choosing.

Renault has recalibrated its multimodal automatic gearbox for smoother shifting, so this car is noticeably less jerky than the old Symbioz hybrid, more accurately responding to your inputs - although it still occasionally hangs onto ratios for too long. The gearbox has also been programmed to change from first to second at just over 30mph, which means that if you're travelling in a 30mph speed zone, the engine is much noisier than you want it to be. However, this isn't always an issue, because the car spends much of its time in electric-only mode when in town. 

If you prefer having the control of a manual gearbox, you can also have the Symbioz as a mild hybrid. The 1.3-litre turbocharged petrol engine works with a gearbox-mounted electric motor for a combined 138bhp. 

Even under acceleration, the powertrain is impressively refined, never feels lethargic and has just enough poke for most situations. However, we suspect it would begin to struggle if you weighed it down with a family and their luggage.

If you're going to be using the Symbioz for that, we recommend the more powerful full hybrid, because the extra power will mean it won't have to work as hard, so fuel economy should be better.

As previously stated, the mild hybrid sends its power to the front wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox. The shift action is woollen and vague but the clutch pedal has an intuitive, positive action that's easy to get used to. 

RIDE & HANDLING

Renault Symbioz review front tracking

The Symbioz rides and handles with assurance. In general, it isn't an unpleasant car to drive, exhibiting decent body control and respectable cornering grip and handling precision on winding lanes. 

At motorway speeds, it offers better refinement and isolation than rivals such as the Ford Kuga, and around town the steering is light but still sure-footed and there's enough grip from the front end for it to be a safe and secure companion.

The Symbioz exudes the sort of undemanding, unremarkable handling you'd expect of a family car.

Its low-speed ride is fairly settled, but at higher speeds it becomes more pliant. It has a fairly taut, settled and composed motorway gait, so it's comfortable over longer trips.

It can struggle a little for traction out of tighter corners, while the biggish wheels and smallish sidewalls of higher-grade models and the suspension’s slight air of firmness make it less compliant at town speeds than some French SUVs, although they also deliver assured body control.

MPG & RUNNING COSTS

Renault Symbioz review front three quarter

Despite the uptick in its performance, the Symbioz full hybrid is more economical than its predecessor, with a claimed 65.7mpg on the WLTP combined cycle. In the real world, our test car averaged an impressive 64.2mpg, which is highly competitive for the class and should give a real-world range of around 500 miles.

Of course, being a full hybrid, it's the kind of compact family car that's likely to prove particularly efficient around town, where its economy figures could reach upwards of 70mpg.

The full hybrid has some of the lowest CO2 figures in its class.

Priced from less than £30,000, it's also good value compared with hybrid rivals. The cheapest Qashqai e-Power is more than 10% dearer, for instance, and the Sportage Hybrid is pricier still.

Key to its appeal with both families and fleets is its low CO2 emissions figure of 97g/km, beating the Qashqai's (142g/km) and Sportage's (129g/km). You can buy the Sportage with a plug-in hybrid powertrain to further reduce CO2, but this pushes its price further above that of the Symbioz.

The Symbioz's low CO2 rating and generous equipment levels should result in decent residual values too, especially because Renault's track record on that is strong.

Without the help of a battery and an electric motor, the mild-hybrid car doesn't score as highly when it comes to economy. Its official figure of 47.9mpg is competitive although we managed 43mpg over a short test route. Before we can comment fully on the powertrain's true potential, we will have to test one in the UK.

With a starting price just under £28,000, the mild hybrid represents just as good value as its more powerful range-mate.

VERDICT

Renault Symbioz review front three quarter tracking

The Symbioz driving experience juggles comfort, assured control, drivability and ease of use with the practised skill that we’ve become used to from Renault of late. It seems right-sized and smartly dressed too, as well as fairly versatile, intelligently featured, smartly furnished and decent value for money.

Both full-hybrid and mild-hybrid versions of the Symbioz are creditable. They’re economical, competitively priced and very spacious inside, with a very intuitive infotainment system. But if you want the best combination of performance and economy, we recommend the full-hybrid model.

It's not exactly the Golf of its class, but if you simply want economical and undemanding transport, you can do far worse than the Symbioz.

What's more, because you’re paying a good deal less than you would for other cars of its type, it is easy to see the appeal. Sure, it's not very remarkable to drive, look at or sit in, especially compared with some of its rivals, but you could argue that it's not trying to be. It wants to be comfortable, practical and economical transport for families and, generally speaking, it doesn’t miss those targets. It's certainly a car worth considering.

Jonathan Bryce

Jonathan Bryce
Title: Social Media Executive

Jonathan is Autocar's social media executive. He has held this position since December 2024, having previously studied at the University of Glasgow before moving to London to become an editorial apprentice and pursue a career in motoring journalism. 

His role at work involves running all of Autocar's social media channels, including X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, YouTube Shorts, LinkedIn and WhatsApp. 

Matt Saunders

Matt Saunders Autocar
Title: Road test editor

As Autocar’s chief car tester and reviewer, it’s Matt’s job to ensure the quality, objectivity, relevance and rigour of the entirety of Autocar’s reviews output, as well contributing a great many detailed road tests, group tests and drive reviews himself.

Matt has been an Autocar staffer since the autumn of 2003, and has been lucky enough to work alongside some of the magazine’s best-known writers and contributors over that time. He served as staff writer, features editor, assistant editor and digital editor, before joining the road test desk in 2011.

Since then he’s driven, measured, lap-timed, figured, and reported on cars as varied as the Bugatti Veyron, Rolls-Royce PhantomTesla RoadsterAriel Hipercar, Tata Nano, McLaren SennaRenault Twizy and Toyota Mirai. Among his wider personal highlights of the job have been covering Sebastien Loeb’s record-breaking run at Pikes Peak in 2013; doing 190mph on derestricted German autobahn in a Brabus Rocket; and driving McLaren’s legendary ‘XP5’ F1 prototype. His own car is a trusty Mazda CX-5.