Styling
If you're going to make an all-new, freshly badged model stand out in a sea of similar products in your portfolio, it's probably best if it looks distinct among its brethren. Yet trying to discern the difference between this new, hybrid-powered Symbioz and the all-electric
Scenic E-Tech is not the work of a moment. The Scenic is a little bigger in every dimension, and if you study images of the two side-by-side then you'll discern that they have their own distinctive chamfering of their lower door panels, or a different taper to their glasshouses, but in essence they're very, very similar to each other. The Symbioz has a large, horizontal slot in its nose which the Scenic does not, while the former also has less dramatic, slimmer rear lamp clusters and a more pronounced lateral cut in its bootlid. However, despite all this, the Symbioz is a smart-looking, attractive thing in its own way, while 18- or 19-inch alloys give it plenty of purpose and a good stance too. The Renault is basically inoffensively handsome, but not particularly singular in design.
Interior
Another area where the Symbioz is worryingly similar to one of its relations is within, where its dashboard doesn't look appreciably different to the model lower down in the Renault product hierarchy, the
Captur. We know this because we were driving a facelifted Captur for a week before we went on the test of this Symbioz, and they're basically the same.
However, once again, where that can be spun to the positive is that everything works well, feels beautifully built and is pleasing on the eye, again without being dramatic or particularly loveable. It doesn't have the big, connected construct of instrument cluster and central touchscreen as in the Scenic E-Tech, but it does run the Google software for the main infotainment (on a 12-inch screen on the higher-spec models, or 10.4-inch for the base-grade car) so it feels suitably upmarket.
And if you go for a top-spec Iconic Esprit Alpine like our test car, you get the fancy-funky Solarbay opacifying roof, which doesn't have something so prosaic and headroom-sapping as a mere fabric blind, but instead uses inbuilt LCD technology to create a digital 'cover' which moves forwards and backwards in an eye-catching wave formation. It's actually quite cool, even if you're something of a jaded cynic about in-car tech these days, although god knows what it would cost to replace it if it ever broke.
Practicality
Renault has long had the knack of making the interiors of its family-oriented cars super-practical, and the Symbioz is no exception to this rule. Its main helpful feature is a second row of seating that can slide forwards and backwards by up to 16cm, which in turn either liberates a load of rear kneeroom (221mm) and a still-decent 492-litre boot, or alternatively you can cut down legroom in the back for a cavernous 624-litre cargo bay. Clever stuff. But, beyond that, there are plenty of good storage pockets and also the two-deck centre console, with the gearlever and smartphone/device charging area on the upper layer, with another useful rubberised tray compartment beneath it.
Performance
Renault uses the 1.6-litre petrol-electric hybrid drivetrain exclusively for the Symbioz, which in turn means it has that bizarrely complex 'dog 'box' arrangement that's classed as a six-speed, but which in fact has four gears and then the two electric motors counted among its number. Now, when we first tried this set-up in the
Arkana, we were not massively enthused by it. There's little arguing, then, the fact that Renault has clearly markedly improved the overall refinement of this drivetrain for its installation in the Symbioz, but it's still some way from perfect.
The 1.6 serves up 96hp, while a 39kW e-motor delivers another 53hp on top of that. There's also an 18kW (24hp) starter-generator, with all the electrical magubbins powered by a 1.26kWh battery pack. The peak outputs of this set-up are quoted by Renault as being 145hp and the 250Nm of the electric units, and while the Symbioz won't ever drive on electric power alone for much more than coasting duties when decelerating or creeping about towns at walking pace, the system is said to deliver economy in the order of 60.1mpg and CO
2 in a low band from 105-108g/km. The crossover will also perform 0-62mph in 10.6 seconds and has a modest (but irrelevant, in this country at least) top speed of 106mph.
What we can say about the Symbioz E-Tech Hybrid is that it performs admirably, as long as you never really extend it too much. Keep the throttle openings below about half and the gearbox slushes shifts smoothly, while there's enough torque on tap all around the rev counter to ensure that keeping up with regular traffic flow is no effort in the slightest. The Renault is also suitably acoustically isolated here, so you don't hear much of what the drivetrain is doing at all.
But if you ever need to perform an overtake on a two-lane road, or you want to make a smart exit from a side junction into a line of fast-moving vehicles, you'll soon expose the oddities of this hybrid drivetrain. First of all, the normally aspirated 1.6-litre is raucous at higher revs, but it's not as bad as the gearbox. When you ask for full power from the hybrid, the transmission is flummoxed, taking a while to kickdown into a lower gear to improve forward momentum, and then dishing up a clunky, long-winded upshift when the engine finally reaches the point where it can painfully rev no more.
Granted, the situations where a Symbioz Hybrid is going to be driven gently are going to far, far outweigh the odd occasions you need to call on all 145hp and 250Nm of its reserves, yet it's a shame the drivetrain feels so unrefined as and when those instances occur. It's also the reason the super-smooth
Scenic EV feels the much superior choice when it comes to this size of family-mover.
Ride & Handling
A familiar but welcome crossover tale here, because while the Symbioz doesn't drive with any of the usual chassis verve or sparkle that you might associate with many of Renault's products over the years, it's smooth enough and pleasing enough for ride and refinement that you won't ever truly mind. It's not bad in the corners, of course, with reasonable body control and light, accurate (if feel-free) steering, but with that noisy powertrain you're not ever going to throw the Symbioz down a backroad with any great gusto, so you'll never discover the fact it is quite inert and safe at the dynamic limits.
Thankfully, even on the 19-inch 'Elixir' rims, the ride comfort is never anything less than excellent. The Renault doesn't crash and bash about on poor tarmac at urban speeds, yet it maintains a dignified control of its shell on faster A-roads and the like. It's also lovely and quiet in the passenger compartment, with no notable tyre nor wind noise to report, so - to reiterate - unless you stretch the drivetrain out, you'll find the Symbioz is a refined and comfortable machine to travel in.
Value
The Symbioz levers itself into a good position here, because it's more than eight grand cheaper than the most affordable Scenic E-Tech, although - weirdly - it's also nearly £2,000 more than the supposedly grander Arkana with the same drivetrain. Still, the Symbioz is unquestionably a better crossover all round than the Arkana is, so the price premium doesn't offend. Three specifications are offered by Renault UK for the newest of its crossover family, which are Techno (from £29,295), Techno Esprit Alpine (from £31,295) and Iconic Esprit Alpine (from £33,295).
Every model has a lengthy kit-list, with the Techno fitted with 18-inch alloys, full LED front and rear lights, auto lights and wipers with auto high-beam, automatic air-conditioning, keyless access and go, the 10.4-inch OpenR Link infotainment, a 10.25-inch digital driver display, wireless smartphone charging and integration (Apple CarPlay and Android Auto), adaptive cruise control, a rear-view camera, and a decent spread of advanced driver assist safety (ADAS) systems, among more.
Stepping up to Techno Esprit Alpine brings 19-inch alloys, various interior and exterior styling details along the lines of gloss-black window frames and aluminium pedals, the larger 12-inch infotainment screen, a heated steering wheel, a hands-free powered tailgate, electrically adjustable and heated front seats, and enhanced ADAS. The top-spec Iconic Esprit Alpine has the most generous toy-count, as you'd expect, with the Solarbay, 360-degree around-view 3D camera, a hands-free parking system, and nine-speaker premium Harman Kardon audio system all thrown in for your money.
Verdict
The problem with the Renault Symbioz is that it's not particularly remarkable. Now, true, many vehicles of this ilk are the same and they sell OK, but they're established nameplates. And it's not even just among its competitors from rival manufacturers that the Symbioz struggles to impose itself on the scene, because in the very same house the Captur, Scenic and Arkana all exist, while we've not even mentioned the
Rafale and
Austral yet, which are larger models but not
that much of a price-walk from the Symbioz' realm.
There's no doubt that this new Renault hybrid crossover is better than the
Kadjar it replaces, and nor is there any reason to suspect anyone would hugely dislike it if they decided to take it for a test drive. But aside from neat exterior styling and a quality interior, we're struggling to think of a clear reason to enthusiastically recommend the Symbioz over many of the alternatives, be they fellow Renault crossovers or otherwise. It's undeniably a good car for this class. It's just not a great one.
