It will blow its first candle in only a few days, and yet the Renault Symbioz already changes its only E-Tech 145 engine (a 1.3 TCE 140 micro-hybrid will also arrive at the start of the school year). As far as we excavate in our memories, we have no other example, the models generally awaiting their mid-life restyling to make such deep modifications. Obviously on such a young model it is not a restyling. Aside from a new speed lever now electronic, nothing visually changes. The Renault Symbioz therefore remains this captur with an elongated rear overhang of 17 cm, and with a larger chest (400 dm3 without spare wheel, or 290 DM3 with, 90 dm3 more than a Captur). And it is its raison d’être: to seduce small families for which a captur remains a little just and the southern a little large, and which no longer have the alternative in thermal of the megane sedan or the scenic minivan that stopped.
On board the Renault Symbioz
On board this symbioz we therefore find sufficient habitability, as well as the sliding bench on 16 cm from the Captur. Ditto for the dashboard very properly made, and whose ergonomics are neat thanks to the physical controls for heating/air conditioning, to not too numerous menus of the info-driver (beautiful reactive screen of 10.3 p.), And to the button “My Safety Switch” on the left of the steering wheel allowing two clicks to cut the electronic safeguards which we do not want. No change either on the chassis side, with a good level handling doubled with perfect stability in emergency situationsand suspensions which, if they work with a good progressiveness of road -looking, could have better filtered the faults of the road at urban speeds.
The new hybrid engine of the Renault Symbioz
In this chapter, the 19 -inch wheels of the Alpine and Iconic spirit finishes do nothing. In the same register it would have been preferred that the management offers more consistency around the medium point, which would have helped to perceive the adhesion limits on wet roads. The novelty, in addition to the upcoming arrival of the 1.3 micro-hybridized 140 hp, therefore lies in the replacement of the 1.6 e-tech 145 hp by a 1.8 e-tech 160 hp. If it is an evolution of the previous block, it is quite deep. Now with high pressure direct injection (350 bars) and a variable double wedging of intake and exhaust cams, this 1.8 works with an extended Atkinson combustion cycle – gas relaxation race longer than compression – favorable to yield.
This 4 -cylinder now displays 109 hp and 172 Nm of torque at 3,500 rpm (94 hp and 148 Nm at 3,200 rpm for 1.6). Electric engines remain unchanged with 49 hp/205 Nm for that of traction to which is added the alternator-starter of 20 hp/50 nm. The whole delivering a total of 160 hp when the three blocks operate together. The battery has also benefited from a little boost, climbing 1.2 to 1.4 kWh, including about 1 kWh usable against 0.8 kWh previously to gain a little electric rolling. The famous clutch’s plot box, originating at 4 speeds for thermal and 2 for electricity, was also entitled to significant developments. First in its piloting in order to improve one of its weaknesses, the slightly long downshift times when you need power, but especially with the addition of a 5th ratio – by intelligently reusing, for the thermal, the 2nd ratio of the electric motor – as the Austral, Espace and Rafale do.
At the wheel, what is the Renault Symbioz worth with its new engine?
In use, during this first handling, We find the beautiful ease to start in the fire in electric, and climb up to 70 km/h without playing the velvet foot. Thanks to this battery which recharges very quickly during braking, the 1.8 remains very often at rest, about half of the time in town. Then on the road, the performance is good, and the overruns. But although improving, there is a reaction time to demo when you crush the accelerator. The arrival of the additional report, however, made it possible to better set the other speeds, therefore to lower the engine speed on the highway while being theoretically more comfortable in the mountains (to be checked soon), while the old system hesitated before between the 2nd and the 3rd.
In short, in addition to the improvement approval, All this substantive work should pay on the performance side but also and especially in terms of consumption, which Renault announces down 9%. What we will not fail to check on our basis of Montlhéry measures as soon as possible. And this symbioz e-tech 160 to remain reasonable since it increases only € 400 starting at € 33,800.
