Renault Symbioz Review & Prices

You might remember the Renault Symbioz name from a stunning concept car revealed a good few years ago. However, Renault has now launched the Symbioz for real - as a mid-sized, family SUV that acts as an attractive alternative to the Nissan Qashqai, Skoda Karoq and Kia Sportage.

The Symbioz fills the gap created when Renault discontinued its Kadjar SUV and replaced it with the bigger and much posher Austral. It’s a bit like an understudy, drafted in to replace the headline act in a panto after they got too big and famous.

But as any theatre-goer knows, the understudy can be just as good as any fancier name. The Symbioz shares more with the smaller Captur than it does with the Austal, but it’s larger - similar in size to the all-electric Scenic E-Tech. That means you get a spacious interior with room for adults in the back, as well as a big boot - 492 litres as standard, which is very close to the Nissan Qashqai’s 504-litre space.

However, the Symbioz also gets a sliding rear bench, which means that if your passengers have short legs you can push the seats forward and liberate up to 624 litres of room - that’s almost as big as the massive Volkswagen Tiguan (652 litres), and even larger than the Austral’s boot.

The standout interior feature is no doubt the ‘Solarbay’ glass roof. Like the one fitted to the Scenic, this doesn’t have a traditional blind, instead featuring electrochromic glass which can be turned opaque at the push of a button. It can even be switched in stages, allowing front and rear passengers to choose whether they want the glass tinted or clear.

Further up front, the dashboard is very similar to that of the Captur. Every model in the UK will feature a 10.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 10.4-inch portrait-oriented touchscreen, running Renault’s Google-based software. We’re big fans of this as it means you can run Google Maps and other Google programs natively. The Google Play Store is also built-in, allowing you to download apps like Waze or Spotify - but if you prefer, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto allow you to seamlessly connect your phone.

While many of the controls have been moved to the touchscreen the Symbioz retains a row of physical switches underneath the screen, while further below you get a wireless charging pad that’s convenient yet out of immediate sight so you can’t easily get distracted by your phone.

All Symbioz models will feature the same engine. It’s a full hybrid setup, the same as found on the Captur, and so it’s based around a 1.6-litre petrol engine rather than the turbocharged 1.2-litre of the Austral. Power output is 145hp, and you can expect fairly modest performance - the smaller Captur takes 10.6 seconds to get from 0-62mph with the same engine.

However, fuel economy should be impressive, with Renault claiming an official figure of 61.4mpg - giving it a range of more than 600 miles on just one tank.

Interested? Check out the best Renault Symbioz deals right here on Carwow. You can also see our other Renault deals, or find great used Renaults for sale here. Remember too that Carwow can even help you sell your car when the time comes.

With prices starting at just a hair under £30,000, the Symbioz is priced within a few hundred pounds of the Skoda Karoq, Nissan Qashqai and Kia Sportage - very competitive indeed, especially considering the Symbioz is a hybrid as standard while you’d have to pay a few thousand extra for that on most alternatives. That entry price nets you Techno trim, which still comes with wireless phone charging, 18-inch alloys and that big Google-based infotainment screen.

Techno Esprit Alpine costs around £1,200 more and adds a sporty-looking interior pack, larger alloys and electrically adjustable front seats, while the range-topping Esprit Alpine cars get a Harman Kardon sound system and that cool Solarbay roof.