Renault adds Symbioz to compact SUV range as Nissan, Skoda rival

PARIS -- Renault is expanding its compact SUV offerings with the Symbioz, a full hybrid aimed at families that will sit below the Austral in the brand’s lineup.

The Symbioz will be shown this spring, Renault said Thursday. It derives its name from a larger 2017 concept vehicle. At 4,410 mm long, the Symbioz could compete with lower-priced, similarly sized compact SUVs such as the Nissan Qashqai, Seat Ateca and Skoda Karoq.

It will be the smallest SUV in Renault brand’s compact range, which includes the higher-end Austral at 4510 mm, the Arkana SUV coupe at 4560 mm and the Scenic family EV at 4470 mm. 

The Symbioz will also be Renault’s lightest compact SUV at 1500 kg, which would also allow it to avoid Paris’s new parking fees that target vehicles 1600 kg or more.

A silhouette photo released Thursday shows a boxier vehicle than the Arkana, Renault’s current lower-priced compact SUV, which starts at 31,300 euros for a mild hybrid version and 33,500 for a full-hybrid. The Austral starts at 33,500 euros for a mild hybrid and 40,500 for a full hybrid.

The only announced powertrain is a 145 hp version of the E-Tech full-hybrid system, the same as that available for the Arkana. The Austral features a 200-hp version of the system. 

Renault did not release any other technical details, although the Symbioz will have one upscale feature, a version of the Solarbay panoramic sunroof that automatically darkens or lightens.

Like the Arkana, the Symbioz is reportedly built on a longer version of the Renault-Nissan CMF-B platform. 

It is not clear if the Symbioz will be related to a new compact hybrid-focused SUV announced in December for Brazil and other global markets.

The compact SUV segment is Europe’s second-largest after small SUVs. Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo has focused on improving Renault brand’s position in the segment, where it fell far behind the leaders in the 2010s.

Under de Meo, Renault has launched the Arkana (imported from South Korea, where it was first launched in 2019), the Austral and the Scenic (this year) as SUVs and the Megane E-Tech EV in the compact hatchback category.

Renault did not have a model in the top 10 best-sellers in the compact SUV segment, which was led by the Volkswagen Tiguan with 174,387 sales, according to figures from Dataforce.

The Austral had 75,405 sales in in its first full year on the market, while the Arkana continued to be an unexpectedly strong seller, with 74,832 sales.