Renault Symbioz Review: Price, specs and boot space

Renault Symbioz at a glance:

• Body type: SUV
• Price range: £27,595 - £33,795
• MPG: 47.9 - 64.2mpg
• Number of seats: 5 (3 Isofix)
• Boot capacity: 492-624 litres
• Insurance groups: 16-20

Renault Symbioz: Everything you need to know

The Renault Symbioz — and that’s Sam-bee-oz, if you wish to make best use of the remnants of your GCSE French skills — is one of the brand’s many family-sized SUV offerings. It’s a highly competitive market, meaning that the Symbioz needs to be more than just good to succeed. Read our full Renault Symbioz review to discover if this SUV deserves to be on your shortlist.

Several of the Renault Symbioz’s many family SUV rivals are such strong sellers, it’s impossible to venture down any British street without seeing one.

A Ford Kuga here, a Nissan Qashqai there, with many a Kia Sportage and Peugeot 3008 thrown in for good measure: and that’s barely scratching the surface.

It’s a market in which the company’s had mixed results historically, with the popularity enjoyed by the Qashqai-based Renault Kadjar eluding the larger, plusher Renault Koleos, itself sharing much of its hardware with the Nissan X-Trail. 

More recently, the firm has replaced the Kadjar with the (still Qashqai-related) Renault Austral, and the Koleos with the sleeker Renault Rafale, while adding all-electric alternatives in the shape of the Renault Megane E-Tech, and the Renault Scenic E-Tech.

The thing is, the Symbioz is, like the Austral, based on the Qashqai. So what's the difference between the pair? Well, essentially, the Renault Symbioz is a little smaller, a little sportier, and a little less expensive.

Initially, it was only available with a 1.6-litre 145PS self-charging hybrid powertrain, but this has since been replaced by a 160PS 1.8-litre self-charging hybrid powertrain, which has also been joined be an entry-level 140PS 1.3-litre mild hybrid.

The three-tier trim level structure is also pretty easy to understand, and brings a generous level of standard equipment to the table, with all models getting a 10.4-inch portrait infotainment touchscreen, digital driver display, LED headlights and adaptive cruise control among other features. Value is one of the car’s strongest points.

There’s a sliding rear bench to boost practicality, although the car’s slightly compressed size against some rivals does limit outright space. Despite Alpine badging on a few models, don’t expect a sporty drive either: the Symbioz aims straight down the middle of the road for driver appeal and has a slightly firmer ride than you might expect, too. 

Nevertheless, it remains smooth to drive, if a little noisy at times, while it's also smartly styled and feels like a high-quality product, as per Renault’s recent standard across its range, so there are plenty of positives. 

How we tested the Renault Symbioz

So far, we've only had limited opportunities to drive the Renault Symbioz, and the one powertrain offering we have had the chance to drive has since been replaced by Renault. As soon as we have a chance to drive more examples with the more up-to-date powertrains, we'll update this review accordingly.

Is the the Renault Symbioz a good car?

Most families should be pleased enough with what the Renault Symbioz offers, although there’s nothing fresh or innovative, traits that were once hallmarks of the French firm's family-focused models. Given none of its rivals do either, it’s unfair to mark the Symbioz down because of corporate history: it’s a good all-rounder and should find favour with those who find the Renault Captur too small and the Austral a smidgen too large.

The Renault Symbioz handles about as well as you’d hope for or expect from a family SUV, but at the same time, it rides less well than you’d hope for or expect. It neither shines nor disgraces itself on the road in a segment of the market that has no real stand-out choices.

There is a veiled element of sportiness that comes with the slightly firm ride, possibly exacerbated by the Iconic Esprit Alpine’s 19-inch wheels, an inch larger than those on the base model. 

Since all Symbiozes get the same suspension setup, wheel- and tyre size will be the main ride quality differential. On the 19s, the Symbioz generally behaves well but does feel a bit unsettled over crustier road surfaces: and there are a lot of those around these days.

It’s easy to drive, too, neatly tracing whichever line you pick with the well-weighted but distinctly feedback-free steering, while the good forward visibility makes it an easy car to place, whether in town or on country roads. 

There isn’t much body lean and a few briskly-taken roundabouts reveal grip is more than up to the job for a family car. Just don’t expect fireworks or fun by virtue of the Alpine badging.

Initially, all Renault Symbioz models came with the same powertrain, a 1.6-litre petrol full-hybrid system. 

The combination of the petrol engine, a pair of electric motors and a curious gearbox setup (that combines a four-speed automatic with different ratios from the motors for six usable gears) results in 145PS of power, 149Nm of torque and a 0-62mph time of 10.6 seconds.

As the acceleration figure suggests, what comes across is a relatively modest output just about does the job. The all-important instant response is pretty good, as it is with most hybrids and full electric vehicles, so the Symbioz always feels punchiest at lower speeds.

It’s only when you call for more and bury your right foot deeper into the carpet that it begins to come up short, the engine waking up and spinning to surprisingly high revs, almost like a car with a continuously-variable transmission, to motivate you up hills and down motorway slip roads. 

It’s a relatively loud and not especially pleasant sound, though you only ever have to suffer it for short periods, as the Symbioz quickly quietens down once you back-off. Like most hybrids, it spends a reasonable amount of time with the engine off altogether, becoming admirably refined.

There is a Sport mode for quicker responses but no extra power, and a B mode for the for extra regenerative braking and near one-pedal driving: something we preferred using to the spongy-feeling brake pedal.

In the middle of 2025, for the 2026 model year, Renault Updated the engine range of the Symbioz. The 145PS 1.6 hybrid was replaced by a new 160PS 1.8-litre hybrid powertrain, with a larger 1.4kWh battery and a just-as-complicated gearbox. It improves efficiency while also trimming the 0-62mph sprint time down to 9.1 seconds.

A new entry-level powertrain was also added. This is a mild hybrid powertrain that combines a 1.3-litre petrol engine with a teeny battery (for the most minuscule amount of electrical assistance) and a six-speed manual gearbox to deliver a total of 140PS. It dispatches the 0-62mph dash in 10.6 seconds.

We haven't yet experienced either of the two new powertrains, but once that changes, we'll update this review accordingly.

Safety body Euro NCAP has tested the Renault Symbioz and given it a four-star overall rating. That’s decent, but not as good as it could be, since five stars are the maximum.

Euro NCAP criticised the the Symbioz for ‘weak’ chest protection in an offset frontal impact, and for the lack of a rear-seat child presence detection system. Actual child protection was deemed ‘good’, though.

Standard safety gear comprises driver-, passenger-, side-, head-, and curtain airbags, several accident mitigation features including active emergency braking with cyclist and pedestrian detection, driver attention alerts, lane keep assist and speed limit alerts.

As you step up the range, the pricier trim levels add blind spot warning, adaptive cruise control, rear cross traffic alert and occupant safe exit alert. There’s also a configurable button for disabling any systems you find a little too annoying.

If you want to pull an unbraked trailer, you're limited to 675kg with the 140PS mild hybrid, or 730kg with the 160PS full hybrid. If your trailer has stoppers, those figures rise to 1,200kg and 1,000kg, respectively. We haven't seen any equivalent figures for the previous 145PS version of the hybrid.

Front seat passengers get the best deal in the Renault Symbioz, with plenty of seat adjustment and a pair of genuinely comfortable perches - at least in sportier Iconic Esprit Alpine trim - and plenty of positional choice for the steering wheel.

Look around and there are cubbies for various knick-knacks, including a usefully-sized one ahead of the gear selector for phones and cables. There's another in a nook below the gear selector also designed for a phone, and some large door pockets that we didn’t attempt to fit wine bottles in, but they look like they’re just about good for it.

Things are less rosy in the rear. It’s not bad, but as the Renault Symbioz is ever so slightly on the small side compared with its rivals, you pay a similarly small penalty in head and legroom. 

Kids and adults up to average height should be comfortable enough, but taller front passengers will start to restrict the space behind for those of similar stature. Renault provides a sliding rear bench, which is most useful if your rear seats are empty and you can maximise the boot: it expands from 492 litres to an impressive 624 litres at its maximum.

Renault Symbioz: Dimensions

The Renault Symbioz measures 4,413mm in length, 1,797mm in width (including door mirrors) and 1,575mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2,638mm.

Renault continues to make strides in its cars’ quality, most notably inside. One or two rivals might have the edge for truly touchy-feely surfaces and an outright sense of solidity, but the sole thing we could find that felt flaky in the Symbioz was the slightly wobbly electric parking brake switch. 

Otherwise, the cabin felt well built, and while there are harder plastics in some places, important touch-points like the steering wheel, seats and minor controls are all nicely styled and appropriately trimmed.

There were no notable creaks or rattles out on the road either, despite the best efforts of a fairly firm ride. We can’t vouch how it might stand up to tens of thousands of miles and umpteen years, but in the here and now, the Renault Symbioz has the look and feel of a quality product.

The Renault Symbioz also has only one infotainment option, irrespective of how much you spend on one of the three trim levels. 

Happily, it’s a pretty good one, using a 10.4-inch portrait-orientated touchscreen in a conveniently high-up location on the dashboard, and it gets all the basics right: standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, both wireless, along with wireless phone charging and a couple of USB-C ports.

Screen resolution is clear, and it seems happy to register the kind of hastily finger-jabbed inputs we’ve all got used to in trying to operate touchscreens on the move.

That said, you don’t need to prod that much as there’s a handy ledge to locate your thumb while using the screen, and Renault’s steering-column-mounted audio control stalk is present and correct, too, and just as logical to use as the various iterations of it have been for nigh-on 40 years.

We didn’t notice any real lag when swapping between screen displays, with most functions being logically arranged and easily understood. 

Contrast that with the strange experience of engaging reverse to reveal one of the lowest-resolution back-up camera displays we’ve seen in years. More ‘what the heck?’ than high-tech.

Here at HonestJohn.co.uk, we update our reviews as often as possible, and this review of the Renault Symbioz was last updated in March 2026. The prices in the table below were the latest prices available at that time. However, car prices change on a very regular basis, usually without warning or publicising. As such, please use these prices merely as a guide, and before taking any next steps, be sure to verify the car's latest prices on Renault's website.

Is the Renault Symbioz good value compared to rivals?

By the standards of the class, the pricing of the Symbioz makes it look like one of the more affordable and better value choices. Few rivals offer a full hybrid model - certainly not one this economical - for similar money. And the mild hybrid is even cheaper still.

For context, the Symbioz mild hybrid is around three grand cheaper than the equivalent Nissan Qashqai, which happens to have exactly the same engine. The E-Power hybrid version of the Qashqai has a different powertrain to the Renault's hybrid system: the Nissan's develops more power, but they're identical on efficiency. This big difference between the two is the price, you'll pay around five grand less for the Renault than you will for the Nissan.

What you see is what you get with equipment in the Symbioz, too: all are well-equipped, and the only real options are a range of relatively subdued colours.

One area hybrids really need to score highly in is economy, and the Renault Symbioz does very well in that regard. 

For the now-defunct 140PS hybrid, Renault claims 60.1mpg, which is already ahead of most rivals. Even better, after a day of driving around along a mix of 50- and 60mph roads, through towns, up and down hills and being stuck in traffic, the trip computer of our test car showed 59.2mpg. It seems that even without concentrating on fuel economy, you can expect some impressive numbers.

The 160PS hybrid that replaced it does even better, at least in terms of the official numbers, with a WLTP return of 64.2mpg, despite extra power. However, as we've not driven it, we can't vouch for its real-world returns quite yet.

The 140PS mild hybrid isn't quite as impressive with an official figure of 47.9mpg, but that's still pretty good compared with non-hybridised rivals, and the far cheaper purchase price provides some compensation.

Insurance groupings range between 16 to 20 depending on the version you buy. When it comes to VED road tax, no version gets anywhere near the £40,000 mark for list price, so you won't have to worry about being liable for the higher rate, leaving you with just the basic rate to pay.

Renault Symbioz: Frequently asked questions

Is the Renault Symbioz a plug-in hybrid?

Is the Renault Symbioz electric?

Is the Renault Symbioz four-wheel drive?

There’s a very straightforward tri-level specification hierarchy for the Renault Symbioz, so choosing the one that suits you most is a simple affair.

The range begins with the Renault Symbioz Techno, which comes with:

• 18-inch alloy wheels
• LED head and tail lights
• Automatic high beam assist
• Heated- and electrically folding door mirrors
• Synthetic leather steering wheel
• Keyless entry and start
• Automatic air-conditioning
• 48-colour ambient lighting
• 10.4-inch infotainment touchscreen
• 10.25-inch digital driver display
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Wireless phone charging
• Adaptive cruise control
• Front-, rear-, and side parking sensors
• Rear-view parking camera

Stepping up to the Renault Symbioz Techno Esprit Alpine adds:

• 19-inch alloy wheels
• Specific Esprit Alpine interior styling details
• Sports pedals,
• Electrically adjustable and heated front seats
• Heated steering wheel
• Electrically operated tailgate

Topping the range is the Renault Symbioz Iconic Esprit Alpine, which builds on the Techno Esprit Alpine trim with:

• Glass roof with selectable opacity levels
• 360-degree parking camera,
• Hands-free automatic parking
• Nine-speaker Harman Kardon audio system

There are no notable options on any model but there is a choice of different colours, including a handful of whites, blacks, and greys, plus a red and both dark and lighter blues.