Renault reveals new Symbioz hybrid crossover

Renault has revealed the new Symbioz.

Measuring 4,413mm long and 1,797mm wide, the Renault Symbioz sits between the Austral and the Arkana in Renault's SUV lineup and is just a touch smaller than the Nissan Qashqai.

A sliding rear bench allows the Renault Symbioz to trade it 221mm of knee room to expand its boot space from 492 litres to 624 litres

Renault states that the new Symbioz takes after the classic Renault 16 as well as the Scenic by offering an adaptable boot and passenger space catered to the needs of the family.

Aiding affairs on this front is the car's rear bench, which is able to slide over 160mm, allowing what Renault states is the ability to offer a total of 221mm of knee room at the rear, alongside a boot capacity of 492 litres. Sliding this bench forward can expand the total boot space to 624 litres, and folding this bench down opens up a significant 1,582 litres of storage space. The boot of the Renault Symbioz also has no lip, allowing easier loading and unloading of heavy and bulky items.

Also present in the Renault Symbioz is a sunroof that makes use of Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal technology to change its opacity, limiting the greenhouse effect in the cabin and allowing the car to do without a mechanical or electric blind.

The crossover features a 10.4-inch vertical touchscreen that comes with Google built-in and supports wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay

Renault's OpenR Link multimedia system with Google built-in features in the Symbioz, housed within a 10.4-inch vertical touchscreen that supports wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, while offering access to apps including Google Maps and Google Assistant. The system will additionally offer access to a host of other apps via the Google Play catalogue, alongside Waze, Amazon Music, Vivaldi, and the Radio Player for Renault.

On the exterior, the Symbioz gets an angular design, with tapering head lights at the front linked by a black horizontal strip which is paired with a lower body-colored strip to add visual width. The taillights of the Symbioz have also been designed to give the car visual width, and sit within a sculpted rear end.

The Renault Symbioz is being launched with a 145bhp hybrid drivetrain which makes use of a 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine mated to an intelligent multi-mode clutchless dog box and a 1.2kWh battery which animates a 48bhp electric motor alongside a 24bhp high-voltage starter generator. The Symbioz is said to offer a WLTP fuel consumption of 21.7km/L with this hybrid drivetrain.

Order books for the new Renault Symbioz will open in July of 2024 for European markets.