The exterior design of the new Laguna is dynamic, streamlined and elegant; so claims the PR bumpf at any rate. But in reality it’s hard not to stifle a faint ‘oh’ of disappointment when you see the new Laguna in the metal, especially beside its predecessor which, we genuinely believe, is a more handsome car from just about every angle.
No matter; looks are subjective and no one could deny that the forthcoming coupe will right most of the saloon’s wrongs visually. What’s more important is how the new Laguna competes dynamically, and how it goes about doing so beneath the skin.
The big news concerns the range of 110bhp-150bhp dCi diesel engines, the interior (which is indeed pretty special) and, to a lesser extent, the chassis and suspension. Although Renault claims the suspension is all-new, it’s hard not to regard it as a development of what has gone before, otherwise surely there would be a multi-link rear suspension in place of the torsion beam item carried over from the old model.
Up front there are, as you’d expect, struts and coil springs, but the front springs are 20 per cent stiffer than before while those at the rear are fully 50 per cent stiffer, indicating that the new Laguna might not be in the Rolls Royce league when it comes to ride comfort. The structure itself is also said to be ‘significantly’ stiffer – and therefore safer – than before.
Renault is especially proud of the Laguna’s high speed cruising refinement, and this is achieved not only by creating a dCi engine that’s smooth across the rev range but also via the way it’s mounted in the chassis. Renault is so proud, in fact, that it has patented the mounting system, because it claims it reduces engine noise ‘by up to 40 per cent.’ Braking is by ventilated discs at the front, solid discs at the rear, and as you’d expect there is ABD, traction control and ESP as standard across the entire range.
