Renault Laguna Privilege 2.0 dCi 2008 Review

What we liked
>> Engine and automatic transmission work well together
>> Open-road touring ability
>> Stylish and comfortable interior in the Laguna Privilege

Not so much
>> Rattle in dash
>> Couple of minor ergonomic flaws
>> Rear-seat accommodation

About our ratings

OVERVIEW
Renault's 'large' car nameplate has been around for a while. The Laguna badge was introduced to Australia in the mid 1990s, when Volvo was distributing the French marque -- and before Renault had acquired Nissan.

Australians next heard of Laguna in 2002, after Renault had relaunched into the local market, riding on the back of Nissan's infrastructure. After an initial surge of enthusiasm, with 641 units sold during the first year on sale (2002), interest gradually faded. Just 30 cars were sold during 2006 and a facelift of that model struggled to sell 76 cars the following year.

This new Laguna -- and in this case, 'new' being applied truthfully for once -- is a significant step forward. Pricing is more competitive, additional features flesh out the car's specification and core engineering improvements represent a step forward from the superseded car.

Renault is introducing the new model in a phased program, with diesel auto liftbacks now; diesel manual, turbo petrol auto and wagon models following in September. And while nobody at Renault is discussing it, we do expect a swoopy looking Laguna Coupe to join the range some time next year.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT
Initially, only two variants of the Laguna are available -- and both are driven by the new 2.0-litre turbodiesel and six-speed automatic transmission combination.

Both variants are liftbacks, with the entry-level grade being the Expression, priced at $44,490. The other variant is the Privilege, priced at $50,690.

Renault will introduce an entry-level diesel/manual Laguna Expression liftback in September and this model will start the ball rolling at $41,990. We presume that, in addition to the different transmissions, there may be some further specification difference between the Laguna Expression diesel manual and auto to explain the $3000 sum separating the two.

We think the manual version will be a price-leader and Renault is introducing it later, rather than people in the market for the auto version haggling the guts out of the profit potential of the auto because the manual costs so much less to buy.

The full range, including the variants to be introduced in September will be structured and priced as follows:

Laguna Expression liftback 2.0-litre turbodiesel, six-speed manual -- $41,990
Laguna Expression liftback 2.0-litre turbo petrol, six-speed auto -- $42,490
Laguna Expression liftback 2.0-litre turbodiesel, six-speed auto -- $44,490
Laguna Privilege liftback 2.0-litre turbo petrol, six-speed auto -- $48,690
Laguna Privilege liftback 2.0-litre turbodiesel, six-speed auto -- $50,690
Laguna Expression Estate wagon 2.0-litre turbo petrol, six-speed auto -- $45,490
Laguna Expression Estate wagon 2.0-litre turbodiesel six-speed auto -- $47,490
Laguna Dynamique Estate wagon 2.0-litre turbodiesel six-speed auto -- $50,690

In respect of model grading, the Dynamique Estate is trimmed to a level between the downmarket Expression and the upmarket Privilege. With the added premium charged for the wagon over the liftback, the Dynamique diesel shares flagship status with the Laguna Privilege diesel.

As standard, the Expression is equipped with 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.

In addition to the Expression spec, the Dynamique (Estate) is fitted with the following features: 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.

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

MECHANICAL
At present, only the 2.0-litre turbodiesel is on sale and it's matched to a conventional six-speed automatic transmission supplied by transmission specialist, Jatco.

The diesel develops 110kW of power at 4000rpm and peak torque of 340Nm at 2000rpm, consuming 7.0L/100km of fuel in combined cycle testing (auto) and emitting 185g/km of CO2. Fuel economy for the manual version will be 6.0L/100km when that drivetrain combination is released in September.

The diesel's induction system features a variable-vane geometry turbocharger (VGT) and diesel particulate filter, helping the engine comply with Euro V legislation two years in advance of the new standard taking effect.

From September, the Laguna will also offer a 2.0-litre DOHC turbocharged petrol engine, with peak power of 125kW at 5000rpm and 270Nm of torque at 3250rpm. Combined cycle fuel consumption, in accordance with ADR81/01 for the four-cylinder petrol engine, is 8.9L/100km and CO2 emissions are 210g/km.

No manual-transmission variants are planned for this engine and the six-speed automatic will be the default transmission.

Suspension for the new Laguna comprises front MacPherson struts and a torsion beam at the rear. The new Laguna is both larger and lighter than the model it replaces; wider by 36mm, 10mm longer and 15kg lighter, on average.

Whilst the two body styles (liftback and wagon) share the wheelbase measurement of 2.76 metres, the wagon is longer overall, due to the extra rear overhang -- 4.8 metres versus 4.69 metres for the liftback.

PACKAGING
Renault makes the claim that the new Laguna is larger than its predecessors and it's also (just barely) larger than the Peugeot 407, along with the Citroen C5, likely to be the car that comes closest to the Laguna for competition. The Laguna (4695mm) is not quite 20mm longer than the 407, with a longer wheelbase (2756mm). Both cars measure the same width (1811mm) and the Laguna is slightly lower (1445mm).

Despite the slight size advantage the Laguna holds over the 407, it's not a huge car inside. Presumably the 407 isn't either, but without being able to compare the two back to back, that's an hypothesis that will have to be tested another day.

Comfy and spacious up front, the Renault's rear-seat head and legroom are at a premium for average-size adults. It was not possible to slide feet under the front seats to stretch out in the rear and the driveshaft tunnel, combined with rear-seat width, limited the centre-seat position in the rear to a child only.

Interior styling manages to be both attractive and functional in the Laguna. Fit and finish inside the car was to a high standard and the plastic in the dash top, to provide one example, was softer than expected, but looked to be durable enough.

Controls and instruments follow conventional ergonomic practice, making the Laguna a relatively easy car to get in and drive, although there were some minor miscalls for switchgear placement.

There was the usual bugbear of the transmission's sequential-shift mode plane placed to the left of the main quadrant, rather than the right. The cruise control enable switch was located in the centre console, but other cruise-control-related switches were located on the steering wheel spokes (Resume/Cancel on the right spoke, speed-adjust toggle on the left spoke). Remote audio controls were concealed behind the right spoke of steering wheel. Lastly, the stability control disable was on the lower right-hand side dash, concealed by the steering wheel and adjacent the mute button for the park distance sensors.

At least there was no such issue with the handbrake, since the new Laguna features an electronic parking brake, which automatically disengages from a standing start, as soon as the driver depresses the accelerator while the car is in gear. It's quite an easy system to use and takes all the fun out of hill starts for learner drivers.

In the luggage section, there's a recessed handgrip either side of the tailgate latch, making it easier for left and right-handed users to haul the gate down. A 12-Volt auxiliary power socket inside the rear quarter panel is a nice touch.

Renault has opted for the less controversial choice of a full-size spare tyre -- rather than Australians' pet hate, space-savers or aerosol tyre repair kits -- and the relatively shallow boot is the one downside to that, but the boot does extend forward a long way. Boot space is comparable to that of a new Falcon, so it's voluminous and the luggage capacity is further enhanced by lowering the 60/40 split-fold rear seat.

When the sunroof option ($2000) is specified, it comes with an additional fixed-glass sunroof over the rear seat. This rear-seat fixture has its own sun shade and the side windows feature a roll-up blind.

Luggage capacity for the Laguna Estate will be 501 litres with the rear seat raised, or 1593 litres with the rear seats folded flat.

SAFETY
In our safety rating, we've rated the Laguna three stars, which will -- if history is any guide -- undoubtedly stir up Renault enthusiasts who, outraged, will point out in no uncertain terms that the Renault is a five-star Euro NCAP car that scored 36 out of a possible 37 points.

And yes, that's true. But a score of 36 points in Euro NCAP is just one point ahead of the Ford Mondeo and two ahead of Volkswagen's Passat and the Peugeot 407 -- notice anything there? Those three cars are also five-star earners and they're also direct competitors for the Laguna, all available with diesel engines and -- in the case of the Mondeo -- a lower purchase price.

So, even though the Renault should be the duck's guts when it comes to safety -- and this is one of the pitfalls of rating a car on a scale of one to five, it has to be seen as only marginally better than its peers -- a three-star rating, in other words. Cruel, but fair, to paraphrase from Monty Python.

The Laguna features the full spectrum of active safety aids: ABS, traction control and stability control. In passive safety terms, it offers eight airbags, comprising four side-impact airbags, air curtains and the dual front bags for driver and front-seat passenger.

One issue to note; the base Expression sedan is fitted with rain-sensing wipers and auto-on/off headlights, but you have to specify the Dynamique Estate as a minimum for the tyre-pressure monitoring, and the Laguna Privilege for the adaptive cornering xenon headlights.

COMPETITORS
As already mentioned, the Laguna will probably be cross-shopped against cars such as the Peugeot 407 and the Volkswagen Passat. Since there's a Saab 9-3 diesel, there's an outside chance the Renault may be benchmarked against the Swedish car too. Similarly, since the higher-grade Laguna models are getting up there in price, they'll inevitably face the diesel Citroen C5.

Some people may find the Ford Mondeo to be just a little too large, relative to the Laguna, but they're both nominally medium segment cars and the Ford is substantially cheaper than the Renault.

The Laguna's base-grade Expression manual, when it arrives, will undercut the Peugeot 407 ST HDi by $1000 -- and that can't be a coincidence. It's also cheaper than the VW Passat. The diesel engine in the Laguna offers more power and torque than the 407 equivalent, but is marginally less economical, according to ADR81/01 combined cycle fuel consumption figures.

ON THE ROAD
The Renault's driving position provided ready adjustment for a range of drivers. Seats were very comfortable and supportive, without being hard to enter and leave.

Front-seat headrest adjustment was excellent, with bendable positioning for comfort and a button at the side for height. The latter is the best manual system of its kind we've ever experienced. Easy to use and none of that tedious squeezing fingers between headrest and seat to press a button on a collar for the headrest's sliding sleeves.

A keycard is provided by Renault to start the Laguna and also as a mount for the remote central locking controls. It's not a full keyless entry facility as such and it smacks of being different for difference sake. You still have to fit it in your pocket -- it's roughly credit-card-sized, so it consumes more space than a conventional key -- and since it's not a keyless-start system, the card still needs to be inserted in a slot in the dash before the driver can press the button to start and stop the engine.

Once the car was started, the engine proved to be very refined and quiet; only sounding discernibly diesel from start-up. Under pressure from the driver, the lively engine will rev freely to 5000rpm, at which point the transmission will change up, even if it's in a manually-selected gear.

The six-speed automatic transmission worked well but, with a combination of high ratios and a slight reluctance to kick down, the Laguna was slightly slower on the hills out of Adelaide than one might expect of a 2.0-litre diesel. Manually shifting, the problem went away.

Engine braking from the transmission was well modulated and on hand as the road speed reduced. This transmission is a sign that the French are now getting serious about automatics and really understand what's required. There was virtually none of the flawed logic and inappropriate gear changes experienced in some automatic French cars.

On the open-road run through the Barossa, the Laguna's average fuel consumption dropped down to 7.9L/100km -- which doesn't sound all that flash for a diesel, but the figure was still dropping when the program ended. We would expect that the Laguna should be good for 7.0L/100km or better on a standard 100-110km/h run between capital cities.

As far as the Laguna's switchgear and instruments were concerned, it's generally good news. As already mentioned in the Packaging section, the cruise control enable switch is oddly placed, as were a couple of other driving-related functions. No lane-change facility with the indicators is an oversight, in the opinion of this tester -- and a somewhat surprising one in a European car.

On the plus side, however, the instruments were stylish and easy to read, there's a useful speed-limit facility integrated in the cruise control function and the electronic parking brake works to specification and is straightforward for most drivers.

Although generally quiet, there was a rattle in the dash at higher speeds on one tester and the Laguna's tyre noise and low-frequency booming did occasionally overpower slight wind noise on some coarser bitumen road surfaces.

The tyres fitted to the 17-inch alloy wheels did complement the suspension and the ride and handling were a good compromise, with suspension isolated from cabin, but moderately firm (by the standards of older French cars).

Reasonably close to neutral, the Laguna's handling was also throttle-sensitive at times and the car would tighten the line into a corner with a bit of engine braking, but it was always safe and consistent.

Steering turn-in was also good -- for a midsize front-wheel drive, designed for families. There was a lack of feel in the electrically-assisted steering and was demonstrably lighter at around 60km/h, but loaded up more at higher speeds.

So does the Laguna present a convincing argument for buyers in the lower-prestige medium car market? The simple answer is yes. On the face of it, the Renault looks a bit pricey, but everything considered, the value is there.

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