Renault Laguna

Twenty years in the D segment

The Laguna was Renault's mainstream D-segment car for two decades. Its liftback body gave it a large boot opening, and its focus was comfort, equipment and, from the second generation, safety. The brand's story is told in the history of Renault, and the range is in the Renault catalogue.

Laguna I (1994–2001)

Design and cabin

Unveiled in November 1993 and on sale from January 1994, the first Laguna had a soft, rounded design that looked modern for years. A Grandtour estate followed in September 1995, with an optional third row of child seats in the boot, and the body was galvanised for good corrosion protection. The facelift of April 1998 brought a refreshed exterior, a new 1.6 petrol engine and the 1.9 turbo-diesel. The final edition, the Laguna Concorde, appeared in 2000.

Inside, the seats are soft and wide, with good head and knee room front and rear, and the hatchback boot holds 452 litres. Owners mention wear of the leather on the steering wheel and of the button markings, and windows that mist up easily in cold weather.

Laguna I engines

Gearboxes were a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic. Suspension uses MacPherson struts at the front and a torsion beam at the rear, tuned for a soft, comfortable ride. Known weak points are ignition coils, starters and alternators on petrol cars, engine mounts and throttle bodies. Diesels can suffer injection pump and turbocharger faults; the early 1.8 8V and 2.0 petrol engines are the most durable and tolerate LPG conversion well. Production of the first generation is put at about 2.35 million cars.

Laguna II (2001–2007)

Safety pioneer

Introduced in December 2000 and built in Sandouville, France, the Laguna II was the first car in Europe to achieve five stars in the Euro NCAP crash test. Standard safety equipment included ABS with brake assist, stability control on many versions, a collapsible pedal box and three rear head restraints. Adaptive front airbags and two-stage pretensioners were joined by at least eight airbags, including double-chamber side airbags that protect both chest and pelvis. It was also one of the first European family cars with keyless entry and push-button start, using a card key.

Design, cabin and facelift

The hatchback was 4.58 m long and the estate 4.70 m. The interior was more sober than before, with a dark colour scheme, clear dials, a cooled glovebox, large door bins and a big armrest box. The radio is operated by a satellite control behind the steering wheel. The manual gearbox has a long throw, and the shaped rear head restraints limit rear visibility. A facelift in March 2005 brought a new front, a revised interior and more powerful engines.

Engines and gearboxes

Petrol four-cylinders were offered with the adaptive 4-speed Proactive automatic, the V6 with a 5-speed automatic, and the strongest diesels with a 6-speed manual. Early Laguna IIs suffered from electrical and electronic faults, which damaged the car's and Renault's reputation for reliability, but later cars were much improved.

Laguna III (2007–2015)

Platform and bodies

The Laguna III was announced in June 2007, shown in Frankfurt that September and on sale from October 2007. It uses the Nissan D platform, shared with the Nissan Altima and Teana, and was built in Sandouville, with coupés also assembled in South Africa and Malaysia. A two-door coupé joined in 2008 for the first time in Laguna history. The Phase 2 facelift, shown at the Paris Motor Show in 2010 and on sale from November 2010, brought new lights, grille and interior details. In 2012 the coupé received the R-Link multimedia system with a 7-inch touchscreen, Bose audio and TomTom navigation. Right-hand-drive sales ended in February 2012, and production finished in 2015 after 351,384 cars, including 54,840 coupés.

Engines and gearboxes

Gearboxes are 6-speed manuals or a 6-speed adaptive automatic. According to factory data, the coupé with the 2.0 Turbo of 125 kW (170 PS) and automatic reaches 100 km/h in 9.2 seconds and 220 km/h, with combined consumption of about 8.8 L/100 km. Suspension uses MacPherson struts at the front and a torsion beam at the rear, with disc brakes all round.

Dimensions and practicality

The cabin has soft-touch plastics, a four-spoke steering wheel, round dials with a central trip computer, a colour screen and plenty of storage. Keyless entry locks the car automatically when the driver walks away. Front seats have good side support; the rear is comfortable, though the sloping roof limits headroom for tall passengers. The Laguna III also scored five stars in Euro NCAP's 2007 test and introduced Renault's adaptive safety system with dual impact sensors.

Rivals: how the Laguna compares

The Laguna competed with the Ford Mondeo, Volkswagen Passat, Opel Vectra and Insignia, Peugeot 406 and 407, Citroën Xantia and Toyota Avensis. It offered strong safety, comfort and equipment for the money, but its reputation for electrical faults in the early 2000s hurt sales. Renault's sportier cars, such as the Megane R.S., and other French models are listed among French cars.