Review of the new Renault Laguna Range

A lot of things were very right with the current generation Renault Laguna when it was first launched. Commentators swooned at the soft-touch interior with its premium build quality, they liked the amount of space in there too and they appreciated the whispered refinement on the road. The key problem was that they were also liable to nod-off if forced to view the standard car's exterior for an extended period. Renault's medium range family car gave little clue to its underlying competence with styling that was about as dynamic as a smoked haddock. When the time came to for a set of revisions to the car, Renault knew what must be done.

The medium range family car sector has always been a tough nut to crack but you get the sense that the manufacturers whose products compete there are having a harder time of it than ever. The market for this type of vehicle is being squeezed from all sides, by the increasing popularity of specialised alternatives like compact MPVs and 4x4s as well as by compact executive saloons from above and premium family hatchbacks from below. On top of all this, the medium range contenders themselves are an increasingly capable bunch, forcing the brands that want to maintain a toehold in this market to work harder than ever for a slice of the fast diminishing pie. It's in this cutthroat environment where the Renault Laguna competes and the latest version has upped its game a few well targeted areas.

The Laguna's engine range is biased towards diesel but the diverse range aims to cover the full gamut of customer demand for performance and economy. It's diesel which the fleet business that props up this sector of the market will be focused on and that means the 1.5-litre dCi 110 and the 2.0-litre dCi unit that's offered in 130, 150 or 180 states of tune. The petrol collection has been slimmed down to a 2.0-litre 16v engine with 138bhp that was developed jointly by Renault and Nissan. It's a strong unit but that won't stop the majority of buyers choosing diesel. The 1.5-litre engine does a surprisingly competent job and the 2.0-litre dCi options also impress with their lively mid-range acceleration. Six-speed manual gearboxes come as standard on all models but the 150bhp diesel is also available with Renault's slick six-speed auto.

"The ride comfort is tough to better anywhere in the sector"

The previous generation Laguna could certainly pound out the motorway mileage but it was never the sharpest of customers when presented with a corner. Renault has pulled out all the stops to address this shortfall on the current model with particular focus on keeping body-roll in check. The results are encouraging but this still isn't one of the sportier drives in the medium range sector. Where it does excel is in the areas of ride comfort and refinement. Even with the entry-level diesel installed, the Laguna is hushed at motorway speeds and the suspension irons out poor road surfaces with real aplomb without getting too wobbly through the bends.

It's always tough for manufacturers to get the styling balance right on a car that must appeal to a wide cross section of buyers. Go too sporty and for every customer that's enthused, you risk alienating another but tread a conservative path and there's a chance of leaving too many punters indifferent. This Laguna was overly nondescript in its original from but although the basic design hasn't changed, the latest version has improved matters. By ditching the sporty GT trim level and rolling its more aggressive appearance out across more models in the range, Renault has succeeded in livening-up the Laguna's act. The mid-range derivatives now benefit from a sports grille, air-intakes cut into the sides of the front bumper and front fog lights. The interior remains unaltered but there was very little wrong with that in the first place, Renault having concocted one of the sector's slickest cabin environments.

All models get the latest ABS technology with brake assist and ESP stability control. Should that fail, the passive safety provision runs to double pressure, double chamber airbags and dual pre-tensioner seatbelts. Renault has also focused on side-impact protection with thorax and pelvis side airbags fitted along with sensors that determine the force of any impact, adjusting the release time of the safety systems accordingly.

The Hatch and Sport Tourer bodystyles are offered in a slimmed down range of Renault trim designations starting with Expression and Dynamique and extending to the Tom Tom Edition and the range topping Initiale. All variants get alloy wheels, a CD-RDS stereo with fingertip remote control and 3D sound by Arkamys, air conditioning, bluetooth hands free technology, an alarm, electric windows all-round, electrically heated door mirrors and a leather steering wheel.

The Expression and Initale do without the sporty styling enhancements but the Initiale is the level with most equipment lavished upon it. Customers can expect wood and leather as well as the latest technological advances. There's the Carminat TomTom satellite navigation system as fitted to the Tom Tom model along with keyless entry, keyless ignition, xenon directional headlights and parking sensors.

To help its customers locate the models with lowest emissions, Renault badges any vehicle with CO2 emissions below 140g/km with the eco2 moniker. In the latest Laguna range, the 1.5-litre dCi engine qualifies with 57.6mpg economy and 130g/km emissions which give the car a theoretical 745-mile range. More impressive still is that the 2.0-litre dCi 150 unit also qualifies thanks to the inclusion of FAP versions which have a particulate filter, longer gearing, a remapped engine and variable power assisted steering. The result is emissions of 139g/km which, married to the engine's strong performance, should go down a storm with company car users.

Renault has undertaken an extensive testing programme to ensure the Laguna's durability in the toughest of conditions. 120 models were put through over six million kilometres of trials at locations around the world chosen for their harsh climates and demanding terrain. The majority of the work was carried out in Argentina, Australia, Malaysia and Russia to test the Laguna's performance in extreme heat, cold and humidity as well as at high altitude, in dusty conditions and on poor surfaces. Even the British road network on a bank holiday weekend shouldn't present a problem.

This Renault Laguna was always safe, comfortable and well built but it needed a little bit extra. With 4x4s, MPVs and junior executive models all eating into the core customer base for traditional family cars, Renault needed to give the Laguna a boost and the latest versions have been tweaked with this in mind. Rolling the sporty looks of the old GT model out to all of the mid-range cars helps to inject an element of dynamism to the styling and moves to improve efficiency, thus lowering costs, will be greatly appreciated in the all-important fleet sector.

The Laguna won't be the family car choice for customers seeking sporty looks and an athletic driving experience but there's more drama to the styling of the mid-range models these days and in most other respects, it's an excellent choice. The ride comfort is tough to better anywhere in the sector and the same goes for the cabin which offers space, quality materials and first class build quality. The range is reassuringly straightforward and all models come well-equipped with a full complement of safety kit.