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French fancy. Image by Dave Jenkins.

French fancy
Renault's penchant for making cars that are different is aired again in the form of the Laguna Coupé.

   



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| Week at the Wheel | Renault Laguna Coupé GT 2.0 dCi 180 |

Inside & Out: star star star star star

When looking at the Laguna Coupé two things spring to mind. Firstly, that it's a bold and different style, continuing a theme the French seem keen to pursue at the moment. And secondly that it's hard to ignore some fairly heavy overtones of Aston Martin in the rear end of the body; the sculpted rear haunch and wing are very DB9 and even in the dark the theme continues courtesy of the profile of the rear lights.

The interior is carried over, in the main, from the standard Laguna, but this is no bad thing as we found that the step change in terms of quality and ergonomics found at launch of the range pushed Renault closer than ever to the upper echelons of the class. Perhaps of more note and surprise in the case of the Coupé is that whereas a spacious interior may not be top of many people's wish list when it comes to a coupé, the Laguna delivers. Cabin space is generous, as is comfort, while practicality is hard to argue with; during its week with us the Laguna's folding rear seat, flat load space and sensible boot opening enabled it to swallow, amongst other things, an IKEA kitchen and a 1.8m x 0.9m sheet of plasterboard - though not at the same time...

Engine & Transmission: star star star star star

Our test car was fitted with the 2.0-litre, four-cylinder dCi turbodiesel engine, in this case rated at 180bhp. This engine is familiar to us now having been seen in a number of applications and on paper it looks perfectly suited to a car like the Laguna Coupé: easy going, relaxed pace is the order of the day and the engine delivers accordingly, in tandem with a gearbox of well spaced ratios. On the move the engine gives its best with at least 2,000rpm on the tacho and from there on it pulls heartily up toward, if not all the way to, the red line.

Whereas its performance is beyond question, its manners, in the case of our test car at least, are less credible. From start up the whole car shimmies in sympathy with a number of vibrations around the cabin being triggered as a consequence. Odd that a GT type car such as this would have such poor refinement; we'd recommend trying a few examples before buying as this may be an isolated issue. However, it's worth mentioning that we've also heard of recalls for engine management updates - though we don't know whether these are related.

Ride & Handling: star star star star star

Four-wheel steering is the headline grabber as far as the Laguna Coupe's chassis is concerned and it makes itself felt from the first turn of the wheel, an action that produces more of a response than you may have expected, as the turn-in feels sharp and agile. Unfortunately, the steering is numb and does little to communicate the road conditions back to the hands of the driver.

Aside from this it is accurate and, once acclimatised to the responses, the Coupé is predictable and easy to guide. The chassis is also quite firm and whilst all of this adds up to a decent handler, if a little stiff in terms of ride comfort, it lacks a degree of involvement and fun. Keen drivers will still prefer something of a Germanic flavour, but for many the performance of the Laguna will be adequate for their needs as a capable, but firm, GT.

Equipment, Economy & Value for Money: star star star star star

Not many manufacturers offer a direct rival to the Laguna Coupé in this price range, although Renault has pushed the car upwards in the market place; certainly few do such a GT focused car. Standard equipment - and the fit and finish thereof - is impressive, with many items that are optional on premium marques being standard fit here. Service intervals are lengthy and economy in the upper thirties in terms if mpg should be readily available to most drivers. Finally, a browse of the Internet suggests discounts of around 12 percent off list are available - haggle accordingly.

Overall: star star star star star

Refined, fast, comfortable and sleek, the Laguna Coupé is many of the things one would look for in a GT coupé. It's not the last word in terms of dynamics but the style, quality and individuality will be of more importance to most prospective buyers. Renault should make more cars like this and apparently it intends to.

Dave Jenkins - 21 Apr 2009



  www.renault.co.uk    - Renault road tests
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- Laguna Coupé images

2009 Renault Laguna Coupé specifications: (GT 2.0 dCi 180 FAP)
Price: £24,960 on-the-road.
0-62mph: 8.5 seconds
Top speed: 138mph
Combined economy: 43.4mpg
Emissions: 172g/km
Kerb weight: 1539kg

2009 Renault Laguna Coupé. Image by Renault.2009 Renault Laguna Coupé. Image by Renault.2009 Renault Laguna Coupé. Image by Renault.2009 Renault Laguna Coupé. Image by Renault.2009 Renault Laguna Coupé. Image by Renault.

2009 Renault Laguna Coupé. Image by Renault.2009 Renault Laguna Coupé. Image by Renault.2009 Renault Laguna Coupé. Image by Renault.2009 Renault Laguna Coupé. Image by Renault.2009 Renault Laguna Coupé. Image by Renault.



2009 Renault Laguna Coupé. Image by Dave Jenkins.
 

2009 Renault Laguna Coupé. Image by Dave Jenkins.
 

2009 Renault Laguna Coupé. Image by Dave Jenkins.
 

2009 Renault Laguna Coupé. Image by Dave Jenkins.
 

2009 Renault Laguna Coupé. Image by Dave Jenkins.
 






 

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