Renault Laguna Coupe 2.0 dCi 180 review

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Renault Laguna 2.0 dCi 180 GT Road Test

Test date 10 December 2008 Price as tested £27,000

For Agile feel, competitive pricing and equipment, stylish appearance

Against Not much polish to the chassis, small boot opening, fiddly interior controls

Renault is being either rather brave or very clever. Outside the realm of premium manufacturers the four-seat coupé segment has, for a long time, been overlooked. Since the Ford Cougar and Vauxhall Calibra were not replaced, only Peugeot has stuck with the mid-sized coupé market.

Renault hasn’t made a two-door variant during the previous two generations of Laguna (if you ignore the Avantime, an unconventional coupé of sorts); you have to go as far back as the 1980 Fuego for Renault’s last proper coupé.

However, the success of BMW’s 3-series coupé, Mercedes’ CLK and Audi’s A5 demonstrate that a market exists for cars with two doors, four seats and sleek looks. Renault clearly believes that the lack of a perceived premium badge is not the big issue it once was and that buyers are aware of the increasingly blurred line between premium and mainstream.

So perhaps a curvy Renault coupé will appeal. Volkswagen has very similar ambitions for the Scirocco. Will that, rather than the badge, present the Laguna Coupé with its biggest challenge?