Renault Laguna dCi 2007 Review

Big on the inside, handsome on the outside and bristling with features, the new-generation Laguna deserves to sell hand over fist.

Blessed with a clever design that conceals the hatchback fifth door plus the latest-generation European turbodiesel engine from an acclaimed master of the genre, the package just gets better, adding surprising performance and remarkable frugality to its long list of pluses. Factor in class-leading safety levels and you'd be excused for thinking that this is a shoe-in contender for Car of the Year anywhere on the planet that has tarred roads.

However, before this begins to sound like a one-sided rant from the Renault Appreciation Society, it's worth pointing out that, as ever, the devil's in the detail.

For a start, if you don't like diesel  you're right out of luck -- the 3.0-litre V6 and 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engines in the previous Laguna have been replaced by the 2.2-litre turbo oiler that is offered with a five-speed auto only.

In truth this latter fact is no hardship -- the majority of buyers in this segment will opt for auto given a choice. And the auto helps the turbodiesel makes the most of its torque -- more than petrol V6, a whopping 320Nm at 1750rpm.

The diesel's also claimed to be a full 2sec quicker than the V6 over the 0-100km/h dash.

In four years, Renault managed to sell only around 1500 of the petrol-powered Lagunas, hence the brave shift into diesel-only for Laguna MkII (read CarPoint's launch review

Aside from the about-face in engines, the changes are modest -- there's a freshening of the nose and the interior gets a rework, plus suspension settings have been tweaked for local conditions (specifically for use on unsealed roads).

It's a remarkable package in an unremarkable shell -- good-looking in an understated way, the car isn't particularly eye-catching and could border on bland in more bling-laden company.

That said, the generous spec sheet of the new-look Laguna deserves your attention. Standard features include five-star EuroNCAP crash-worthiness with six airbags, upgraded ESP electronic stability system with an understeer sensor, automatic electric parking brake, ABS brakes with EBD braking force distribution and a proximity key which unlocks the car and allows it to be started so long as the credit-card sized electronic 'authoriser' is nearby. Just walk up and the car unlocks -- walk away and it obediently relocks itself. And to keep things neat, there's a slot in the dash and once the card's inserted, things happen -- the radio wakes up, lights come on and the car's ready to do your bidding.

Wipers and headlamps come on automatically when required thanks to observant electric sensors and the leather/cloth combination seats are both attractive and comfortable. There's a climate control system, a multi-function trip computer and a sound system with its own stalk-full of fingertip controls.

The parking brake engages when you switch off the engine and disengages when the car starts to move off. If you're not entirely convinced, it can be switched on and off with a button. Frankly, it's still a long way from the conventional though trusty ratchet lever and sturdy cable.

The Laguna's cabin is a restful and quiet place to be, the purring diesel barely audible to the occupants. Passenger space, in the front at least, is quite adequate, although the rear seat will fit two adults but not three for any distance, unless they're anorexic. My kids liked the legroom and the good visibility from the rear pews.

Handling for a diesel is remarkable, for a luxury midsize sedan good, but for a hot hatch less so. The car is neutral until pushed hard, when it reveals gradually increasing understeer; the chassis offers surprisingly good grip from comfortably supple spring rates.

Power delivery is reassuringly linear, but there's still a touch of turbo-lag, so for die-hard hot-hatch pilots it's sometimes hard to get accurate turn-ins as trailing throttle power-off oversteer is replaced by a surge of urge and gradual understeer.

Although it's a front-wheel driver with monster torque, the Renault is competent enough on gravel roads. The electronic driver aids easily temper any insensitive human inputs.

However, the Laguna does have one irritating feature, one small quirk which soured the enjoyment of the drive. This tester found it all but impossible to bring the car to a smooth halt. Probably a function of an over-enthusiastic EBD system, even the slightest feather-light touch on the brake pedal saw the car's nose dive in the final fraction of a metre before coming to a stop.

Some might not even notice it and others will believe the salesman's "They all do that, sir" but so competent is the rest of the package, that the grabby brakes on the test car were especially irksome.

The Laguna comes equipped with a space-saver spare wheel -- a feature most Aussies are less than enamoured with... At least it eschews the 80km/h maximum speed imposed by other European manufacturers. The Laguna permits 130km/h on its skinny temporary hoop -- though it's unlikely that this is going to be an acceptable excuse in court…