Renault Laguna 1.9 dTi Rt

...works with one of the Renault main dealers here in Dublin, and who had been “raving” to me for the past week about the new model Laguna that is due to hit the Irish market at the beginning of next month.
So I dropped into him last Thursday to see what all the “drooling” was about.


APPEARANCE

Exterior

The very first thing that strikes you about the new Laguna is how ...
...much the matter with that. Renault has always made attractive cars.
The new model is far more striking, beefier looking and more sporting in profile, and also seems to sit far closer to the ground than its predecessor.

Renault have “pushed” the wheels deeper into the corners, which adds 87mm to the wheelbase. This may not sound a lot, but the overall effect is to make the car “squat” closer to the road, ... more

I’ve a friend who works with one of the Renault main dealers here in Dublin, and who had been “raving” to me for the past week about the new model Laguna that is due to hit the Irish market at the beginning of next month.
So I dropped into him last Thursday to see what all the “drooling” was about.

APPEARANCE

Exterior

The very first thing that strikes you about the new Laguna is how different it looks from the older model, not that I personally thought there was too much the matter with that. Renault has always made attractive cars.
The new model is far more striking, beefier looking and more sporting in profile, and also seems to sit far closer to the ground than its predecessor.

Renault have “pushed” the wheels deeper into the corners, which adds 87mm to the wheelbase. This may not sound a lot, but the overall effect is to make the car “squat” closer to the road, and has the added advantage of also giving extra space inside the cabin, which makes it feel very “roomy”.

The model I was shown had a lovely set of alloy wheels, which are always guaranteed to add to a car’s appearance, but, off course, these are an optional extra.

The general appearance reminded me very much of an Alfa Romeo, which can be no bad thing, considering the impact the Italians have had in the “styling” of cars over the last few years.
It was a lovely, deep metallic red colour, and I must say it really “looked the part”.

Interior

Once you get inside the Laguna’s bright, spacious and well-laid out cabin, we find a car that is very clearly more upmarket than the old model.

The choice of materials is first class, and the fit and finish have a real feel of quality about them.
The new bucket seats are tall and comfortable, and have much more style and substance than you would normally find in a car of this type and class. Indeed, they would remind you more of a top-of –the-range armchair than regular car-type seating.
Its like sitting at home in front of the telly.

Renaults instrument layout has always been good and very user-friendly, and this car is no exception. Everything you need is readily accessible and to hand, making the car even more “driver friendly”.

My test model was a hatchback, and the luggage capacity was excellent, with more than enough room for the average family plus all their goods and chattels. A “prestige” version is promised which is described as a “fastback”, and which Renault state will give as much carrying capacity as a large estate car.

ENGINE SPECIFICATIONS AND DRIVABILITY

The model I drove was the 1.9 turbo diesel version.
It is also available in a 1.6 and 1.8 petrol and a 3.0 litre V6 version.

Renault has now switched no less than 50% of their production capacity into producing diesel cars. They obviously believe that this is the way of the future, and if this car is anything to judge by, it would be hard to argue with that notion.
For an “oil-burner” this was a real mover. It has a 0 to 60mph time of only 10.7 seconds, which is nearly a second faster than the 1.6 petrol, and will zip you up to a top speed of 125mph. (where, you may well ask) It’s nice to know it’s there when you need it though.
Maximum torque kicks in at only 2000rpm, which gives you plenty of low-end acceleration and pulling power, so if you’re a trailer or caravan man you needn’t worry about this vehicle not being up to the job.

There is a 6-speed gearbox, which gives you a great saving in fuel economy, especially on long motorway hauls. The stated consumption figures are 40mpg around town, rising to a massive 60mpg for long journeys. This is obviously of great benefit if you do a high annual mileage, and will soon make up for the initial higher purchase price of the diesel car as against the petrol version.

The ride was, as I have come to expect from this French manufacturer, soft and supple, and dealt admirably with even the huge craters that we call potholes on our lousy Irish “B” roads. (These are our Irish version of the “Bermuda Triangle”. People have been lost forever in them!)
This didn’t take away from the handling however, which was unwavering and precise.
The roadholding too, was superb, considering that I drove this car on very icy and slippy roads. It never put a foot wrong, and inspired confidence that it would do whatever was asked of it.

EQUIPMENT LEVELS

The standard specification for this car is very good.
It will come kitted out with air-con, six airbags (front and side), ABS brakes with discs all round, seat belt pretensioners, and electric windows and mirrors.
Options include Xexon headlamps (extra bright) cruise control with a clever built-in speed limiter, and satellite navigation

A real “Tomorrow’s World” innovation is a little individual card supplied for each individual vehicle. Once inside the car this is inserted into a slot in the centre of the console, and you then simply push a start/stop button. Recognising the card, the system automatically unlocks the engine immobiliser, the electro-mechanical steering column lock, and fires up the engine.
I’m told the “continental” version even opens the doors for you automatically as you approach the car, by “sensing” the card electronically. But there is seemingly some insurance hang-up about this feature in the UK and Ireland, so we won’t be getting it, in the short term at least.

OVERALL VERDICT

In an age when “conservatism” seems to hold sway in the car market, Renault have shown (not for the first time) that they are not afraid of challenging convention, and still have a few things they can teach their rivals in the art of car building.
My mate was right; this is truly a car that is worth “raving” over.

 

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