Renault Unveils 7-Seater 'Petite' Family Crossover

I’ve lost count of the times an automaker claims its new car "shifts the mobility paradigm," yet that’s the old line Renault trots out for its new Symbioz midsize family crossover.

To be fair, the car does manage to cram in space for seven people while still restricting its length to a reasonably petite 4.25 m (14 ft.) long and weighing less than 1,500 kg (3,300 lbs.). Built on the extended version of the CMF-B platform, Symbioz sits below Renault’s larger Arkana and Austral midsize family cars and so offers an entry-level product to the C-segment.

It features Renault’s E-Tech hybrid 145 powertrain developed from the automaker’s experience in Formula One racing, particularly in energy recovery and regeneration. The series-parallel hybrid architecture combines two electric motors, a 36-kW e-motor and an 18-kW high-voltage starter generator, with a 93-hp 1.6L gasoline 4-cyl. providing a claimed 147 hp total system output. The system is mated to an intelligent multimode clutchless dog box transmission and a 1.2-kWh battery.

The gearbox has four gears for the gasoline engine and two gears for the main electric motor. The E-Tech hybrid powertrain combines operation of the combustion engine and electric motor in up to 14 different ways for optimum fuel efficiency claimed at 51 mpg (U.S.) (4.6 L/100 km) on the WLTP rating.

The powertrain includes Renault’s predictive hybrid driving function that uses data provided by the connected mapping system to anticipate coming performance requirements such as hills, descents and switchbacks. This data is processed in advance by the battery management system, allowing it to maximize the use of electric power.

Technology features include Level 2 automated driving functions, Renault’s OpenR Link multimedia system with Google built-in, as well as the Solarbay opacifying glass sunroof and up to 24 next-generation driver assistance aids.