RENAULT REVEALS NEW SYMBIOZ MID-SIZED SUV - AND IT'LL COST LESS THAN £30K
Renault is coming for the Nissan Qashqai with its latest unveil: the new Symbioz.
The mid-sized crossover becomes will bridge the gap between the smaller Captur and the larger Austral in the French brand's range.
The hybrid five-seater family car is also being aimed at business buyers, and is estimated to cost less than £30,000.
Its arrival means Renault now has eight SUVs among its ranks, begging the question if customers are being overwhelmed by the choice of high-riding family cars entering the market.
The Symbioz - a new name to the Renault family - will be built on an elongated version of the brand's CMF-B platform, which is also used by the Clio supermini and the new Dacia Duster.
With the back seats in normal position you get a 492-litre boot. If you fold them (they split 60:40) to create a flush, flat floor, there's 1,582 litres to use up.
Similar to the Captur, the rear seats slide back as a bench giving you a huge 625 litres of boot space.
How does it compare to its biggest rivals?
The Nissan Qashqai has 504 litres, the Hyundai Kona 466 litres, and even Renault's own larger Austral has just 555 litres.
The cabin offers just shy of 25 litres of storage space, and passenger space is enough for a tall family of five to fit with absolutely no problems.
There's headroom and legroom for six-footers to sit front or back, too, making this one of the most spacious and usable new family SUVs coming to British roads.
Aside from practicality, the biggest seller for this affordable car is how economical it will be for your wallet.
Realistically, you're not buying the Symbioz if you're in the market for an Audi Q8.
Initially upon the launch the Symbioz will only be available with Renault's E-Tech full hybrid 145 powertrain.
This combines a 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with two electric motors and a 1.2kWh battery, producing 145bhp. Renault puts fuel economy at 61.4mpg (part in thanks to the Symbioz's light weight of 1500kg), and claims you can run around the city 80 per cent of the time on electric.
A 0-to-62mph stat has yet to be released, but there's not much point holding out for a sub-10s time considering the car's powertrain.
The design inspiration behind the new Symbioz originates with the Renault 16, first launched in 1965.
The 16 was a family car, suited to ever-changing daily lifestyle needs that went on to inspire the Espace and the Scenic, and cement Renault's brand position as a provider of 'voitures à vivre'.
The exterior is a mix between the new all-electric Scenic E-Tech and the facelifted Captur (designed at the same time as Symbioz.)
The Symbioz front is pretty much a copy and paste of the Captur - angular, chunky, SUV - with details to reflect the Renault badge - apart from the grille pattern.
The rear is its own though, with a large overhang spoiler, and more sculpted, wider and stronger outline.
The interior again blends elements from other members of the Renault family, with nods to both the Captur and Clio.
It's Google-powered, with the same dash as the Captur, featuring a 10.4-inch touchscreen and a 10.3-inch digital driver's display.
Toggles and buttons accompany the screens, keeping drivers who like physical controls happy.
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard for the latest version of Renault's OpenR Link infotainment, as are Google Maps and Google Assistant.
You can download 50 apps from the Google Play store, including Waze and Spotify.
There are almost thirty driver assists, including blind spot warning, 360-degree camera and adaptive cruise control and driver attention alert.
The interior benefits from the 'Solarbay' glass sunroof with 'AmpliSky' technology that can switch between four different light effect and opacity settings.
Controlled with voice command or by a switch, you can create the airy natural light ambience of your choice and alter inside temperature.
Rather than using a mechanical blind, the opacity of the glass itself can be changed from fully transparent to fully opaque, or even half-and-half, at the push of a button.
Trims consist of: Techno, Techno Esprit Alpine and Iconic Esprit Alpine, and there are seven colour options, as well as new 18 -and 19-inch alloy wheels.
Prices haven't been rubberstamped for the UK market yet but we've been assured they'll start from under £30,000.
Order books open in July, so you'll soon be able to put your name down if you want one.
2024-05-07T06:12:18Z dg43tfdfdgfd