MODEL ON TEST: E-TECH ICONIC ESPRIT HYBRID 160 – MILEAGE – 11,142

I’m not sure if it was ever called a fuel crisis, but when the cost of diesel is approaching £2 a litre, it’s certainly a crisis for a lot of drivers. Fortunately, petrol is significantly cheaper, so running a petrol-electric hybrid capable of an official 65.7mpg is at least one reason to be cheerful.

Noticing the latest rise in the price of fuel as I passed my local Shell garage, I decided to test the Symbioz’s eco credentials on a 350- mile round trip to Worcestershire by sticking it in the aptly named Eco mode. Aside from turning the ambient lighting and elements of the digital displays green, the mode adjusts things like acceleration, deceleration, cruise control and the transmission to prioritise fuel economy. I’ve rarely used it, having been underwhelmed by the setting in the Rafale, but it’s been a bit of an eye-opener in the Symbioz. Setting the cruise control to 70mph – or 50mph for the sections of roadworks – I ventured along the A30 and M5 without fear of being snared by a trio of camera vans I passed along the way. It’s purely anecdotal, but I was struck by the number of people who appeared to be doing the same. Rather than the usual procession of premium SUVs and Teslas in the outside lane, everyone appeared to be driving slower. The flip side is that there are more people hogging the middle lane…

Anyway, arriving in Worcester with time to spare – maybe there’s something in that hare and tortoise fable – I took advantage of the marginally cheaper fuel prices and brimmed the tank.The result? A projected range of 690 miles – the most I’ve seen during my time with the car. Sure, as I discovered on last year’s eco-challenge through the Pyrenees, achieving the claimed figure is nigh on impossible, but it just goes to prove that a small shift in driving behaviour can make a big difference to a car’s fuel economy. Indeed, the average economy over the six-month period has risen to 54.7mpg, with an average of 63mpg since the last update. I’m genuinely impressed with that; it’s the sort of figure I’d associate with a diesel engine.

Needless to say, I’m regularly seeing scores in the 90s for my eco credentials, but the same can’t be said of my safety rating. Having completed another trip up the M5, using adaptive cruise control to sit well within the speed limits, I was disappointed to be given 48 out of 100 for safety. Surely there’s been some mistake, I thought to myself. Well, no, it all comes down to the Renault’s regular inability to identify the correct speed limits. Having left the final 50mph section of roadworks near Taunton, the system failed to notice the return to a 70mph limit, so in its ‘head’ I was exceeding the limit by 20mph for about 100 miles.The result? A less-than-stellar score.

Which brings me rather nicely to the score I’d award to the Symbioz after six months and around 10,000 miles. It arrived at just the right time, as it was thrust into action as daily transport to two hospitals and racked up 3,000 miles in the first month. I appreciated its ease of use, comfort and fuel economy. Since then, it has provided transport for regular long journeys and the usual mix of shopping trips and local duties. The niggles are so minor that they don’t require repeating, but I’m struggling to identify anything it does outstandingly well. It’s just another family crossover, which for most buyers is more than enough.
I still talk about the Rafale, but I suspect the Symbioz will be quickly forgotten. So, I’ll give it a solid 80 out of 100: a thoroughly respectable score for a family car that is comfortable, practical, economical and, in Iconic Esprit Alpine trim, very well equipped. It just lacks that certain something that elevates a car to greatness.

GAVIN BRAITHWAITE-SMITH

WHAT’S HOT: Eco mode actually improves fuel economy, with some input from the driver.

WHAT’S NOT: The system thinks I’m an unsafe driver, which seems a tad unfair.

CLICK HERE TO READ ALL OF OUR LONG-TERM REPORTS ON THE RENAULT SYMBIOZ

FACTS & FIGURES

PRICE: (NEW) £33,795

PRICE: (NOW) £33,995

PRICE: (AS TESTED) £34,545

PRICE: (DEALER TRADE-IN) £19,600

PRICE: (DEALER FORECOURT) £20,800

COLOUR: Iron Blue metallic

BUILT IN: Valladolid, Spain

CODENAME: DJ

GENERATION: 1

PLATFORM: CMF-B

BODYSTYLE: 5-door SUV, 5-seats

LAYOUT: Front-wheel drive

POWERPLANT: 1,798cc, 4-cylinder, 16-valve, petrol with 1.4kWh lithium-ion battery

GEARBOX: 6-speed automatic

MAX POWER: (ENGINE) 80kW/107bhp/109ps @ 5,350rpm

MAX POWER: (ELECTRIC MOTOR) 36kW/48bhp/49ps

MAX POWER: (COMBINED) 118kW/158bhp/160ps

MAX TORQUE: (ENGINE) 125lb ft/170Nm

MAX TORQUE: (ELECTRIC MOTOR) 151lb ft/205Nm

TOP SPEED: 111mph

0-62mph: 9.1secs

CO2 EMISSIONS: 97g/km

ECONOMY: (COMBINED) 65.7mpg

ECONOMY: (ONTEST) 55.5mpg

FUELTANK: 48 litres

RANGE 694: miles

INSURANCE GROUP: 20

BIK RATE: (2026/2027 TAX YEAR) 26%

SIZE: (LENGTH/WIDTH WITH MIRRORS /HEIGHT/WHEELBASE) 4,413/2,003/1,575/2,638mm

BOOT SPACE: (MIN/MAX) 492-624/1,582 litres

KERB WEIGHT: 1,393kg

MAX TOWING WEIGHT: 1,000kg

EURO NCAP RATING: Four stars

SPARE WHEEL: (FULL-SIZE/SPACESAVER/RUN-FLAT /SELF-SEALING/REPAIR KIT) No/£350/no/no/yes

WARRANTY: 3 years/60,000 miles

DATE ARRIVED: 15th October 2025

COSTS: None

FAULTS: None