Renault Laguna Sport Tourer 2.0 dCi Dynamique S
Hopes are high for the newcomer – but is it good enough to deliver?
In the literature that accompanies the French family car is a very telling phrase: “New Laguna is a standard bearer for the qualities that define Renault and its products in the 21st century”. No pressure then...
So how does it measure up? Well, we’re not sure about the looks. The awkward, close-set headlights are our chief complaint, although the estate’s longer roof balances out the ungainly nose. The rear has more in common with the old Laguna, especially the shape of the tailgate, with its vertical metalwork topped by sloping glass.
It’s clean and tidy, but overall it’s not handsome enough to attract image-conscious ‘lifestyle’ customers. Of course, that phrase often seems to be a byword for small – it suggests space doesn’t matter so much, as long as the car looks good. So although it’s only 29mm shorter than the huge Mondeo, we were disappointed at the Laguna’s 508-litre capacity with the rear bench in place, plus it’s shorter and narrower than both rivals.
Happily, it’s very easy to use, thanks to a low 570mm sill height and possibly the simplest seat folding mechanism yet devised. Pull a lever in the boot or press a button next to the rear backrest, and the seat collapses automatically. The only downside is that you have to raise it again yourself. However, a 1,915mm maximum load length is the best here, and the boot is nicely finished – a theme that carries through the whole cabin.
This quality is clear to see around the driver, where the soft-touch trim, matt plastics and sat-nav controls all seem solidly built. Carefully clustered switchgear and a simple instrument binnacle ensure the Laguna is easy to get on with. And there are some neat features, too, including a standard keyless system that now locks the car automatically as you walk away.
Spending time in the Laguna is no hardship – the stylists should be proud of what they’ve achieved. The engineers responsible for the 2.0-litre diesel have also done a good job. With a turbo that’s on song from 1,500rpm and no loss of composure even at the 5,000rpm red line, it’s so good that it’s overtaken the Honda unit as the best in the class. The dCi 175 is never strained or coarse, yet with 380Nm of torque, has easily the most impressive flexibility.
That’s just as well, given the poor six-speed manual. The lever flexes under load, it doesn’t shift cleanly unless the clutch is fully depressed and it seemed as if it had already covered 100,000 miles, rather than being brand new. This really takes the edge off the Laguna’s quality feel.
The Sport Tourer makes up for it by being extremely quiet and well insulated – on smooth roads at least. However, it’s obvious that the Laguna came nowhere near a British B-road when it was being developed. There’s too much rebound damping, which means that the springs over-react to even small bumps.
This causes the whole car to feel jittery. Added to this is kickback and a lack of steering feel, plus a fair amount of body roll. So even though it has good grip and agility, it’s difficult to have full confidence in the Laguna’s behaviour.
However, with a new 100,000-mile warranty and 18,000-mile service intervals, Renault clearly has confidence in its family car. It’s also very attractively priced at £21,400 – although the 148bhp diesel is £750 cheaper – and Dynamique S trim includes electric leather seats. It has just gained a five-star Euro NCAP crash test rating, too.
Details
Price: £21,400
Model tested: Laguna Sport Tourer 2.0 dCi
Chart position: 3
WHY: As with the hatch, the Sport Tourer promises class-leading comfort, refinement and value.
Economy
If you want to save fuel, go for a lesser-powered Laguna diesel – the base 1.5 dCi 110 claims 53.3mpg, more than 10mpg better than this car’s combined figure. But 38.1mpg is no disgrace and fuel costs will be over £100 less than the Ford’s.
Residuals
According to Renault, residuals for the new Laguna are seven per cent better than the old car’s. But a rating of 36.8 per cent is nothing to brag about, and shows the market isn’t convinced about the Laguna’s lifestyle aspirations.
Servicing
Keeping the new Laguna Sport Tourer in peak trim isn’t a cheap business. We were quoted around £300 for each check-up, although the visits are a generous 18,000 miles apart. Better still is the lengthy 100,000-mile warranty.
Tax
Pushing out 174g/km of CO2 means the Laguna sits in the 24 per cent tax bracket. However, its low list price means tax costs aren’t that much higher than the clean Honda’s, with top-band payers charged a little over £2,000 a year.
