The Renault Symbioz is establishing itself as a new model for the French brand’s local range, in which it could replace the Captur.
The small crossover SUV is included in Australian government certification documents, although Renault Australia has not yet officially confirmed the model for our market.
It is worth noting that the appearance of a vehicle in regulatory approval documents does not necessarily mean that it is available for sale in our market. Previous examples of “no-show” vehicles included an earlier generation Haval H7 from GWM.
We’ve contacted Renault Australia for comment and it’s possible the Symbioz could come here as a replacement for the equivalent Captur.
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It was confirmed that an updated version of the Captur, which Mitsubishi launched a facelifted version of under the popular ASX nameplate last year, would arrive before the end of 2025. However, 2025 came to an end without any sign of the updated model appearing in local showrooms.
By switching from importing the Captur to the Symbioz, Renault was able to avoid direct comparisons with the Mitsubishi. While the Symbioz is offered in Europe as the Mitsubishi Grandis, the Japanese brand has not confirmed this model for our market.
Renault could also outdo its Japanese alliance partner with a small hybrid SUV. Although there are electrified Captur and ASX variants in Europe, neither model has ever been offered with a hybrid drive Down Under.
The registration documents list two powertrains for the Symbioz: a turbocharged 1.3-litre four-cylinder mild-hybrid petrol engine with 104kW of power, paired to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, and a hybrid that uses an 80kW naturally aspirated 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol engine.
More detailed specifications on Renault’s UK website confirm that the E-Tech Hybrid produces a total system output of 116kW and 265Nm.
Its transmission is called a “Multi-Mode Clutchless Dog Box” and has four gears for the gasoline engine and two for the main electric motor.
Both powertrains are listed in the local certification documents in the Techno, Evolution and Esprit Alpine trim levels.
Measuring 4412mm long, 1797mm wide, 1567mm tall and with a 2639mm wheelbase, the Symbioz sits between the 4.23m Captur – which is no longer sold in Australia – and the 4.51m Austral, which has never been offered here, as well as the 4.57m Arkana crossover coupe, which is offered Down Under.
With the back seat pushed all the way back, the trunk of the Symbioz should hold 434 liters according to the VDA standard. This can be increased to 548L when the rear seats are pushed forward and to 1582L when the rear seats are folded.
The Symbioz is based on a stretched version of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance’s CMF-B architecture, which underlies the Clio and Captur as well as the Duster from Renault’s budget Dacia brand.
The latter is sold in Australia (and many other markets) as the Renault.
A 10.4-inch touchscreen in portrait format with OpenR infotainment setup is installed as standard in all models. Based on the Android Automotive 12 operating system, the touchscreen features wired and wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity.
In front of the driver is a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster. Available features include an ambient lighting system with 48 user-selectable colors, a nine-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, and an electronically dimmable glass roof.
There are various 18-inch wheel designs to choose from, while the top sporty Esprit Alpine trim comes with 19-inch rims.
The safety package includes front and rear autonomous emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go function, a surround-view camera and traffic sign recognition.
Should the Spanish-built Symbioz get here, it will join the gasoline-powered Arkana and Koleos, which hail from Korea, as well as the electric Megane E-Tech and Scenic E-Tech, which blur the lines between car and SUV.
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