PHOTO&VIDEO Renault presented the “Luxury Duster”, with a hybrid engine

In order to maximize the efficiency of the platform and investments in the development of the Dacia Duster model, Renault Group decided to produce another model that will use the exact same platform and part of the engines proposed for the Duster model. The new Renault Symbioz has all the features of an SUV of the brand, having compact dimensions and a price quite close to the Duster.

Renault has officially presented the Symbioz SUV, part of its plan to expand the compact range it offers to customers. Symbioz was originally intended as an enlarged version of Captur, which is why for a long time he was unofficially known as “Grand Captur”. On the other hand, the common elements with Duster, especially technical ones, will generate a series of synergies for the French company.

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The dimensions of the new Symbioz are 4.41 meters, being only 7 centimeters longer than the Duster, 17 centimeters more than the Captur and 6 centimeters shorter than the Scenic E-Tech. In fact, Renault also has the Megane E-Tech, Austral and Arkana in the same segment, all with dimensions between 4.20 meters and 4.60 meters, clearly showing the brand’s interest in the compact segment. The wheelbase of the new model is 2.64 meters, identical to the Captur, which means that the lengthening of the car was done by increasing the consoles, especially the rear one.

The proposed trunk has 492 liters, which can increase up to 624 liters by sliding the seat by 16 cm, in front. It is 20 liters larger than the Duster, which has a 1 cm longer wheelbase. This means that the interior space, especially for the rear passengers, could be more generous in the Dacia model.

From a design point of view, the Symbioz almost completely takes over the details of the Captur facelift revealed only a short time before, in a strategy that was undoubtedly intended to emphasize the closeness of the two models. Pleasantly proportioned, as are all new Renault models created by designer Gilles Vidal, and with firm, modern lines reminiscent of the Peugeot models he previously designed, at the moment the entire Renault range (except the Megane) can compete in this respect with the main rivals, VW and Stellantis.

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For the powertrain, Renault proposes a single E-Tech 145 engine at launch, similar to the one on the Clio and Captur, which differs from the one on the Duster by a single kW of power. It is about the 1.6-liter 94 HP engine, which is accompanied by two electric motors, a starter motor and the traction motor, 49 HP, built into the automatic box and powered by a 1.2 kWh battery, which can support an exclusively electric drive in 80% of the time, in urban traffic.

For the future, Renault is also preparing other engines, some of them found on the Duster (1.2 TCE 130), but also a future hybrid with a larger displacement.

For the moment, Renault has not communicated the prices for the new Symbioz model, but it is expected that they will start at a higher level than the Captur, on the hybrid version, which at the moment exceeds 30,000 euros. That means it will be at least €5,000 more expensive than the Duster Hybrid 140.