Renault Laguna Coupe road test reports and car reviews

Renault Laguna Coupe 3.0 D GT V6 dCi 235 Auto 2009

If you’re in the market for a motoring marvel to banish the bleak winter blues, I might just have the recipe from the land of Cordon Bleu. At a price from £29,550 - which is not too high, not too low, but just right - Renault are able to serve you with some tastily packaged ingredients. There’s a spicy dash of power thanks to the new 3.0 litre V6 diesel which produces it’s 235bhp and 450Nm of torque in such a smooth and refined way that it sets benchmarks in its class and one wonders if it’s a turbine. Combine this with a six speed automatic transmission that gives seamless changes and this beautiful coupe performs just as the looks suggest it should. There’s an alluring sleekness of presentation with a head turning look that is a fine balance between modernity and timelessness to give it outstanding road presence. ("Is that another £100,000 Aston Martin?" enquired a neighbour.) and there’s a reassuring sense of competence, ensuring it will serve you practically as well as aesthetically. We’re talking here about the new Laguna Coupe GT, which is much more than simply a stylish two-door car. Underneath its striking lines, with the benefit of Renault’s 4Control chassis with four wheel steering on this GT version, it delivers a dynamic, secure and hugely rewarding driving experience. Not even a foggy day in deep December could dispel the Gallic insouciance of this Regal Renault. It’s a car for the people, made by those who believe the people deserve the best. Behind the wheel you feel like nobility, but at the pump you’ll pat yourself on the back for it’s good old proletarian commonsense. Despite it’s ability to fly to over 150mph the combined economy nears 40mpg. It’s the sort of car that everyone loves - and thankfully - many can afford. It would be a shame to squander such a plethora of desirable features such as ultra efficient climate control, supreme audio quality and fast, intuitive satellite navigation on a privileged mad Marquis - but make no mistake: were they to sample it’s fine combination of style, engineering and comfort, they’d be first in the queue to acquire one. It’s a car for the style conscious who don’t have to be conscious of style, embodying flair with taste and taste with piquancy. Point it down the road and passers by immediately imagine it must be a ’supercar’ on vacation from the Riviera. It is, indeed, a super car, but I have to say - minus the disadvantages of that ludicrously expensive and temperamental breed. The French, along with many of us today, might have had to give up their ’Disque Bleu’ in public but they still are proud enough to stamp their individuality on their EU neighbours via the products of their national motor industry. With this Laguna Coupe, the only smoking you’ll see is the steam coming out of the ears of their rivals! Getting down to business, this is a supremely stylish, technically advanced, luxuriously appointed car that is rich in driving rewards. The lean lines do not compromise cabin space and comfort, with plush appointments making a most relaxing driving environment. It’s very safe too, with active and passive systems providing a sense of security as you explore the dynamics of the four wheel steering - which enabled me to negotiate a tortuous route across Shropshire with total composure. Only Monet could have created a better impression than this Laguna. So, as I wended my way through fog filled lanes I seemed to see light ahead. Was it the dawn of Spring? Did the azure Mediterranean lie beyond? No. It was just the feeling imparted to me by the French motor industry’s equivalent of a gastronomic delight. Behind the wheel I was in accord with Arthur Daley, when he famously opined ’The world is ones’ lobster’ - Thermidor, of course!