| Preview | Frankfurt Motor Show | Renault Laguna |Hot on the heels of the latest, and very well received, Mondeo from Ford - the new Renault Laguna will appear at the
Frankfurt motor show in September and we have the first details.
Although not quite as vital to Renault as the new Mondeo is to Ford's survival, the new Laguna is however an integral part of Renault's plan to become more profitable.
During a transitional year at Renault in 2006, Carlos Ghosn, President and CEO of the company, made clear under the 'Renault commitment 2009 plan' that costs should be reduced, while quality and profits are increased. This means high margin cars like the Laguna must sell well and hit its quality targets.
The well proportioned exterior doesn't exactly scream that there's been a huge step forward, but Renault confidently claims the interior quality is much improved.
Renault is also eager to emphasise the new car's agility; a particularly light chassis and precise steering are responsible for much of the improvement in this respect, Renault says.
An array of petrol and diesel four-pots and V6s will be available, most notably including three new versions: a 1.5-litre dCi turbodiesel that produces 99bhp, a 2-litre dCi available in three variants producing 128, 148 or 178bhp and a 138bhp 2-litre 16v. All come with a six-speed manual gearbox as standard. The 2-litre dCi models, 148bhp upwards, will have the option of a six-speed automatic gearbox.
The Laguna's more spacious interior is achieved thanks to the hatch being fractionally larger than the outgoing model; it's 36mm wider, 10mm longer and 12mm taller. Surprisingly though, the new car is an average of only 15kg lighter; we think this is very encouraging and is commendable given that the new Laguna is larger and will have more kit than before; most manufacturers slap on at least another 75kg to new models.
The Frankfurt Motor Show in September will be the first opportunity for punters to view the Renault Laguna Hatch and Sport Tourer. Pricing and other technical details will be released prior to the 12 October, when the new Laguna will be on sale in the UK.
Richard Tanner - 26 Jun 2007
