Renault Australia appears to have pulled the pin on its Captur SUV – the identical twin to the new Mitsubishi ASX – in favour of the slightly larger Symbioz.
The 2026 Renault Symbioz SUV is one step closer to Australia and could replace, not supplement, the smaller Captur previously offered in local showrooms.
Government approval documents reveal the Renault Symbioz – an elongated version of the Captur and its Mitsubishi ASX identical twin – has replaced previous references to the Captur, which was expected to launch in Australia in the second half of 2025 after a short hiatus.
The most recent documents only list the XJB-codename Symbioz, rather than jointly with the Captur, unlike the closely related XCB-codename Renault Megane E-Tech and Scenic E-Tech electric SUVs, which have been homologated as a single model for Australia.
Renault Australia has been contacted for comment.
The Symbioz shares its Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi CMF-B platform with the Captur, including its wheelbase, and is built on the same production line in Spain, but it is 186mm longer for more cargo room.
Measuring 4413mm in length, the Symbioz is similar in size to the Toyota Corolla Cross, Nissan Qashqai and Kia Seltos, while the 4227mm Captur and ASX sit at the lower end of the small SUV segment.
Similar to the ASX's relation to the Captur, Mitsubishi offers the Grandis, its own version of the Symbioz it sells in Europe, but it has not been confirmed for Australia, nor has the Eclipse Cross EV, a near-identical twin to the Renault Scenic E-Tech.
Mild-hybrid and 'E-Tech' full-hybrid versions of the Symbioz have been approved for sale in Australia, further differentiating the larger model from the non-hybrid 1.3-litre turbo ASX and previously available Captur.
Evolution, Techno and Esprit Alpine grades are included in the documents, each offering the choice between mild-hybrid and full-hybrid power.
The mild-hybrid Symbioz features a 104kW 1.3-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine familiar to other Renault vehicles in Australia.
Meanwhile, the E-Tech full-hybrid version upgrades to an 80kW/172Nm 1.8-litre non-hybrid unit paired with an electric motor for a 119kW total system output in Europe.
Combined fuel consumption for the Symbioz E-Tech hybrid based on the European WLTP lab-test standard is rated at 4.3 litres per 100 kilometres.
It features a Formula 1-inspired "multi-mode clutchless dogbox" automatic transmission, which combines two gears for the main electric motor and four for the petrol engine.
The Symbioz costs €4200 ($AU7322) more than an equivalent Captur in its French home market.
In January 2025, Renault Australia confirmed the updated Captur would launch in the second half of the year – its Mitsubishi ASX twin arrived in October – but it missed its deadline and has been placed on hold.
"[The] Renault Captur has historically been one of the most popular models in our Australian lineup," Renault Australia general manager Glen Sealey said a year ago.
"Dealers have been receiving constant enquiries from buyers asking when the new model is due here, after we sold out of the previous model [in late 2024]."
Planned changes for Australia, which the Symbioz would inherit, included the adoption of Renault's latest Android-based OpenR Link infotainment system with embedded Google applications.
The brand also conducted 11,000 kilometres of validation for the updated small SUV's driver attention monitoring, lane-keep assist and traffic sign recognition systems to suit Australian road conditions.
Jordan is a motoring journalist based in Melbourne with a lifelong passion for cars. He has been surrounded by classic Fords and Holdens, brand-new cars, and everything in between from birth, with his parents’ owning an automotive workshop in regional Victoria. Jordan started writing about cars in 2021, and joined the Drive team in 2024.
