Highwater mark for Laguna

Renault's new Laguna medium-segment entry is larger than its predecessor, but lighter too. Despite that, the new Laguna continues to offer state-of-the-art safety and improve on its predecessor's NVH and engine output.

The new car -- hot-weather-tested in Australia ahead of its international launch and built to the ISO14001 quality standard -- is being introduced to Australia in two stages. Two diesel/auto liftback variants are launched this month, with the diesel manual liftback, a wagon body style and a turbo petrol engine to follow in September.

Bracketing the price of the superseded car, the third-generation Laguna starts at $44,490 for the Laguna Expression with 2.0-litre common-rail turbodiesel engine and six-speed automatic transmission. The flagship variant is the Laguna Privilege with the same drivetrain, priced at $50,690. Just one ex-factory option is available, the sunroof, priced at $2000.

From September, Renault will expand the range with the following variants:

For the moment, the 2.0-litre turbodiesel is the sole engine available and it's coupled to the six-speed conventional automatic transmission jointly developed by Renault and Jatco.

Developing 110kW of power at 4000rpm and peak torque of 340Nm at 2000rpm, the new engine gets by on just 7.0L/100km of fuel in combined cycle testing (with the auto) and produces 185g/km of CO2. Fuel consumption for the yet-to-be-released manual variant is as low as 6.0L/100km.

Fitted with a variable-vane geometry turbocharger (VGT) and diesel particulate filter, the engine complies with the Euro V emissions standard, two years ahead of the introduction of that legislation.

With the arrival of the 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine, the Laguna's power will jump to 125kW at 5000rpm, but the torque will drop back to 270Nm at 3250rpm. This engine will only be sold in Australian-delivered Laguna models with the six-speed automatic.

Fuel consumption for the DOHC four-cylinder petrol engine is 8.9L/100km and CO2 emissions have been measured at 210g/km.

Riding on MacPherson struts at the front and a torsion beam at the rear, the new Laguna is wider by 36mm and 10mm longer than the superseded Laguna II. The new model is also 15kg lighter, on average.

Weight savings have been achieved by such tactics as adopting hollow-head bolts for fastening the wheels. This alone saves 700 grams per vehicle. Renault claims that introducing a newer model that is lighter than the supplanted range is a first for the manufacturer.

Both the liftback and the Estate models are built on the same wheelbase of 2.76 metres, but the wagon is a full 4.8 metres in overall length, pipping the liftback, which measures 4.69 metres. When the Laguna Estate arrives, it will offer a 501-litre luggage capacity, increasing to 1593 litres with the rear seats folded flat.

Renault has enhanced safety in the new model with side-impact sensors that enable the side airbags to deploy in half the time of other systems offered in competitive models. In addition to these side-impact airbags, which protect head and thorax of the front-seat occupants, the Laguna is also fitted with dual front airbags, rear side airbags and air curtains -- eight airbags in all.

All models are fitted as standard with traction control, ABS, stability control and Brake Assist. The top-of-the-line Laguna Privilege liftback is equipped with bi-xenon adaptive headlights which follow the steering wheel angle.

Renault has developed an innovative, three-mode climate control system for the Laguna. Operating in 'Soft' mode, the system will cool the interior of the car without undue noise. In 'Fast' mode, the system cools the interior as fast as possible, but with the compromise of added fan noise. With the system left in 'Auto' mode, it cools the car at the optimum rate of efficiency, balanced against comfort and noise.

In a return to the first-generation Laguna, the new car is operated by a keycard that slots into the dash adjacent a start/stop button. The keycard also features an integrated remote central locking device. This keycard can also be used to operate the 'follow-me-home' headlights manually.

Other features that stand out in this market segment include tyre-pressure monitoring on the fly (standard for the Privilege liftback and Dynamique Estate only), a speed-limiting function integrated with the cruise control and an electronic handbrake that releases automatically on start-off.

Standard features for the Expression grade include: 16-inch alloy wheels, heated exterior mirrors, dual-zone climate control, electronic handbrake, auto-on/off headlights, rain-sensing windscreen wipers, leather-bound steering wheel, leather-bound gear knob, rear side window roll-up sunblinds, cloth upholstery and an MP3-compatible single-disc CD audio system.

The Laguna Dynamique Estate is fitted with the following features in addition: 17-inch alloys, chrome exterior trim, reverse parking sensors, auto-folding exterior mirrors, leather/Alcantara trim combination, MP3-compatible six-disc CD audio and electro-chromatic mirror.

Over the Dynamique grade, the Privilege level of trim adds: 18-inch alloy wheels, xenon adaptive headlights with washer facility, full leather trim and electrically-heated and adjustable front seats.

Renault will up the ante on the warranty for the new Laguna to three years/150,000km from the previous three-year/100,000km coverage of the Laguna II.

Look out for our launch review on the new Renault Laguna soon.

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