Renault Symbioz 2 Concept
We are on the cusp of making history. Imagine you set out on a journey to work or for leisure, strapped inside a bullet - that accelerates as fast as a sports car, but quietly - allowing you to take your mind off the road ahead. You're surrounded by concert-quality sound and cinema-quality screens. You arrive relaxed. Caught up. Entertained. Is this the future? Renault thinks so. But we're providing a taste of it today with the SYMBIOZ demo car.
After unveiling a vision for 2030 with the concept car and house SYMBIOZ at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2017, Renault is now giving journalists the chance to climb on board SYMBIOZ demo car, the first rolling prototype built to be autonomous from the ground up and to give us a more near-term experience to 2023.
The SYMBIOZ demo car road tests provide Renault with the opportunity to demonstrate in real-life conditions a car that is autonomous, electric and connected. The result is a whole new life-on-board experience and as much pleasure while driving as with hands off the steering wheel. In SYMBIOZ, the driver can automate driving and use travel time for other activities. We believe car travel will become a multi-sensory, personalised experience, with a cabin reconfigured differently for each driving mode. The car becomes part of the personal ecosystem for both driver and passenger.
Advanced, Level 4 autonomous driving for additional free time
Autonomous cars use technology that is new to the industry. One of the goals of the SYMBIOZ demo car is to enable Renault to make the transition from theory to practice, to allow its engineers and designers to address the many challenges and opportunities presented by autonomous driving.
All the enjoyment of a Zero Emissions vehicle
The SYMBIOZ demo car is powered by all-electric motors, as you would expect from Renault, the pioneer of mass-market electric vehicles in Europe and Europe's number one seller of electric vehicles.
An offshoot of the SYMBIOZ concept car unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show, the SYMBIOZ demo car is a new kind of vehicle redefining the concept of space in the cabin. The autonomous functions of the car and the activities they allow on board are the starting point for design considerations.
The exterior lines of the SYMBIOZ demo car were also designed to showcase the interior, with its many design features devoted to travelling comfort.
Three driving modes and three journey experiences Courtesy of the Renault MULTI-SENSE 3.0 system, an upgraded version of the current MULTI-SENSE system, the SYMBIOZ demo car features three driving modes: - The Classic mode is the standard mode. Occupants are at one with the car and feel at home. The driving position is conventional and the car's settings are focused on comfort. - The Dynamic mode boosts driving sensations. Driving is more active and the driver's seat features additional lateral support for a bucket seat feel. The engine response, steering and chassis settings are all geared towards a dynamic driving style. - The AD mode optimises the space available in front of the driver to permit a variety of hands-off activities. When the AD mode is switched on, the steering wheel and dashboard - which comes with a unique L-shaped display developed by LG - automatically move back 12 centimetres. The driving mode is selected by pushing the Renault logo, which is lit up like a hologram in the middle of the steering wheel. In AD mode the driver can choose from three layouts adapted to different free-time moods and desires. - The Alone@Home layout frees up space by retracting the steering wheel and dashboard and taking advantage of the extra legroom provided by the vehicle platform, which has been optimised for autonomous driving and to house the electric motor (no centre console or transmission tunnel). - The Relax layout enables the driver to sit back and cruise with their seat in 'zero gravity' position. The driver can also be at the heart of a virtual reality of a few minutes, developed by Ubisoft. - The Lounge layout lets the driver move closer to the person in the front passenger seat. The front armrests lower automatically and the seats turn 10 degrees towards each other to facilitate conversations between the driver and front-seat passenger.
A glimpse into the future of entertained travel
The SYMBIOZ demo car is packed with technology, but at the heart of the matter are people and what sort of experience they can enjoy. In this respect, the car is very much part of the people-centric 'Easy Life' approach core to Renault's DNA. SYMBIOZ demo car truly allows the driver and passengers to 'engage the senses' during journeys.
The journey starts at home. In our scenario, the passenger's personal agenda is displayed on the home TV, updated via smartphone, tablet or PC and shared between the car and the home.
Onboard SYMBIOZ demo car, the Renault MULTI-SENSE 3.0 system, an advanced version of the current MULTI-SENSE system, reinforces the sensory experience delivered according to the driving mode selected. Three sensory experiences will be available with different lighting environments, acoustic ambiences, and in-car fragrances.
To illustrate an extreme of 'mind-off' driving, the virtual reality experience designed by our partner Ubisoft is another way to enjoy the whole new experience proposed while travelling in autonomous mode with SYMBIOZ demo car. Immersive and contemplative, the experience allows the driver to sit back and relax while the vehicle is in autonomous drive mode.
The dividing line that has long separated the car from the home and the workplace is becoming increasingly blurred. Connectivity and constant data sharing between the different parts of the device ecosystem promise to better maintain a continuous link between all aspects of the customer's life.
The SYMBIOZ demo car's onboard connectivity system allows the driver and passengers to access their digital lives and enjoy a wide range of services. In harmony with personal smartphones, the users' link to their media and data is never cut.
More and more, local, regional and national governments are exploring investments in the internet of things, smart cities, and ways to enable better communication between people, vehicles and infrastructure. Renault works closely with governments, NGOs, and private sector partners as part of these worldwide efforts to help advance sustainable mobility for all.
With SYMBIOZ, the journey is made more leisurely thanks to SYMBIOZ demo car's connection to road infrastructure from Sanef's network. Sanef is a subsidiary of the Albertis group, the world's leading highway operator and one of Renault's partners on this project. This vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2X) trial uses communication protocols defined under the EU's SCOOP project. Some examples of public-private partnership opportunities:
On its stage at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show, Renault presented the SYMBIOZ concept car alongside a connected home to allow visitors to experience the way cars may be interacting with the domestic environment in the future. When parked inside the home, the SYMBIOZ concept car showed how cars could play an even more important role in our everyday lives.
This connected home will also be on display during the SYMBIOZ demo car road tests.
