It is no discovery to recognize Renault’s ability to innovate in the multipurpose and family vehicle segment. For decades, the rhombus firm has become an accomplished specialist in developing particularly versatile and practical concepts to respond to the needs of families looking for a car that could adapt to their lives.
In the 80s he created the Espace, a true revolution thanks to its minivan body and its modularity, totally unprecedented at the time. In the 90s Renault revolutionized the market again with Scénic, the first compact minivan whose interior was designed to guarantee the well-being of all passengers.
Now, Renault returns to that multipurpose vehicle recipe and adapts it to current times (SUV hegemony, hybridization technologies, electrification…) to offer a compact model, but capable of adapting its cabin and its loading capacity to the requirements of space for today’s active urban families, but also for fleets of companies seeking controlled ownership costs. The French company’s plant in Valladolid, which has recently incorporated the new Captur into its production line, will also take over the manufacturing of the Symbioz.
The new Symbioz, designed on the CMF-B platform used by Clio and Captur (segment B) and Arkana (segment C), embodies, brings together and concentrates the best of the compact range of the French firm in terms of modularity, connectivity technologies , safety and efficiency. With its arrival, Renault also reinforces its presence in the mid-size SUV category, placing it between the Captur and the Austral.
With a length of 4.41 m, the newcomer to the family also completes the E-Tech full hybrid range of the French manufacturer that already includes the Arkana (4.57 m), the Austral (4.51 m), as well as the 100% electric E-Tech range from Megane and Scenic. A double range with specific platforms that pursues strategic coherence to respond to all types of clients.
“Useful technologies that add human value.” Under this concept, Renault has designed a spacious and bright cabin that aims to provide generous interior space – without giving up compact exterior dimensions – enhanced by equipment and technologies that contribute to generating a living space for the whole family.
The 16cm sliding rear bench offers rear passengers a knee radius of 221mm while maintaining a boot volume of 492 liters in this configuration. When the rear seats are not occupied by adults, the rear bench can be moved forward to increase the trunk volume to 624 liters. And up to 1,582 liters when the rear seats are completely folded down (2/3-1/3). Access to the flat floor is very wide, making it easy to load bulky objects. For its part, the storage capacity in the cabin amounts to 24.7 liters, including 7 liters just for the glove box.
The 145 HP E-Tech full hybrid engine that will equip the Renault Symbioz as the only mechanical alternative offers the comfort and silence of electric driving in the city without the need for recharging. This E-Tech full hybrid technology, for which more than 150 patents have been registered and which benefits from Renault’s experience in Formula 1 in terms of energy recovery and regeneration, provides both dynamism and efficiency.
Its “series-parallel” hybrid architecture combines two electric motors; a 36 kW main one together with an 18 kW HSG (High-Voltage Starter Generator), and a 94 HP 1.6 l 4-cylinder gasoline engine associated with an intelligent multi-mode clutchless gearbox. The gearbox has 4 gears for the gasoline engine and 2 gears for the main electric motor. The result is up to 14 operating combinations between the combustion engine and the electric motor to optimize consumption.
In this way, among its advantages it is worth highlighting that it is possible to drive up to 80% of the time without using the internal combustion engine in the city (all starts are carried out in electric mode) with fuel savings of up to 40% compared to a conventional gasoline engine in the urban cycle. On the highway, the architecture of the powertrain allows the combustion block to directly drive the wheels, without the need for the electric motors to rotate.
The result of this exclusive ultra-efficient technology is that the Symbioz, thanks to the 145 HP E-Tech full hybrid engine and its reduced weight; less than 1,500 kg, it obtains a consumption of 4.6 l/100 km in the WLTP cycle, one of the best records on the market.
