Renault Symbioz

A prejudice arises from coming to a conclusion too quickly with too little information. With the Symbioz, that risk is high, because judging by its looks, the Symbioz is merely an extended Captur. Up to the b-pillar (the bar between the front and rear door), the two cars are indeed identical.

Better still, the Symbioz has the same wheelbase as the Captur, is the same width and height. The increased length comes only from extra overhang behind the rear wheels. Therefore, the extra length mainly benefits the boot space. That ranges from 434 to 624 litres. This is because the rear seats are on rails (16 cm) and therefore, depending on the situation, either more legroom in the rear or more luggage space can be chosen. With the rear seats in the rear position, rear legroom is good and luggage space is large. With the rear seats in the forward position, the rear legroom is adequate, but the luggage space is very large.

Equipment

The Captur is a car in the compact segment and the Symbioz is a mid-size car. To offer the equipment that comes with a mid-size car, the Symbioz is much more modern under the skin. For instance, tailgate can be opened and closed electrically. Like Renault's larger models, the Symbioz features a large glass roof that can be electronically dimmed. This has the advantage of weighing less and taking up less space (more headroom!). In practice, the dimming works well, even under the blazing Spanish sun during the test drive.

The infotainment system is based on Android Mobile. This works very well because Google is constantly improving the applications and the underlying databases. The advantage for Renault is that it no longer has to invest in its own audio, communication and navigation system. However, this does mean that customers pay with their privacy. One bright spot: at Renault, Android Mobile can be switched off, allowing the driver to use their own smartphone via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.

As in Renault's other mid-size and large models, the traditional clocks behind the steering wheel have been replaced by a display. The advantage of this is that the driver can choose from a variety of layouts.

Of course, the Symbioz is equipped with all the driver-assist features required by the European Union since 2024. In practice, these offer little leeway, penalising the driver for any carelessness. This concerns not only speed, but also steering. When cornering, it is clearly noticeable that the electronics are steering along. However, anyone who lets go of the steering wheel because the car itself is so good at setting the right course is punished with a loud "keep control of the car" warning. The temptation is therefore great to switch them all off, which of course does not improve effectiveness!

Engines

The Symbioz owes its existence to its engine. The almost as large Scenic is only available as an electric car. The Symbioz, on the other hand, is only available with an internal combustion engine and is thus the alternative for those who, for whatever reason, are not yet ready for electric driving.

The Symbioz's price list does mention one engine: a hybrid. That consists of a 1.6-litre petrol engine supplemented by two electric motors. According to Renault, the interplay between the engines can be smoother that way, and that practice shows that the engineers are right about that. However, Renault's new hybrid based on a 1.2-litre petrol engine is even smoother and even more powerful and would have really taken the Symbioz to the next level.

That said, the performance of the Symbioz 1.6 is ample. Moreover, the difference between eco, comfort and sport modes is great, so the Symbioz can really show a different character depending on the situation. Test consumption came out at exactly 5 litres per 100 km, which is decent for a car like this.

Driving behaviour

Because the Symbioz is longer than the Captur, the weight distribution is also different. This could lead to different handling, but instead the engineers have done everything possible to give the Symbioz exactly the same handling as the Captur. That is: good, but not very pronounced. The Symbioz benefits from the Captur's new shock absorbers, tyres and fine-tuning, which also makes the car stable and confidence-inspiring.

Conclusion

Is the Renault Symbioz more than an extended Captur and does the Symbioz have a right to exist alongside the similarly sized Scenic? Yes and yes. That answer will come as no surprise, otherwise Renault would not have bothered to develop a new model. But it does require some study to find out exactly what the added value is.

The simplest answer is the powertrain. The Renault Scenic is only available as an electric car and the Symbioz is its internal combustion engine counterpart. Because the Scenic was designed from the ground up as an electric car, it was not possible to retrofit an internal combustion engine. Therefore, the Symbioz shares the platform (and all the sheet metal up to the b-pillar) with the Captur. The extra length comes only from extra overhang behind the rear wheels. As a result of this method, space in the rear has remained the same and only the boot is bigger.

To make the Symbioz a fully-fledged mid-size car, it has richer and more modern equipment than the Captur. In addition, the added value lies in a track-mounted rear seat, an electrically operated tailgate and a smart glass roof.