Thanks to an update, the Symbioz’s 158bhp full-hybrid system gets more power and performance than its rather lacklustre predecessor. It now covers 0-62mph in 9.1sec and there is a noticeable difference in performance – and general urgency – from pretty much any speed.
Make no mistake: it isn’t ever assertively quick – and nor was it designed to be. But it’s now much more comfortable in its skin than before and is easily brisk enough to mix it with the Qashqai or Niro hybrid.
It isn’t an involving powertrain in the typical sense – there is no option to change the ratios on the four-speed automatic gearbox yourself – but it will appeal to those who just like to select ‘D’ and then turn up the radio. If you let it settle into an unremarkable, unhurried, everyday kind of travelling pace, the powertrain just fades into the background. Even when the engine is roused, it stays quiet and smooth, and the transition between electric and combustion power is seamless. The brakes are nicely progressive and the pedal feels natural to modulate.
Despite the increase in power, the full-hybrid unit produces less CO2, at 97g/km, which means it gets a 25% benefit-in-kind tax rating – 1% lower than before.
The combustion engine itself is paired with two electric motors, which draw their power from a 1.4kWh battery that is 0.14kWh larger than the old one, so you can run on electricity for longer periods. This makes journeys quieter and more economical, particularly at town speeds; Renault claims the engine uses 5% less fuel than before.
If you want it to run on electricity for a prolonged and uninterrupted period, pressing ‘E-save’ on the dashboard will conserve up to 40% of the battery for use at a time of your choosing.
Renault has recalibrated its multimodal automatic gearbox for smoother shifting, so this car is noticeably less jerky than the old Symbioz hybrid, more accurately responding to your inputs – although it still occasionally hangs onto ratios for too long. The gearbox has also been programmed to change from first to second at just over 30mph, which means that if you’re travelling in a 30mph speed zone, the engine is much noisier than you want it to be. However, this isn’t always an issue, because the car spends much of its time in electric-only mode when in town.
If you prefer having the control of a manual gearbox, you can also have the Symbioz as a mild hybrid. The 1.3-litre turbocharged petrol engine works with a gearbox-mounted electric motor for a combined 138bhp.
Even under acceleration, the powertrain is impressively refined, never feels lethargic and has just enough poke for most situations. However, we suspect it would begin to struggle if you weighed it down with a family and their luggage.
If you’re going to be using the Symbioz for that, we recommend the more powerful full hybrid, because the extra power will mean it won’t have to work as hard, so fuel economy should be better.
As previously stated, the mild hybrid sends its power to the front wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox. The shift action is woollen and vague but the clutch pedal has an intuitive, positive action that’s easy to get used to.
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