The 2007 Renault Laguna was supposed to mark a break with the company’s lacklustre quality and service problems of the past. The French firm had to do something to up its game as it slipped behind in the sales race against strong competition from Ford, Vauxhall and Mazda to name but a few. There were some obvious and welcome improvements in interior quality, the diesel engines performed well and the car was comfortable and refined. However, other areas were below par, almost as if Renault had developed it in isolation based on what needed improving on the old Laguna, rather than benchmarking against its more obvious rivals, such as the Ford Mondeo and Volkswagen Passat. As for quality, we prefer to reserve judgement to find out what owners are saying when the cars are several years old. Why not check Parkers’ owners’ reviews for real-life experiences of the Renault Laguna?

Smooth range of engines

There was a choice of five engines available on the Laguna. A 1.5-litre diesel could be ordered with 110bhp, while a 2.0-litre diesel got either 130bhp or 150bhp. A 2.0-litre petrol engine came with either 140bhp or 170bhp, and at the top of the range were a 2.0-litre diesel with 180bhp and a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine with 205bhp. In terms of handling, the Laguna is definitely geared more towards comfort than outright cornering ability. The seats are comfortable too – this really is a car that’ll be popular with fleet drivers for its sheer ability to munch those motorway miles. Those same company car drivers will be interested in the lower-powered 1.5-litre dCi diesel engine, which emits the lowest carbon dioxide of the Laguna family at 136g/km.

Safety in numbers

That number being five – as in the Laguna has a five star Euro NCAP rating. It features electronic stability control, while rear side airbags and a tyre pressure monitoring system can be specified as optional extras. So can the new version of this family and fleet favourite really hope to compete in a market dominated by the Ford Mondeo and Vauxhall’s Insignia? Read on for our full, comprehensive and explosive Renault Laguna review to find out. There’s a wide range of trim levels and optional accessories available to Renault Laguna buyers. It’s always wise to make sure you pick carefully – some options will help you car’s resale value while others will harm it. Options such as sat nav and leather seating will prop up the residual value, while gaudy paint schemes are likely to knock pounds off it.