20 hours ago
9
There is only space for so many small SUVs in one showroom, according to Renault – and Mitsubishi selling a rebadged version of its Captur is not a reason for its Australian exit.
The arrival of the budget-focused Renault Duster and hybridised Symbioz has squeezed out a return of the city-sized Captur in Australia, according to the French car brand.
Australian stock of the Captur sold out in late 2024, as part of what was intended to be a hiatus ahead of an updated model’s arrival in the second half of 2025, with an example shipped to local shores for testing.
The trail ran cold on the Mazda CX-3-sized Captur as the announced launch date approached, and Renault launched the Duster, a slightly larger SUV sold overseas under the budget Dacia brand.
Renault Australia general manager Glen Sealey told Drive the Duster and incoming Symbioz – a stretched Captur with more boot space and hybrid power – has made the Captur redundant.
“For us, what we've looked at is we have our range starting $32,000 with Duster. That really is the entry to the range,” he said.
“The next step within that, it doesn't make sense to have another small hatch in the market. What we have is, as you can see, the longer Symbioz and then obviously the coupe design of Arkana, which then rolls into the larger segment with Megane E-Tech.
“So for us, and the range that we have, there's actually not room for Captur.”
While the Captur was on hiatus, Mitsubishi launched a rebadged version as its new ASX, manufactured in the same Spanish factory as its Renault twin, but backed by a larger dealer network and longer warranty than the French marque can offer.
Sealey said the availability of the Mitsubishi has not played a part in Renault’s decision.
“No, really it is just us thinking about how our range will transform,” he said.
“Renault for a long time has had a lot of vehicles in the passenger range between a certain $10,000 price gap, and it was quite condensed.
“And so what we've been able to do now strategically is to offer Renault customers a range of SUVs starting from $32,000 to $66,000 in different sizes, in different drivetrains, both electric and ICE [petrol].
“For us, it's about making sure we've got a more strategic and coherent range for Australia.”
The Captur is still produced in right-hand drive for overseas markets, should it be considered for launch at a later date.
“Captur, as a right-hand drive vehicle, is available to us. But the way we look at it, there's no room in the range for what we've got. We've got Duster, we've got Symbioz; it wouldn't make sense Captur in between Symbioz and Duster,” Sealey said.
Symbioz pricing is yet to be confirmed, but it is highly likely to be dearer than the old Captur ($33,000 to $41,300 plus on-road costs), given it is a newer model with improved tech, and mild- or ‘full’ hybrid power never offered in the smaller car locally.
A starting price in the high-$30,000 range is $40,000 mark is logical, given the Duster starts from $31,990 plus on-road costs, and the larger Koleos opens at $39,990 plus on-road costs.
“We will unveil the price for Symbioz shortly. We think we've got to be aggressive, because it's a pretty aggressive market out there,” Sealey told Drive.
“But we've also got to accept that, you know, you do get European design, you do get European handling, you do get one of the best infotainment systems around, with Google automotive systems in the vehicle. We will come to you on the price shortly.”
About 200mm longer bumper to bumper than the Captur, the Symbioz quotes the same distance between the front and rear wheels – for similar, if slightly better interior space – but a larger boot thanks to more metal behind the rear passengers.
It will be sold in Australia with a 104kW 1.3-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine matched with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and 48-volt mild-hybrid technology, or a full hybrid pairing a 1.8-litre petrol engine with an electric motor.
While the mild-hybrid can use its electric motor to assist the petrol engine – or switch it off in certain circumstances to save fuel – only the full hybrid can drive on electric power alone, akin to a Toyota, Hyundai or Kia hybrid.
Hybrid power is under consideration for more models in the Renault range.
“We're going to have our 1.8-litre that we've just introduced, which is the full hybrid. When you drive it in Symbioz, you're going to really like it. It's a great drivetrain,” Sealey said.
“It's in Europe already, so if you can catch some of the reviews on it, it's actually quite good.
“But we'll take it one step at a time. The car's not introduced yet. We’ll get it into the market, we see how that goes, and then we look for the next step.
“Of course, Renault is a brand that is always evolving, so drivetrains will always be evolving. Model lines will always be evolving. We'll take them as they come.
Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family. Highly Commended - Young Writer of the Year 2024 (Under 30) Rising Star Journalist, 2024 Winner Scoop of The Year - 2024 Winner
