Renault Symbioz

Slightly smaller than Renault's existing Austral, this new hybrid family SUV has its sights set firmly on the popular Nissan Qashqai On sale Now Price from £29,295

- Chris Haining

ITS NAME IS a collection of letters that would give Countdown players a panic attack, but Renault hopes that 'Symbioz' will soon be a part of everyone's daily lexicon. What you're looking at here is Renault's new rival to the Nissan Qashqai - a family SUV that's a mainstay of the best-seller list. The Symbioz's main game plan is to offer more car for your money than you get with the Qashqai or Kia Sportage.

Having a name derived from 'symbiosis' is pretty appropriate, because the Symbioz lives in very close proximity to the Austral in the French brand's line-up - a car that's just 97mm longer and is a Qashqai rival in itself. Mechanically, though, the Symbioz has more in common with Renault's smaller Captur, including its sole engine, the E-Tech 145 hybrid. This combines a 1.6-litre petrol engine and two electric motors for a total of 143bhp - 44bhp less than the rival Qashqai e-Power hybrid.

Officially, 0-62mph takes a sedate 10.6sec; the Qashqai is more than two seconds quicker, dispatching 0-62mph in 7.9sec (officially). Still, thanks to the instant response of its electric motors, the Symbioz feels nippy enough around town. Its power deficit is most apparent if you need a burst of acceleration at higher speeds; putting your foot down brings the engine up to high revs (much like with a CVT automatic gearbox), but acceleration arrives more languidly than the noise suggests. The engine in the Qashqai e-Power is quieter when pushed. It's not as efficient, though, returning an official 54.3mpg, against 60.1mpg for the Symbioz.