Review of the new Renault Laguna Coupe Monaco GP

So, you're driving down to Monaco for the weekend and you need the right car for the job. Something with comfort, style and the right wow-factor to get those paparazzi flashbulbs popping when you park up outside the Monte-Carlo Casino to blow a few million on the tables. You hop down the front steps, cross your perfectly manicured lawn, sending the pedigree peacocks running for cover, and throw open the doors of your dehumidified garage. What's it to be this time? Ferrari? Bentley? Bugatti? Renault?

OK, so Renault isn't best known for making the kind of cars that would turn heads in your average super-rich principality. It goes more for models that people without their own butler might buy. Despite this, the elegant Renault Laguna Coupe could attract an admiring glance almost anywhere. In limited edition Monaco GP form, it must at least give you a fighting chance of securing a dinner date with an Argentinean polo player or hotel heiress. If they prove unreceptive, you could always mention that the car is named to commemorate the Renault F1 Team's 2004 and 2006 Monaco Grand Prix victories.

There are more powerful and exciting engines in the Laguna Coupe range than the 2.0 dCi unit that's chosen to power the Monaco GP model but at least it will keep the fuel bills down on route. It's the 2.0-litre dCi diesel with 178bhp and it has muscles to flex thanks to 400Nm of torque. Performance isn't electric but the car will see 60mph 8.5s after setting off and there's a top speed of 139mph ripe for exploration where conditions allow.

The Laguna Coupe has a similar firmed suspension set-up to that of the sporty GT model from the standard Laguna range and although the car displays good body control and changes direction very smartly, it never feels seriously sporty. The novel four-wheel-steering system is standard on the Monaco GP model and it works a treat, tightening the turning circle at low speeds and improving stability in fast bends. You can really feel it at work. The ride quality is pretty good, while both engine and wind noise are extremely well-suppressed, making the Laguna Coupe a great car to blast down to the French Riviera in.

"You won't be left wanting for much in terms of equipment by the Monaco GP edition"

Some coupes employ all manner of scoops and spoilers to give them a sportier appearance but the Laguna Coupe is far more subtle in its approach. There's a rightness inherent in its gentle lines and proportions that give it a classy look matched by few cars in its price bracket. Only the long front overhang lets the side down from some angles but that's made up for at the rear. There may even be a hint of Aston Martin about the way the LED tail lights curve around the rear corners and the boot lid lifts to form a narrow lip spoiler.

The slightly introverted nature of the basic styling is contrasted by the bold colour scheme on the Monaco GT model. The car comes exclusively with pearlescent white metallic paint and a pearl black roof. A set of 18" Interlagos alloy wheels top things off.

Those sleek exterior lines are always going to force some compromises in terms of interior practicality but the Laguna Coupe does work as a four-seater. Rear seat passengers can be accommodated in reasonable comfort although those over six feet tall may struggle with the headroom. The boot aperture is narrow so inserting large items could be a struggle but the space inside is generous with a 423-litre capacity available. The Monaco GP model enhances the interior ambience with dark grey leather seating and gloss white trim inserts with mirror the exterior bodywork.

You won't be left wanting for much in terms of equipment by the Monaco GP edition of the Laguna Coupe as most of the good stuff is thrown in for free. A BOSE stereo system, Bluetooth connectivity and ports for various MP3 players are included. You also get front and rear parking sensors, tyre pressure monitoring and a fully-integrated satellite navigation system. On top of the four-wheel steering, the leather and the other bits and pieces, that's a decent haul yet the Monaco GP is £5,200 cheaper than buying an equivalent GT model and fitting those extras as standard.

The 2.0 dCi unit is the Laguna Coupe's cleanest engine and still turns in a good performance at the pumps in the more powerful 178bhp guise as seen in the Monaco GP. Combined cycle economy is 43mpg and CO2 emissions are 172g/km. The residual values for the Laguna Coupe will not stack up as well as those of premium brand rivals but this apparently well built and good-looking car shouldn't be the financial millstone that some similar vehicles have proven in the past. The Monaco GP model is likely to be particularly popular thanks to the high specification.

You might think that an exotic supercar or some top-end luxury saloon would be a minimum requirement for those wanting to stand out amongst the billionaires on the tree-lined boulevards of Monaco but Renault's Laguna Coupe Monaco GP might just do the job at a fraction of the price.

This limited edition two-door Laguna comes fully-loaded with equipment, sporting a bold monochrome colour scheme and a leather interior. The punchy 2.0 diesel engine might be better suited to cruising up the M1 than screaming around Monaco harbour in imitation of Renault's F1 racers but it helps keep the price affordable to those of us who aren't tax exiles.