Renault Laguna safety is one of the car’s trump cards. The firm is at the forefront of crash safety and the Laguna was awarded the maximum five stars in Euro NCAP crash tests. Electronic stability control, which can help the driver regain control of the car during a skid, is standard across the range. Rear side airbags can be chosen as an option as well as a tyre pressure monitor.

Renault Laguna practicality isn’t as good as some rivals. Minimum luggage capacity is some way behind most of the Laguna’s rivals at 462 litres when 500-plus litres is now the norm. The rear seats do fold flat to improve its practicality and the boot opening is wide with a low lip, so it’s possible to carry large and boxy items. There is a small storage compartment between the front seats, and generous door bins too.

However, the glove compartment in our test car contained the DVD reader unit for the optional satellite navigation and was lacking in other space.