The difference in price between the Renault Symbioz and its chief rival, the Nissan Qashqai, has just been expanded from a few hundred pounds to more than £3,000 thanks to the addition of a new entry-level, mild-hybrid engine to the French car.
Available now from £27,395, this version of the Renault family SUV features a turbocharged 1.3-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with mild-hybrid assistance to boost efficiency, plus a six-speed manual gearbox. Renault says this set-up will average up to 47.9mpg and emits 133 g/km of CO2.
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This ‘mild hybrid 140’ powertrain is only offered with base Techno specification, but the standard equipment still includes a 10.4-inch central touchscreen, which comes with apps including Google Maps and Google Assistant built-in, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 10.25-inch digital driver’s display, a wireless charging pad, keyless entry, LED headlights, adaptive cruise control and a reversing camera.
New full-hybrid powertrain for Symbioz and Captur
At the same time, the Renault Captur and Symbioz have also both received a brand-new, full-hybrid powertrain for 2026 that offers improvements in performance and efficiency, thanks to a bigger, more powerful engine and a larger battery pack.
The new full-hybrid ‘E-Tech 160’ powertrain produces 158bhp from a combination of a 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and two electric motors – a 48bhp e-motor that can drive the front wheels, plus a 20bhp starter-generator to help fire up the engine.
The motors are fed by a 1.4kWh battery – an increase on the old 1.2kWh pack – which will allow for more pure-electric driving, a smoother driving experience and lower fuel consumption. Meanwhile, the automatic transmission has been updated to deliver smoother gearchanges and reduce noise levels on the motorway.
The extra grunt and other tweaks have shaved more than a second off both car’s 0-62mph sprint times, with the added benefit of the towing capacity increasing from 750kg to 1,000kg.
Finally, every Captur is also now fitted with auto-hold as standard, mid-range versions get adaptive cruise control, and top-spec models are equipped with lane centering, occupant safe exit, blind-spot recognition, emergency lane-keeping assist and rear cross-traffic alert.
Prices for the Captur E-Tech 160 start at £25,195, with the Symbioz E-Tech 160 available from £29,795.
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