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2025 Renault Symbioz review

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Renault Symbioz Hybrid – another winner in Renault’s impressive mid-size SUV line up

The 2024 product drive by Renault was populated by several models, three of which – the fully electric Scenic E-Tech Electric, appealing Rafale E-Tech Hybrid, and the car we’re testing here – the Symbioz E-Tech Hybrid shows how in tune this French manufacturer is with the actual needs of the European buying public. Irish motoring jurors agreed, too. At the Irish Car of the Year awards last November, the Scenic E-Tech Electric emerged as the overall winner for 2025.

Renault has already showcased the promise of the hotly anticipated Renault 5 E-Tech fully electric, and to add a little sky-high desirability into the mix, a new Renault 5 Turbo 3E that recreates possibly the most coveted Renault pocket rocket of them all – the 1980 5 Turbo hatchback with – back then – a mid-mounted 1.4-litre engine producing 160 PS. The bulging front and rear arches looked like a refugee from a Group B rally stage. When the new car arrives though, expect around a beefy 500 HP and a 0-100 km/h scoot in 3.5 seconds. It will be made in limited numbers and hover in six figures if you’re a potential buyer.

The new Symbioz I tested cost a far more reasonable €36,995, though with a myriad of options, it climbed up to €41,195. Dropping itself into a crowded market of midsize SUVs, the lasting impression while driving the Symbioz over the typically fraught Christmas period was how well the car coped with congested traffic and transporting family members without so much as a whimper. Outside, a world was populated with a mix of stressed drivers and congested roads and car parks. Inside the Symbioz, a pretty decent attempt at the art of Zen persisted, making it a very good place to travel in.

This is an all-new model for the French manufacturer using a 1.6-litre petrol-hybrid powertrain with a 1,000 km range and a modest if perky 145 hp. In Ireland, three versions are offered from €36,995 to the Iconic Esprit Alpine E-Tech Hybrid 145 Auto at €41,359.

Highlights for me were the efficiency of the E-Tech hybrid powertrain and its ability to regenerate and store electric power on reserve and the all-round usefulness. Google Automotive Services / OpenR Link infotainment system is fitted with apps Google Maps and Google Assistant in the 10.25-inch touchscreen. Positioned in portrait position, it worked faultlessly and proved useful when searching for last-minute Christmas items in local shops – some of which up to now I never knew existed. Again, as I reported here before, and as well as with many other Renault models, the decision to retain physical buttons was a decisive factor in operating the car without the impreciseness of touchscreens.

Other handy features included remote unlock and locking of doors as you approach or walk away from the car while carrying things – it’s a great convenience factor that should be a standard option with the ability of personal activation on all cars.

Like the Renault Captur, the Symbioz sits on an extended version of the CMF-B platform using front-wheel-drive running a generator to power a 1.26kWh battery coupled to the e-motor. I did find changing from park to reverse required one or two attempts, as there appeared to be a delay in fully engaging the gear function. It was never a problem – just an occasional jitter if the selection was made too quickly. Almost throughout the test, I used the “B” regenerative function which again makes light work of crawling city traffic.

Each time I test a Renault, I instinctively know beforehand that the car will demand little from me and seamlessly work away in the background without being difficult to get familiar with from impenetrable or buried functions that impair the accessibility of cars like Tesla’s Model 3 or VW’s ID.3. For cabin ergonomics, Renault offers one of the best compromises across its range. Why? Simply, it’s almost guarantee that you can step in and drive the car, work the endless array of technical functions in seconds. That’s why the motoring press admires Renault cars: that’s why the smart buyer buys them.

In all, the Symbioz successfully ticks so many boxes for family SUV motoring. It’s well-priced, comfortable and roomy, a doddle to drive and live with, and, above all, it proved efficient. While it’s not the first word in desirability, the overall impression is how superior it feels to the shoddy Chinese alternatives that are plopping themselves on Europe’s shores. The same unheard of OEMs spouting attractive finance options and certainly dubious residual values. Instead the 2025 Renault Symbioz is a strong recommendation for families hunting for a new car midsize SUV in 2025.

There’s a lesson here. Legacy EU OEMs may be struggling but they consistently get so many things right – cradle to grave ownership, total cost of ownership with good residuals and a healthy respect for putting an overload of technology in its rightful place – serving the driver and not the other way around. That’s why I’m happy to support the home team.

Verdict: 4 Stars

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Mark Gallivan, Motoring Journalist

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