Renault Laguna (2007): first official pictures

By Tim Pollard

First Official Pictures

04 June 2007 12:06

New Renault Laguna: the lowdown

Renault's big-selling Laguna will be replaced in the autumn autumn with this distinctive new family car. Okay, so it's not the most radical car Renault has ever produced, but it does usher in some interesting developments from La Régie, as it chases down the new Ford Mondeo and forthcoming Vauxhall Vectra. For starters, the Laguna is the latest car to be lighter than the model it replaces; despite being longer, wider and taller, it's an average 15kg skinnier across the range, which should boost performance, economy and emissions. The new Laguna spearheads a new push to make Renaults better known for quality and eco credentials. Press 'Next' to find out why.

Renault makes no bones about it - the Laguna is aimed squarely at the business market in many countries, so most buyers will avoid the two petrol engines (a 2.0 with 138bhp or turbocharged to turn out 168bhp) and plump straight for one of the diesels. Unusually for a big family car, the Laguna will offer a small 1.5 dCi with 109bhp, as well as a more typical 2.0 diesel. Pick the former for clean emissions - just 136g/km of CO2 is impessive for such a big car - or the latter for some motorway-munching torque. The 2.0-litre diesel is available in 128, 148 and 173bhp guises. Renault is making a lot of noise about the eco credentials of the new Laguna; the top diesel with particulate trap is Renault's first to meet forthcoming Euro5 emissions regulations, while every new Laguna will have a six-speed gearbox for quieter cruising. To answer critics who berate the Laguna for its so-so driving qualities, this one could even be a fun drive. The engineers have stiffened the damper rates by 20 percent at the front and 50 percent at the rear, and are claiming a much sportier response. But then they would say that, wouldn't they?

By Tim Pollard