Price as tested: €27,990
In brief: As comfy and luxurious as a French express should be, but lacking in style both inside and out.
When Gustav Eiffel erected the vast ironwork tower that bears his name it was done with the kind of exacting precision that you would think impossible in the 19th Century. Those vast legs that support the first platform (and indeed the entire structure) could not be more than a half of one degree out of line when their vast sand supports were removed and the structure became load-bearing. Likewise, some of the upper portions of the 9,500-tonne structure had to be bolted together at a tolerance of less than one tenth of a millimetre, and this at an altitude that few outside of the mountaineering community had ever scaled.
I mention this because there is a common assumption that French cars are not as well put together as their German or Japanese counterparts. A preconception that they are thrown together on a Friday lunchtime by some surly, over-paid, over-unionised Jean-Luc with a Gauloise on the go and a grievance with the management. It’s a myth, in case you were wondering.
But a myth that the previous generation Laguna (from 2000 to 2006) almost single-handedly confirmed as reality. To call it badly built is an understatement. And I speak from experience. I own one. It is spacious, handsome, comfortable beyond all belief, and in terms of its engine and gearbox, surprisingly sturdy.
But just about everything else, from the exhaust to the suspension to the electric windows to the sun visors to even something as simple as the key has needed attention recently. Fair enough, it’s an aged car but I know I’m not alone in my Laguna frustrations. The warranty claims on this model were sufficient to put Renault on a serious financial back foot.
So when Renault launched the updated Laguna III in 2006, it knew that the quality had to be right. Very right. And so it proved. I defy you to find a car with better primary and secondary reliability than a current Renault Laguna. It is, to coin a phrase, solid.
Just not very stylish. The crisp lines of the old (my) Laguna were abandoned in favour of plainness and anonymity. A shame. French cars should always be stylish, in my view.
Belatedly, Renault has attempted to inject some style back into the Laguna, with new lights and grille and an all-over make-over. Sadly, it still looks plain and ordinary, and I still wonder why Renault simply doesn’t take the shape of the gorgeous Laguna Coupe and stretch it to accommodate four doors.
Still, it is a truism that it’s mostly other people who look at your car, so you ought to be more interested in its mechanical and interior appointments. Few are, but that’s human beings for you.
So, the Laguna now gets Renault’s latest generation 2.0 dCi diesel engine, with 150bhp and a fairly hefty 340Nm of torque. It’s this torque that gives the Laguna a new-found dose of sportiness, and in the handsome black metallic paintwork of our test car, you could easily imagine it speeding out of the gates of the Elysee Palace, minister in the back seat, racing to some appointment with France’s destiny. Well, I could but maybe I’ve just watched Day Of The Jackal too many times.
When an engine combines performance this fleet (9.5 0-100kmh dash) with economy and emissions this impressive (5.2-litres per 100km, a figure we matched, and 136g/km of Co2) you know you’re on to a winner.
The sad thing is that dynamically, the Laguna simply can’t bring a chassis to match the engine’s party. It’s OK, but nothing more. The steering is, in true DeGaulle fashion, aloof and resistant. The handling is actually fine; the Laguna is always sure-footed and grippy, but it’s never engaging. Even the six-speed gearshift can’t be bothered, moving floppily and langorously across its gate. What makes it all so annoying is that we know, for a fact, that Renault can do better. The Megane Coupe is a fine-handling car, and the various RenaultSport models are as deft and as brilliant as any sports car, so there’s no need for the Laguna to be this unwilling.
There are some side benefits though. The seats, specced up to Initiale level on our car, felt like plump, lovely sofas more than car seats. The equipment levels (including a bewildering joystick controller for the TomTom-derived satnav) give you plenty of buttons to play with win traffic, and if space in the back is surprisingly poor (certainly not up to the current class standard) then at least the rear seats are as squidgily comfortable as the fronts.
And the quality? Fine, but for one error. With the extra Initiale spec, you get lots of wood and polished piano black inserts, but all they really do is remind you that many of the Laguna’s cabin fittings are actually a bit rough and ready. A little less make-up, in this case, would actually have revealed fewer flaws.
So, as the owner of a former Laguna, would I seriously consider the new one? No, sadly, but that’s not down to any specific failing of the car itself. Considered alone, the updated Laguna is charmingly French, well-made, swift, frugal and exceptionally comfortable. But considered along the horde of rivals that ply this exceptionally talented class (Mondeo, 508, Passat, Insignia, C5, Avensis, i40 etc etc) and it starts to lose its lustre. Renault needs to rethink and dramatically update the Laguna, not merely facelift it, if it’s to be truly competitive. And remember what I said about making the Laguna Coupe body into a four-door?
In spite of its utilitarian nature (and its singular lack of purpose) the Eiffel Tower has gathered a character all of its own and become the iconic symbol of the great city of Paris. Perhaps there’s a lesson there for the Laguna. Making something with precision engineering doesn’t mean you cannot also produce it with character and beauty.
Facts & Figures
Renault Laguna 2.0 dCi Initiale
Price: €27,990
Price range: €24,490 to €27,990
Capacity: 1,995cc
Power: 150bhp
Torque: 340Nm
Top speed: 180kmh
0-100kmh: 9.5sec
Economy: 5.2l-100km (54.3mpg)
CO2 emissions: 136g/km
Road Tax Band: B €156
Euro NCAP rating: 5-star adult, 4-star child, 2-star pedestrian
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