Renault Symbioz
What Car? UK|Ocotber 2024
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
Renault Symbioz

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.

This story is from the Ocotber 2024 edition of What Car? UK.

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This story is from the Ocotber 2024 edition of What Car? UK.

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