2 weeks Ago
Captur, Arkana, Symbioz, Austral, Scenic, Rafale and R4. These are the crossovers/SUVs that Renault has on the market at the moment (R4 will be here quite soon, so it is included). I’ve put it to Renault that they risk robbing Peter to pay Paul by making cars too close to one another in terms of size, function and price.
Renault say “non” and argue that niches are there to be filled and that’s what they are doing. Yes, there are a lot of segments and niches that have sprung up in the last few years as buyers look for different shapes and sizes. I’ve just been driving the latest from Renault, the Symbioz.
This slots in between the smaller (but not that much) Captur and the larger Austral. As such, it creates an option for buyers who don’t need a big crossover but find the Captur is just a bit squeezed for their needs. At 4.
23 metres long, it certainly felt larger than the Captur, which stretches to just 4.41 metres in length, while the Austral isn’t that much longer at 4.51 metres.
The Arkana is another step away at 4.57 metres. So the new Symbioz has a specific mission: to get people in to a compact Renault crossover who might go elsewhere instead.
It has a full hybrid system that has a 1.6-litre petrol engine, a 39kW electric motor and a 1.2 kWh battery.
Total combined output is 145hp. This Symbioz is so typical of what SUVs/crossovers offer these days: muscle rear, upright profile, larger wheel arches..
.you know the formula at this stage. It stands bulkier than the Captur, and interior space is just that bit more copious.
An important area for families is boot volume: 492 litres is a creditable amount but with rear seats that slide you can get a lot more. It adds up to as much as 1,498 litres with all the seats folded. And there is even more storage space under the floor, which is an extra bonus.
There is a 48-litre petrol tank, so you should get a good distance between fills as I touched on 4.8 litres in the course of my journeys. In fairness, most of the driving was suburbia or on 100kmh-limit main roads.
These hybrids are real fuel-sippers on the slower run of urban traffic. Inside is typical, modern Renault. My test car’s cabin was smart with a good feel to the surfaces, upholstery and familiar display screens.
The infotainment interactive screen worked fine. Some of the fingertip control set-up on the steering wheel has been around for a while and I found the audio/volume functions difficult to work initially. The transmission is interesting.
They call it clutchless smart multi-mode – it is effectively four gears and two additional motors. It’s all quite hi-tech. The end result is a seamless curve of power being dispensed, which is relevant to travelling.
The one drawback I found, and it may be just me, was that the steering felt quite heavy. Even allowing for different modes of driving and a variety of surfaces traversed, it still seemed weighty. Maybe they think that conveys a sporty feel to the car.
It doesn’t. One thing they got particularly right was the rest of the car’s chassis set-up. It was composed and sat-in well on corners.
Not alone did it give me a nice flow of feedback and accuracy (through the heavy steering wheel, mind you), I reckon that’s an important plus as far as families would be concerned. It has been my experience that a floppy/soft suspension can make travel an ordeal for us all, but in particular the young and old. They can get queasy quite easily.
That’s why a car that stays more upright when rounding bends, or smothers the undulations of bumpy roads, stand a better chance of delivering your entourage in good form. That’s why I mentioned the smooth gear-change too. Keeping the family safer and the driver on alert are as many as 24 new-gen driving aids (iconic esprit Alpine version).
So there you have it. Another arrival on the hugely popular compact SUV/crossover market looking to fill a perceived gap. It’s a well-rounded motor that quietly ticks most of the boxes.
With the Captur, you get a big-seller that’s been tried and tested. With the Symbioz you get a little bit more, without adding too much to the price (around €3,000 but depending on trim levels). The Symbioz petrol hybrid costs from €36,995 (see Factfile), while the Captur hybrid costs from €33,990.
It’s one of those occasions where you need to drive both to see if you need more space. If you have a growing young family, the Symbioz might accommodate them better. Factfile Compact crossover petrol hybrid from €36,995.
Car tested €41,195 (iconic esprit Alpine E-Tech full hybrid 145); €180 tax. Entry-level Techno version: 18ins alloys, 10.4ins R-Link touchscreen, 10.
25ins driver display, modular boot floor, adaptive cruise control, rear-view camera, front, rear and side parking sensors. Iconic Esprit Alpine spec: 19ins alloys, heated front seats, lower textile strip on dashboard with red, white/blue flag, 360-degree around view 3D camera..
