► Renault Symbioz: a new compact SUV
► Name confirmed ahead of full launch
► A crossover powered by hybrid E-tech
You’ll soon be hearing much more about the Renault Symbioz, the latest new model to join the French manufacturer’s range.
It’s yet another crossover, or ‘C-segment compact family SUV,’ according to Renault and slots between the Captur and Austral in the line-up. Only the name has been confirmed today and you can expect the newcomer to be unveiled in full in spring 2024.
Think of it as Renault’s Qashqai: with a confirmed footprint of 4.41m in length, the Renault Symbioz is aimed squarely at the family crossover set and the firm promises ‘generous space’, the familiar 143bhp E-Tech full hybrid powertrain and a kerbweight below 1500kg. Handy that, considering that the mayor of Paris has just trebled parking fees for heavyweight SUVs weighing more than 1600kg…
The Symbioz is based on the group’s CMF-B hardware, which means it’s heavily related to the smaller Captur. Insiders refer to it by the DJB codename and explain that it’s positioned as the combustion equivalent to the new Renault Scenic E-Tech all-electric crossover.
The two cars share many parts, including the Renault Solarbay auto-tinting panoramic glass roof.
Renault Symbioz: what’s in a name?
Don’t confuse the 2024 model with the large, grand-touring Symbioz concept car from 2017 (below). That car was fully electric and designed to plug into the home grid (hence being pictured inside a swanky modern house).
Over to Renault to explain the semantics of its new model name: ‘Symbioz borrows from the French word “symbiose”, derived from the ancient Greek “symbiosis”, meaning “living together”. This is a value deeply rooted in the DNA of Renault, with the brand committed to producing vehicles that completely fulfil the mantra of “cars for living”.
‘It is a word that is similar in many languages: “symbiosis” in English, “simbiose” in Spanish and “simbiosi” in Italian, making the name Symbioz easy to understand for a wide audience.’