New Renault Symbioz hybrid SUV reveal is days away

The Nissan Qashqai better watch out, because the brand-new Renault Symbioz is ready to make its world debut on Thursday 2 May. Renault’s latest C-segment offering will be offered with a hybrid powertrain from launch, and essentially plug the gap between the heavily updated Captur compact SUV and the mid-size Austral.

In case you’re wondering, the Symbioz name is derived from the ancient Greek word ‘symbiosis’, which means ‘living together’. Meanwhile the car itself is a new take on Renault’s philosophy of ‘voitures à vivre’, or ‘cars for living’, which is an idea that connects all of the company’s family-focused models stretching all the way back to the Renault 16 from 1965.

We’ve only been issued a few teaser images of the Symbioz so far, but we know – as mentioned above – that it will sit between the Captur and Austral SUVs in Renault’s petrol and hybrid model range. Its introduction probably sounds the death knell for the maker’s unloved Arkana, with that model not due to be replaced when production comes to an end.

Measuring 4.41m-long, the Symbioz is only 15mm shorter than the popular Qashqai, and even closer in length to the Kia Niro. The teaser image of the car’s side profile reveals a relatively long roofline for the Symbioz, and hints that the design will borrow from the recently refreshed Captur and all-electric Renault Scenic, including those cars’ sharp vertical LED strakes and slim headlights, and angular front end design.

The single interior picture Renault has shared highlights the single-piece glass roof – also similar to the one found in the Scenic EV, that will utilise the same ‘Solarbay’ adjustable opacity technology. However, the rest of the interior design will be taken from the Captur, based on the free-standing portrait touchscreen and bank of switches beneath we can make out in the image.

We’ve no information on boot size or cabin dimensions, but Renault that the Symbioz will weigh “under 1,500kg.” An odd brag for a family crossover, but Renault is claiming “increased driving enjoyment and lower fuel consumption” as a result.

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As such, Renault has confirmed the Symbioz will be offered with the maker’s E-Tech hybrid 145 engine, found in both the Captur and Clio supermini too. No performance or fuel economy figures have been disclosed as yet.

It’s not the first time Renault has used the Symbioz name, with the badge first appearing on an all-electric concept car in 2017. That model was a sleeker, more aero-focused executive car, featuring a 670bhp dual-motor powertrain and level 4 autonomous driving tech. At the time, it presented the brand’s vision for mobility in 2030.

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