Renault Laguna Hatchback (01-07) - Review

Review by Parkers on
Last Updated: 31 Jul 2006
3
Renault does a good job of advertising their cars with French flair, and Laguna II aims to bring executive style and substance to the fleet and family sector. It’s big and roomy, while the attractively sculpted body looks and feels more solid than the old Laguna, plus it was the first car to be awarded a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating.

Latest Renault Laguna Hatchback review

3.5 out of 5

Performance

The lower-end engines aren't quite up to the job of powering what is a relatively heavy car - the 1.6 is strained, and you need to push the 1.8. Consequently, both smaller units were dropped in 2005. Skip forward to the 2.0 petrol and life is much easier. A 2.0-litre turbo unit is offered for stronger performance and an even higher tuned turbo unit is offered in the sporty GT model. A 3.0-litre V6 offers more relaxed performance but it's likely to appeal to a rather limited market. The diesel units are impressive, with sizes ranging through 1.9 and 2.2-litres in a variety of outputs. 2.0-litre capacity units were added to the range in 2005 and a 175bhp model joined the line-up in 2006 offering the most powerful 2.0-litre diesel engine currently in production.

3.5 out of 5

Handling

Laguna loses out here to the sporty, dynamic rivals like Mondeo and the new Mazda6, but although it's no sports car, it is a confident, competent drive, handling corners with great stability. The suspension set-up provides a comfortable ride for passengers, absorbing uneven road surfaces well, and road noise is not a major concern, either. For those who prefer a sportier set-up, the GT models have uprated suspension and lower ride heights.